PRINT BY

HANDDOCUMENTATION BOOK

A special thank you to: David, Kumkum Nadig & Roger Manners

CONTENTS

1.0 Introduction to Print By Hand

2.0 Research 2.1 What is print making?

2.2 The different printing techniques

2.3 Timeline of printing techniques

2.4 Introduction to hand printing techniques

2.4.1 Letterpress

2.4.2 Monotype

2.4.3 Drypoint

2.4.4 Linoleum Cut

2.5 Material research

2.6 Questionnaire

3.0 Sketches 3.1 Hand sketches

3.2 Prototype

3.3 Sketch-Up Model

4.0 Promotions

5.0 The workshop 5.1 The Inventory

5.2 Work in Progress

6.0 The Machines

7.0 The Prints

8.0 Reflection

INTRODUCTION1.0

Invented by Johannes Gutenberg in Mid 15th century, the

letterpress was one of the first printing techniques introduced.

It uses a relief print, which not only makes it look good, but also

makes it tactile. W ith new printing techniques and improving

technology the letterpress is now almost obsolete. The letterpress

has undergone revival in countries like the USA, and the UK, under

the “small press movement“. New letterpresses known as the “digital

letterpress“ have also taken form. Though in India letterpress still

remains highly unrecognized or unavailable. This project is an

outcome of my undying passion for letterpress, though after much

research and tête-à-tête, I figured why just letterpress? Why not

an integration of many hand printing techniques? This not only

makes my product versatile, it opens doors for great amounts

of experimentation amongst young artists and designers. And

thus, here is Print By Hand. An initiative to revive hand printing

techniques by making a table top, easy to use print maker.

RESEARCH2.0

WHAT IS PRINT MAKING?

Print making is the process of making artworks by printing,

normally on paper. Print making normally covers only the

process of creating prints with an element of originality, rather

than just being a photographic reproduction of a painting.

2.1

2.2PRINTING PROCESSES

RELIEF (Woodcut, Linoleum Cut, Letterpress, Collograph)

any process in which the printing surface is cut away so that

the image area alone remains raised on the surface. ink is rolled

across the surface of the matrix and the raised areas receive ink

while the areas that have been cut away do not.

INTAGLIO (Drypoint, Etching, Aquatint, Engraving,

Mezzotint, Photogravure, Photo-Etching)

intaglio is the general term used for any process in which ink

is held beneath the surface of the material in incised or etched

lines or marks. plates are printed by working ink into the entire

surface, which is then wiped clean. dampened paper is pressed

into the plate with a press forcing the ink onto the paper, while

embossing the mark of the plate and its surface. intaglio comes

from the Italian word intagliare meaning “to incise“

MONOTYPE / MONOPRINT

A monotype is essentially a printed painting. ink is applied to a

plate, which is typically plexiglas, by painting or by using rollers,

and then printed to a sheet of paper. the image is unique, hence

“mono“ meaning “one“, although a faint “ghost“ impression can be

printed the second time through the press. A monoprint may

incorporate monotype techniques, but also employs an image

printed from a matrix such as a lithograph, woodcut, etching.

200Woodblock Printing

Movable type1040

1454Printing Press

Etching1500

1640Monotype

Mezzotint1642

1768Aquatint

1796

1843Rotary press

Linoleum Cut1860

Drypoint1460

Lithography

2.3TIMELINE OF PRINTING TECHNIQUES

Offset Printing1875

1886Hot Metal & Stamping

Typesetting

Screen printing1907

1960Phototypesetting

Dot Matrix Printing1964

1969Lazer Printing

Inkjet Printing1976

19863D printing

Digital Press1993

2.4INTRODUCTION TO HAND PRINTING TECHNIQUES

2.4.1 LETTERPRESS• Letterpress is a relief printing technique.

• Individual letters and punctuations are placed carefully in a stick,

which is then transferred on the chase, fit and then locked on the

chase bed in the letterpress machine.

• The ink is then spread on the letters by the ink roller, the machine

then works in a back and forth manner making an impression on

the paper which is placed parallel to the chase.

• Letterpress was the first form of mass production of print

• Extremely important technological innovation, print now

became available to the masses

• The print makes an impression on the paper like no other printing

technique. The print is tactile.

• Letterpress gives a greater visual definition to the type compared

to other prints.

• Letterpress excels at fine typography

• Classic feel and finish of the letterpress paper takes us back to an

era of quality and craftsmenship.

2.4.2 MONOPRINT• Monotype is the truly “painterly“ print medium.

• Invented by Giovanni Castiglione, an Italian painter and Etcher.

• It is one of the only print techniques which requires no special tools

to allow you to expand your imagination to unlimited possibilities.

• Monotype is print making made by drawing or painting on a

smooth, nonabsorbent surface.

• Monotypes can also be created by inking an entire surface and then,

using brushes or rags, removing ink to create a subtractive image.

• After printing, the images can be an art work in their own right,

or can be reworked to completion using various types of media.

2.4.3 LINOLEUM CUT• Linocut is a print making technique, a variant of woodcut in

which a sheet of linoleum is used for the relief surface.

• This technique was used first by the artists of Die Br“cke in

Germany between 1905–13

• A design is cut into the linoleum surface with a sharp knife!

V-shaped chisel or gouge, with the raised (uncarved) areas

representing a reversal (mirror image) of the parts to show printed.

• The linoleum sheet is inked with a roller (called a brayer), and then

impressed onto paper or fabric.

2.4.4 DRYPOINT• Drypoint is a print making technique of the intaglio family.

• Invented in Germany in the 1460s.

• In this technique you scratch out your design on to the petg plastic

sheet using either needles or scalps. This scratch creates a burr.

• Once you scratch out your design you apply ink to the entire

plastic sheet, then with a tartalan cloth you wipe the extra ink of

leaving ink only the burr, although you have to be very careful

while applying pressure so the burrs don“t flatten.

• The drypoint point technique was abandoned soon after its

invention, though the 20th century has seen a lot of artists using this.

MATERIAL RESEARCH

ACRYLIC SHEETS

Properties:

Impact resistant

Light Weight

Weather resistant

Chemical resistant

Easy to Clean

Shatter resistant

PLYWOOD

Properties:

Weather resistant

Chemical resistant

Easy to cut

Hard to remove stains

METAL

Properties:

Weather resistant

Heavy weight

Chemical resistant

Easy to clean

Difficult to cut

2.5

PETG PLASTIC

Properties:

High impact strength

Easy to cut

Weather resistant

Highly durable

Easy to clean

LINOLEUM

Properties:

Weather resistant

Extremely durable

Easy to cut

Easy to clean

Unavailable

VINYL

Properties:

Weather resistant

Anti-microbial

Inexpensive

Easy to clean

Easily available

LETT

ERPR

ESS

MON

OTYP

E

DRYP

OINT

LINO

CUT

0

5

10

15

20

25

Have you heard of the following print making techniques?

Would you print by hand if it was easy and accessible?

Would you buy a machine that will let you experiment

with different hand printing techniques?

Have you ever used a letterpress?

1

3

4

2

QUESTIONNAIRE2.6

40%

64%

18%

32%

60%

36%

40%

Would you buy a machine that will let you experiment

with different hand printing techniques?

4

"Yes. When printing by hand invariably more thought and focus

is given to the design before as compared to digital prints, which

as a designer tests our skills"“ - Amrita Mohanty

"I haven“t ever used a letterpress and probably wouldn“t ever buy

one, but as a textile design student I“d like to experiment and see

how these techniques figure out on cloth and other materials"“ -

Gauree Malhotra

"Yes, because hand printing techniques always have this sense

of originality which I feel lacks in a lot of our work"“ - Aisha

Chabbra

"“Hand printing techniques require concentration and great

amount of discipline, which we usually forego while working on

our computers“" - Aditi Dash

"“I would love to leave my laptop aside and just design using my

hands"“ - Shruti Gupta

"“I would, but only once in a blue moon, it requires way too time

consuming, you can almost give prints any look now a days"“ -

Harshvardhan Gantha

yes maybe no

“"W ith the types of prints and the expanse at which they are

available, the revival of the letterpress and other printing

techniques will be more as an art form, where artists and

designers can really experiment."“ - Kavya Singh

“"I love letterpress, I love the way it looks, the way it feels, it

really makes your design speak. It is more time consuming, but I

would definitely use it more as a printing technique"“ - Surasti KP

“"Not many students know off these techniques as such, so I

guess it will come back as more of an art form or a ground for

experimenting more than a hard core printing technique.“" - Cara

Tejpal

“"Both actually, if you look at it they go hand-in-hand, its what

you make of it, I might use is to mass produce an absolutely

experimental piece of work. Its definitely time consuming to

print regularly with these techniques, but with limited editions

for things, they work well!"“ - Aditi Dash

Letterpress, Linocut, Drypoint, Monoprint as printing

techniques v/s artforms?

5

“• There is high interest amongst design students to work with

their hands.

• However not many have got the opportunity to do so.

“• Experimentation is an essential aspects of printing by hand.

“• It helps breaking away from softwares and brings originality

to work.

“• Printing by hand encourages practical learning of layout and

typography.

““• The print-maker should be affordable and available in India.

CONCLUSION2.7

SKETCHES3.0

3.1HANDMADE SKETCHES

HINGES

3.2PROTOTYPE

INK PLATE

3.3SKETCH-UP MODEL

Chase

L-angle

Wooden Body Handle

Place for Paper

Ink Plate

Roller

Initially the chase was removable and replacable, though due

to technical difficulties that wasn't possible and an alternative

solution was then used.

Side and Back View

PROMOTIONS4.0

THE WORKSHOP5.0

INVENTORY

RUBBER ROLLER

ACRYLIC WHEELS

RUBBER SHEET

1/2 INCHMETAL L-ANGLES

5.1

WOOD

METAL STRIP

HANDLE

HINGES

SCREWS

SEQUENCE OF OPERATIONS

2 pieces of wood were cut, one

10"X12" and the other 8"X12".

5.2

Due to the non-

availibility of 1/2"

L-angles. The Rolling

path had to be created

with a 1/2" square pipe.

A screen printing rubber

roller was used to

create the roller for the

machine.

Roller was detached

from the metal holder.

The edges were refined.

Then the acrylic wheels

were attached to either end.

The L-angles were drilled and

then screwed on to the larger

piece of wood.

The rollers were held in place using

metal strips screwed on lighly.

Hence, allowing the rollers to move.

The 2 pieces of wood were

attached with the help of hinges.

The chase

The first attempt at making this machine

was a fail. The top flap didn't shut and

touch the chase was too high. The roller also

didn't move beyond a point as it didn't have

enought time to roll on a flat surface.

The process was then repeated, this time the

lenght of the wood was 15". And the chase

was made shorter.

THE MACHINE6.0

PRINTS7.0

REFLECTION8.0

I saw this project as a challenge, and it sure did turn out to

be one. I saw many failures during my process, but I stayed

determined to achieve what I set out to. Product design is not

my forte, so I didn't see or approach this project as a product

designer. I saw it as a person who loves print, specially one

that has an unique character. Throughout my journey, I kept

in mind how graphic designers think, what they do, and what

they are used to. Being so caught up in our computers, has

somewhere made our lives easy. Thus, this machine had to be

as uncomplicated as possible. I made sure any extra elements

were excluded.

The first time when the machine was ready, it didn't shut. I

was extremely disappointed, but quick to figure where it went

wrong and start over. This time the machine shut, the roller

rolled, everything seemed perfect. I was ready to print, 100%

sure nothing could go wrong now. The paper was in place, the

roller inked the type, all that was left was to shut the machine.

So I went ahead, shut the machine, re-opened it and... not a

letter got printed. At this point, I definitely gave up a little.

Mr. David, Ravi anna from the wet lab and Insiyah really

pushed me at this point. They believed in what I could achieve

so much, that I had never felt so confident in myself before. I

then disintegrated the machine and checked each part to see

where the problem lied. It was found that the rubber back

was too hard, and wasn't allowing the paper to sink into the

type. The back was then changed, from rubber to foam and the

machine finally started printing.

At first the prints weren't great, but they did keep improving

with minor changes. Finally, the prints that I got were

satisfying. Though not the best! I can proudly say I did achieve

what I wanted, and with some more effort and refinement this

machine could certainly turn out be something worth owning

by every designer.

This project has definitely thought me a lot. For one, to push

myself beyond what I believe I'm capable of. As a person

who could never imagine themselves in the workshop, the

workshop doesn't feel like such a scary place anymore. I

feel confident working with tools, drills, cutting machines.

Product design makes you pay a great amount of attention to

detail, think quick and act fast. The decisions you make while

you're working can really make or break your end product.

And once you've done something there is no COMMAND + Z

to go back. So you have think things through thoroughly.

W ith the product skills this project has given me, and with

the immense love I have for type and with the want to create

something new. I would love to take this forward, and turn

what is good into the best.

© Kavya Bagga & Srishti School of Art, Design and Technology