Working hard with Wallace and Gizmo
Antiquated Press Journal
Post Release notes: Print Sets, Facebook and giveaways
Thanks to everyone over the weekend who put in orders for APs Clockworks Release one. It is incredibly exciting to be filling tubes and shipping these out this week. High fives all around.
Full Series Sets: I am planning ahead for folks who want complete sets of all the releases in the clockworks series. And sure enough there have already been requests for exactly that. Basically print numbers 6-15 Will be set aside from all the releases to be available as matching full sets when the series is completely released. These can be pre-ordered (or reserved rather) just shoot an email to us at info@antiquatedpress.com to get the details. There will only be 10 complete sets and they are offered like the prints on a first come first serve basis.
Facebook: Next week we will be giving away some proofs on our facebook page. So if you want to have an opportunity to get some sweet AP swag and proofs - go like our page:
https://www.facebook.com/AntiquatedPress
Our facebook fans are a very small selective group of people with extremely good taste.
Joe
Fireflies Etching From Release one of Clockworks Series - Available at http://www.antiquatedpress.com/Editions/index.php
by Joe Carr
iPhone and probably mobiles in general
Sorry mobile users. AP is really just not working right yet with mobile iOS. It’s actually ridiculously glitchy. The zooms and light boxes and cart and… probably lots more.
I’ll get a mobile version up eventually. In meantime desktop safari, Firefox, chrome and even explorer check out fine.
big sigh
Release one AP print
Check out this cool little Antiquated Press Print: a 6X9 plate on 10X13 arches paper. Limited edition that we are only using for promotion and giveaways and such.
The first 20 orders for clockworks will get one of these added. It can be hung on the wall or used as a pot holder for not very hot pans. all sorts of useful.
So the first release is posted.
Check it out at AP Editions Page
Pretty excited to get the nuts and bolts of the new website shop all dialed in. And it is good to have these prints out there. These prints are quite special to me and i regard them like little messages in bottles to be sent out all over the world.
This is “release one” - look forward to posting release two here in a couple weeks (or so)
A quick note about the titles: “shark”, “wolf”, “lantern”, “Fireflies”.. are by no means complicated or high minded titles. I like the simple titles, they were given to the plates naturally while i worked them and they reinforce the fact that although these prints are fine intaglio etchings - they are also low brow robot illustrations with a golden heart. We’re not a sophisticated lot here at Antiquated Press.
Joe
Drying / Flattening Prints
When making intaglio prints - one has to soak the paper in water so it is soft, pliable and able to endure the pressure of the press and conform properly to the plate. It takes a couple days prep to get the paper “put down” just right. After pulling the prints they dry in a couple days but they are all wonky and wrinkled and need to be flattened.
There are a number of ways to flatten prints - At AP we built a drying system patterned after Crown Point Press’s drying system (check it out here)
Our drying table is smaller - and since space is a premium in the studio - it uses our versatile super table (I will one day give a full run down of all the super tables excellent features and facets, this post is just about drying)
So - if you know about Crown Point’s table you’ll notice very minor differences. Instead of plywood, we used MDF - since our drying system is built in a 2'X4’ area we are able to use standard sized blotters and most of the corrugated cardboard we got from hot tub boxes (a great source for large unmarred cardboard)
in these photos I only have 5 layers: the way they are stacked goes - Cardboard, Blotter, newsprint, prints, newsprint, blotter, cardboard - then the cycle repeats. It can hold 30 layers easily with 2 prints per layer that works out to 60 prints. The system dries and flattens the prints in about 4 hours.
here are some prints that have been re-wetted with a spray bottle. At this point the ink is dry, the prints are just wavy and well… not flat.
The damp prints emboss quite nicely with the AP chop - so we stamp them just before loading into the drying system.
It is vital that the corrugated channels are all pointing the same way. Allowing the airflow to pass through the cardboard channels.
once you have the layers all stacked properly and placed the MDF top board on. it takes two people to strap in the clamping cross-boards. Simple 2X4s and all-thread.
the allthread only needs to be tightened finger tight as you don’t want too much pressure (that might kill your plate mark)
here the air bag (an expertly sewn canvas drop cloth) is fastened over one side of the stack (the side with the corrugated channels) and a small squirrel cage fan is used to inflate the bag. It is important not to try and drive too much air through the stack - just creating a positive and consistent air pressure across the whole stack works best.
when the fan is turned on - poof, big air bag. the airflow travels through the cardboard which through the miracle of osmosis draws all the moisture from the prints -
making them flat and ready for signing, numbering or whatever.
super fun