Thesis (M.S.)--Rochester Institute of Technology, 1982. / Typescript. Includes bibliographical references (leaf 58).

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Typescript. Includes bibliographical references.

This research into intaglio printing, its materials and techniques, deals with the three main conservation problems specific to the process. They are: acidity of the paper, buckling and/or tearing along the printed edge of the plate caused by excess pressure during printing, and yellow/brown staining, or halo, around the printed image. Research done in the cause of this study reveals that these problems are not confined to contemporary printmaking practices, as believed by some conservators, but can be traced back to the historic beginnings of the Intaglio Printing. The results of the analyses and tests performed in this investigation indicate that these problems can be partially, if not completely, eliminated by simple and inexpensive improvements to the process of printing. 1 - An alkaline solution, used to dampen the paper prior to printing, will act as a buffer, making the paper resistant to future attack from acids. Importantly, it will also accelerate the drying of the ink, which is essential to the production of a thick solid ink-film. 2 - Excessive pressure during printing destroys the natural resilience of the paper within the printed area and should be kept to a minimum. Plates that have not been bevelled sufficiently can also be very harmful to the paper, cutting and/or tearing paper fibres. These problems are not visually evident after printing, but are ultimately very detrimental to the life of the print. 3 - The traditional method of drying prints, between blotters and under weight, is a major cause of the yellow/brown staining, or halo, formed around the printed image. The vehicle in the ink, a product of linseed oil, normally dries by polymerization and oxidation reaction with oxygen from the atmosphere. Press-drying retards this reaction causing the paper to absorb part of the vehicle. Air-drying accelerates the drying process, producing a much thicker and stronger ink-film and reducing absorption of the vehicle into the paper. Although air-drying will produce buckling, this can be easily remedied after seven days by dampening the print and press-drying.

The artist's imagery mainly consists of carrousel horses and reptiles. The only thing that relates the images of the reptiles and the carrousel horses in the artist's work is the fact that she finds both images fascinating and intriguing, but at the same time, finds both of these images some what repulsive and frightening. As a child, the artist developed a fascination for carrousel horses and reptiles. At this time these images mainly inspired feelings of fear in the artist. In the artist's opinion, carrousel horses seem to be frantic and frenzied. The artist feels that this aspect of carrousel horses makes them an image with expressive possibilities and she attempts to capture feelings of fear, curiosity and fascination in her prints. The artist is amazed at the variety of colors and textures found on reptiles. She finds them interesting images because although most reptiles are menacing creatures, they are also beautiful and exotic. The artist feels that this aspect of the reptile makes it an intriguing subject matter to work with.Intaglio is a form of printmaking in which a metal plate, traditionally copper or zinc, is manipulated by certain techniques such as: line etch (where a dry-point needle is used to scratch the surface of the plate onto which hard ground [an acid resistant, waxy substance] has been applied and the plate is etched in acid to incise the lines and form a line drawing); and aquatint (a technique to achieve a wide range of tones in an intaglio print). Aquatint has an appearance similar to that of a water color wash. To create the aquatint tonal areas, powdered rosin is sprinkled evenly over the plate and the plate is then heated until the rosin melts and adheres to the plate. The areas that are to remain white are covered with a hard ground "block out." The plate is etched in acid for a period of time to be determined by the artist and is then taken out and rinsed with water to stop the acid from etching the plate any further. This process is repeated until a desired range of tones are created. Another technique usually used is a hybrid combination of burnishing and scraping using a burnisher or scraper. A burnisher and a scraper are patented tools that are used to polish (burnish) and scrape (that is, cut/remove metal from the plate) the surface of the plate to create highlights, lighten an area, or to totally erase an incised area of the plate. Embossing is another form of intaglio printmaking in which three layers of illustration board are cut to form a positive image on a piece of dampened arches paper that is pressed into the carved image by means of a printing press. The deeper the embossment, the more elevated the image will be on the paper. Pressing the paper down into the layers of illustration board forms an embossed image. No ink is used to create the image. Thus, this form of intaglio printmaking is known as "blind" printing, that is printing without ink.In the artist's work, all of the intaglio techniques discussed are used in combination with each other on the same plate to create a rich image. Researching different techniques has allowed the artist to have a better understanding and appreciation for the intaglio prints of historically renowned artists, who were printmakers before the artist. / Department of Art

Thesis (M.S.)--Rochester Institute of Technology, 1993. / Typescript. Includes bibliographical references (leaf 30).