LITHOGRAPHY


SUPPLIES:

	 1. Litho pencils, #1 through #5.
	 2. Litho Crayons, #1 through #5.
	 3. One or two Japanese Brushes.
	 4. Bottle, KORN'S Litho Tusche (and some small cans or jars for mixing
		and holding tusche washes, e.g. baby food or tuna containers.)
	 5. Single edged razor blade or Exacto knife, (needle incisor).
	 6. Snakeslip
	 7. Cheese Cloth
	 8. Cotton Balls
	 9. Clean rags
	10. At least 2 sponges.
	11. Litho roll up ink.
	12. (Litho printing ink)
	13. 18"x24" Newsprint Pad.
	14. Printing Paper: Arche's White, or Arche's Buff,
	 		    or Rines B.F.K. recommended.

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I. Preparing the Stone:

  1. Wet two stones and sprinkle 120 carborundum on bottom stone.
  2. Place one stone on top of the other and move top stone in a figure 8 manner.
  3. When surface gets white and sticky, rinse stones and apply fresh 120.
  4. When old image is completely gone, rinse stone thoroughly making sure
     to remove all of the 120.
  5. Repeat the above process with 180 twice and then 240 twice.
  6. Bevel edges of stone with a file.
  7. When stone is dry, paint on a 1 inch border of gum arabic.
  8. Begin drawing.


II. The First Etch - when drawing is completed:

  1. Sprinkle first rosin on the stone, distributing it and removing excess
     with cotton.  Then sprinkle on talc, wiping away excess with clean cotton,
     polishing gently with the cotton.

  2. Lay out all supplies for the first etch: Gum; Nitric acid; at least 3 gum
     containers; Brushes; Cheese cloth, cut into 2 folded 4 inch squares (or
     larger for giant stones).

  3. Appraise the grease content of all parts of your drawing.  Plan your
     etching procedure carefully.  In general very refined #5 linear work
     should receive either pure gum or up to 2 drops Nitric acid in 1 oz.
     of gum.  Light greys should receive about 5 drops Nitric in 1 oz. gum.
     Dark greys about 8-12 drops in 1 oz. gum.  True blacks should receive
     about 14-20 drops Nitric in 1 oz. gum.  Effervescence should be mild
     and shouldn't commence for at least 6 seconds.  If effervescence is too
     strong, brush "etch" into a clear stone area, a black area, or to the
     border.  After a few minutes the etches can be spread over the entire
     stone.  If you need more etch to cover white expanses, brush on more
     of your middle strength etch there and manipulate all etches together
     with your fingers - good pressure - everywhere.  Before gum begins to
     harden, quickly remove excess etch with clean cheesecloth.  With
     SECOND piece of clean cheesecloth polish very thin gum layer with a
     circular motion.  Fan dry and leave overnight.


III. The Wash-out:

  1. Before wash-out, prepare ROLL-UP INK for roll-up.  Place roll-up ink
     at rear of inking slab with spatula and work till soft.  Spread ink the
     width of roller.  Taking just a small amount of ink at a time, and,
     frequently ROTATING roller, roll out ink till a very thin blanket of
     ink covers slab.

  2. Sprinkle lithotene over stone.  With absolutely clean, dry, rag, rub
     out drawing materials through thin gum layer.  Absolutely no H2O
     should get near the stone at this point or your image will be ruined!!

  (3. Asphaltum rub-up = optional.  See Tamarind.)


IV. The Roll-up:

  1. Put stone on press bed or other convenient surface near ink slab.
     Place clean bowl of water, 2 clean sponges, 1 oz. of anti-tint solution,
     20 drops Nitric in 1 oz. H2O for cleaning borders, cotton balls, nearby.
     Also prepare a clean area to put your proofs and your edition as they
     come off the press.

  2. Remove protective gum layer with clean sponge wet with clean water.
     From this time until roll-up is complete the stone must be kept damp.
     Though you've now removed all your drawing materials, your image is
     really still there (it will appear like a ghost of its former self).
     The image-areas of the stone have been processed to "grab" ink, while
     the clear stone areas will repulse ink provided you keep a film of
     H2O between stone and ink roller at all times.  It is advisable to
     have another student sponge your stone for you between each pass with
     the inked roller, while you re-charge roller with ink.  Otherwise,
     sponge it yourself.

  3. Roll up with lightly charged roller, no pressure on roller.  Sponge
     between each roll.  Check results after each roll.  Add ANTI-TINT
     solution for scum build-up.  Add water etch for darkening of borders.
     Five to ten drop water etches can be put in small areas which
     persistently attract false build-up despite anti-tint.  Snake-slip
     may be useful, especially in borders, but if halo or scum repeats,
     use water etch.  It's best to roll up slowly with too little ink at
     first than to over-ink.  After first 3 or 4 passes, roll in from all
     directions, including diagonals.  Keep blanket of ink on slab sparse.
     ROLL-UP INK is very stiff so as to prevent greasy build-up around
     your drawn areas.

  4. When image on stone approximates your original drawing, stop rolling,
     inspect for needed corrections.  Use razor blade or wetted snake slip
     to perfect details.

 (5. Counter-etching and redrawing is done at this point if desired.
     Read Tamarind on this procedure.)

  6. ROSIN and TALC.  Stone may be gummed over and stored now -- or second
     etch can proceed immediately.







V. The Second Etch:

    The strength of the second etch depends on the quickness or slowness of
  your Roll-up; and on the character of your drawing.  If your roll-up took
  6-10 passes, with no special problems in either very light or very dark
  areas, the etch in each area should be cut to about 2/3 of its original
  strength.  If the roll-up went too fast (2 to 5 passes) the first etch was
  too weak and the second etch should be equal to, or, especially in the dark
  areas, stronger than the first etch.  Delicate drawing taking a 5 drop
  first etch may be simply protected by gum during the second etch.  If the
  roll-up was very slow (more than 14 passes) your stone was over-etched the
  first time, and doesn't need a second etch at all.  In this case, you
  should be sure to switch to a greasier ink for your edition (Graphic
  Chemical #514 Etching Ink is recommended).  On a stone containing a very
  delicate drawing all done in #5 pencils or #5 crayons which rolled up
  normally, a second etch is undesirable.
	Circulate and rub down the second etch exactly the same way you did
  the first etch, leaving a polished thin gum layer over-all.
	Stone can be stored at this point or you may leave the second etch
  on about 1/2 hour to 1 hour and then proceed to roll up and print.


VI. Printing:

  1. Have all items for roll up laid out, exactly as before.  Roll out your
     ink in the same way.  Have anti-tint, water etches, snake slip, sponges
     and water all ready.

  2. Place stone on press.  Install correct-size scraper bar.  Adjust pressure.
     Mark with tape correct positions for each end of press movement.

  3. Sponge off gum etch and proceed to roll up, proofing after about 4
     passes.  An alternative is to do a wet wash-out (see Tamarind, as this
     is very dangerous to your image) and start rolling up from scratch: if
     you established a quick, easy and well-remembered roll-up routine that
     worked excellently in the first roll-up, you may prefer this procedure.
     For novices, it's better to continue the roll-up now.  You will    
     establish your inking routine - directions, pressure, etc. - during
     the proofing.

  4. To proof, place newsprint over stone.  Above it place c.4 sheets
     newsprint (for padding).  Then greased tympan (greased side up!).
     Roll through the press.  Establish a routine of placing tympan under
     press and paper stuffings somewhere away from your clean proofs.  As
     soon as you pull a proof you or your partner must sponge the stone
     with clean water.

  5. Keep proofing until you feel a proof is of editionable quality.
     Inspect image after each roller pass.  Remember, borders and other
     areas can be honed or anti-tinted between passes.  Once a build-up is
     allowed to be reinforced through rolling, it is difficult to correct.

  6. Tack up bon a tirer proof and try to duplicate it in your every
     procedure for each print in the edition.  Edition on lightly sponged
     rag printing paper.

  7. The process may be stopped and continued at a later date anytime.
     Simply give the stone 2 light passes of ink after pulling a proof
     or a print from you edition.  Let stone dry, fanning if you wish.
     Then paint on thin gum layer.  Blot with paper towel or rub down with
     clean cheese cloth.  Store stone.  To continue printing, sponge off
     gum and continue rolling up in your now-established method.


VII. Clean-up:

	Careful Clean-up is absolutely essential.  Use mineral spirits and
     paper towels to clean, first, roller, the slab and spatula.  Clean gum
     off press bed with H2O.  Clean up all brushes immediately after use.
     Clean up ounce cups and replace.  Lock nitric acid jar and replace on
     shelf immediately after use.  Clean all areas and equipment you have used.