~ Click To Enlarge ~
I’ve been working on a project related to my Botanica Obscura images. And I’m really excited about it… Something about crafting something with your hands in this digital age that is quite satisfying. No, I’m not going to let the cat out of the bag, but if you stay tuned here, there will be what I think is a very cool announcement soon…
What?? Feed This Beast More Ink… ALREADY?
Now don’t get me wrong… I’ve just replaced an Epson 3880 that was damaging Botanica Obscura prints in the deep shadows with its spur wheels (another blog post on that particular bit of suckiness soon) with the Canon 6300… and it is a world apart. After more than a decade, I’ve ditched Epson for good and moved to Canon. The level of engineering is much higher and Canon has excellent included software (like the Free Layout image nesting program and their exceptional Photoshop Print Plugin) that makes the Epson’s software look, well, quaint.Â
On top of that, Epson has become hostile to third party software writers like Roy Harrington (who programs the brilliant Raster Image Processor Quadtone RIP). Canon, meanwhile, has included their own Media Configuration Tool to allow you to adjust their printer to use third party papers. And, Canon has been open to supporting third party software writers like Bowhaus and their fantastic RIP True Black And White (which is what I use for my fine art printing now–I used their InkjetControl and Open Printmaker RIP since the first version was put on the market; that was Epson-only software, and I became quite skeptical of Epson when Bowhaus dumped them for Canon).
But, that’s not what I want to rant about. What I want to rant about is a scam all the wide format printer manufacturers engage in.
I have two solo shows coming up in the next few months (stay tuned!) and I was trying to find a non-standard way of mounting my images. I do like the typical matte board and black-museum-frame look, but for the Botanica Obscura work, I wanted to try something new–and, well, something more fitting. Right about that time I had been researching Dane Creek’s covers for the folios I am making (stay tuned some more!), I came across his post Plywerk Mounting Panel Review.
Long story short, I ordered a few test pieces and for the most part have been favorably impressed. Attaching your image is a straight forward process, if a little nerve wracking at first–you  have to get the print on the ph-neutral adhesive correctly the first time, or the whole assembly may be ruined. You also have to be quite careful when trimming the edge of the print to the edge of the mount. Clear mounting and trimming instructions are included with every order. Plywerk mounts are offered in a large number of sizes and thicknesses, and in Birch and Bamboo–architects and builders will recognize the Bamboo base material as Plyboo. Plywerk also offers Photoshop .PSD files on their site here, that are designed so you can add your own image on a layer, for marketing and sales and such. That’s a nice touch. Here are two different versions of one of my Botanica Obscura images:
I’m using 310gsm Canson Infinity Platine Fibre Rag which is the inkjet version of the paper platinum/palladium printers have used for years. It has a nice surface, is acid free, and contains no optical brightening agents (OBAs). One of the reasons why I picked this paper was that this type of mounting is designed to be shown–not squirreled away in a collector’s dark cabinet. No OBAs means that there won’t be a shift to yellow as the brighteners lose their ability to fluoresce over time. I gave the mounted image 24 hours to let the adhesive set, then sprayed the image with two coasts of Premier Print Spray to help prevent scratches and finger prints on the image surface.
To sum up, I really like the Bamboo mounts for these particular images–they make for a more intimate, organic presentation.
I just got back from a trip to Portland, Oregon. While I was there, I did a small tour of some of the many letterpress shops in business there. Everyone was really friendly and I got to see some amazing work. Here is a list of the places I visited:
A special Thanks! to Egg Press–I got a full tour of their shop and saw some new projects they are working on.
Here’s a shot of the presses at Lark Press. Jean Sammis was great, we chatted for some time.
For a long time I’ve been fascinated with Japanese papers, and have done a couple of tests to see if I could get a satisfactory inkjet image printed on them. So far I haven’t had much luck, but I’ve just picked up a sample pack of ten coated papers from Hiromi Paper. I’ve run them through the Epson 2400 using Bowhaus’ Ink Jet Control software RIP. I particularly like the Niyodo Kozo and Niyodo Natural. I’ve also tested a sheet of Kozo Gampi Torinoko, which is very nice but expensive at $5.25 for a single 8.5×11 sheet. Excuse the photo of my bathroom… I dry prints in there as it is the most dust free area of my apartment!
I’ve been wanting to take a letterpress class for a long time–something about the look and feel of a well-printed piece of work that really appeals to my sense of design. Then I discovered the masters…
