AKUA-KOLOR Instructions

Photos and instruction below were taken from the
SAFER PRINTMAKING video
PURCHASE VIDEO

Table of Contents

Preparation
Selecting Monotype Plates
Selecting Monotype Papers
Rolling-Up
Painting On the Plate
Modifying Akua Kolor
Viscosity Monotypes
Using Needle Applicators
Using Akua Kolor Pens
Printing by Hand with the Pin Press
Cleaning up
Trouble Shooting
Woodcuts/Linocuts
Creating Directly on Paper

    Preparation

    Before beginning, add a flip top lid to the bottle of Akua Kolor. Then, shake all colors for one minute. Cleaning the plate with soap and water or cleanser before using will prevent Akua Kolor from beading up on the plate.

    Selecting Monotype Plates

    Use thin 2mm (1/16″) polycarbonate plastic plates or PETG plastic. Thicker plates will cause dry paper to wrinkle with press pressure. Akua-Kolor can also be applied to frosted mylar or acetate to add color shapes or stencils.

    Selecting Monotype Papers

    Akua-Kolor printed on dry paper gives back much more intense colors, while dampening the paper results in soft colors and possibly soft edges from the inks bleeding into the damp paper. Dry paper also allows for easy registration as the paper will not shrink or expand.

    Smooth paper works best for monotypes. Textured papers will cause the print to look grainy.

    Recommended papers:

    • Hahnemuhle Monotype or Hahnemuhle Silkscreen
      (Other Hahnemuhle papers are not recommended.)
    • Arches 88 (Other Arches papers are not recommended.)
    • Rives BFK
    • Magnani Pescia

    Rolling- Up Akua Kolor

    View 2 minute clip on Rolling-up Akua-Kolor
    from Safer Printmaking Video/DVD

    The instructions below apply to rolling up the monotype plate with Akua Kolor and printing with a press using dry printmaking papers.

    building-layers.jpg
    Adding drops of Akua Kolor to the monotype plate.

    STEPS For Rolling up the plate

    1. Add a few drops of ink to the printing plate.

    • Small size plates: about 2–3 drops
    • Medium size plates about 5-10 drops
    • Large size plates: about 10-20 drops

    2. Add 2 to 3 drops of Retarder into the ink.

    • Mix the ink and Retarder with the edge of the brayer

    3. Roll out the ink evenly over the entire plate.

    • Soft rubber brayers or rollers work best

    4. Add a few more drops of ink and roll out again.

    • Do not add more Retarder.
    • The ink should be very thin on the plate.

    5. Wait three minutes

    • Waiting allows the ink to thicken so additional layers will adhere.

    6. Add a few more drops of ink and roll out.

    • Increase the amount of ink by a few drops for each roll up.
    • If the brayer starts to slide, wait another three minutes before continuing.

    7. Lift the plate and look through it to see how dense the color looks.

    8. Continue adding drops of ink and rolling until the desired density is reached.

    rolling-red.jpg
    Rolling up Akua Kolor on the monotype plate.

    The number of layers needed to reach a solid, opaque color on the plate depends on the pigment. Some pigments cover more readily than others.

    • Black: 8 to 10 layers for the maximum opaque black
    • Yellow: about three layers
    • Blue: about five layers
    • Burnt Sienna: about six layers
    • Ultramarine and the earth colors are the hardest to read, while yellows and reds are the easiest.

    TIP: After printing, if you plan to ink up the printing plate again, it is not necessary to clean it unless you are switching to a lighter color. In fact, the ink residue will help build up new ink layers quickly.

    william-paints.jpg
    William Jung paints on the monotype plate with Akua Kolor

    Painting On the Plate

    Pour Akua Kolor straight from the bottle onto a palette. Dip the brush into the ink and apply to the plate. Clean the brush with water. Dry excess water off the brush before using it again. Check for puddles of ink on the plate. If puddles are seen, blot them with tissue paper before printing

    Modifying Akua Kolor

    For fluid brushwork and thin roll up coats, use Akua Kolor right from the bottle with no modification. A variety of modifiers and methods are available for special effects and changing the consistency of the ink.

    RETARDER
    To prevent the ink from drying on the plate, add Retarder to Akua Kolor. This will also help release the ink onto dry paper during the printing process. Only a little is needed, as too much will cause the ink to bead. Retarder is ideal for hot, dry or very cold environments.

    BLENDING MEDIUM
    To create a wet on wet look, wash effects and blends on monotype plates and paper, use Blending Medium.

    • Apply Blending Medium directly on the monotype plate
    • Brush color over the Blending Medium
    • Blend as desired.

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    “Air Thickened” Akua Kolor

    AIR THICKENED AKUA KOLOR
    Akua Kolor will “air thicken” after being left uncovered over a period of time on a palette. Air thickened Akua Kolor will produce a heavier brush stroke and denser roll up coat.

    • Use a watercolor palette with a lid and cover until desired thickness is achieved.

    EXTENDER
    Avoid adding water to Akua-Kolor inks. Water will cause the inks to dry on the monotype plate and prevent them from releasing onto dry paper.

    • Add Extender directly to the colors on the palette that have become too thick. Extender will re-constitute “air thickened” ink. With Extender the ink will again become loose enough to work easily.
    • Extender can also be added to Akua Kolor to dilute the pigment and create a more transparent ink without effecting the consistency.

    tack-thickener.jpg
    Pouring Tack Thickener

    TACK THICKENER
    To thicken Akua Kolor and achieve semi-gloss color, add Tack Thickener. With Tack Thickener Akua Kolor feels more like oil based ink.Tack Thickener also keeps the ink on the surface of the paper so that it remains vibrant after it dries (haziness upon drying indicates the ink has soaked into the paper.

    Mixing Tack Thickener
    Pour Akua Kolor into the Tack Thickener. It is always easier to mix a thinner ingredient into a thicker ingredient. At more than 40% the ink becomes grainy. This grainy texture can easily be smoothed out by adding a few drops of Blending Medium.

    • Add 20% to 40% Tack Thickener to Akua Kolor.
    • Mix with a palette knife

    Rolling-up
    Roll out the tack thickened ink with a soft rubber brayer on a separate ink slab. Once the brayer is evenly coated, roll and transfer the ink onto the monotype plate.

    Brushwork
    Use only a very small amount of Tack Thickener with Akua Kolor for brushwork. “Air thickened” Akua Kolor may be a better alternative.

    Reductive Monotype
    Akua Kolor that has been thickened with Tack Thickener will have a different working quality than when used right from the bottle. When drawing into the inked surface of the plate, Tack Thickener makes the ink wipe away with less tonal variations. Therefore, add Tack Thickener to Akua Kolor only if you want clean sharp lines when doing reductive monotypes. For reductive monotypes with plenty of tonal values use Akua Kolor alone.

    AKUA OIL CONVERTER
    For semi-gloss finish
    Akua Oil Converter is a water-soluble soy-based modifier. It looks white in the jar but rolls out clear. Added to Akua Kolor, it may be too stiff to work for monotype techniques. Works best as an overprint. Coat the monotype plate and print it on top of a finished monotype. Colors will deeper with a semi-gloss finish similar to an oil based print.

    • Roll a coat of Akua Oil Converter onto a clean monotype plate
    • Print the coated plate over a dry print.

    RELEASE AGENT
    For monotype ghost prints
    After the print is made there will be some ink remaining on the plate, which is called the ghost plate. The ghost plate can be printed as a lighter version of the same image or used to develop a new monotype image.

    TRANSPARENT BASE
    Transparent Base is a water soluble soy based intaglio or relief ink base without the pigment. Add Akua Kolor and create new custom colors.

    • Add Akua Kolor into Transparent Base by the drop.
    • No set amount of color is needed, it depends on the artist for their choice of color intensity or transparency.
    • Cleans up with soap and water

    Viscosity Monotypes

    A viscosity monotype deals with two inks of different viscosity, thick and thin, resisting one another. Thin Akua Kolor will resist thick Akua Intaglio ink.

    • First paint thin Akua Kolor onto the plate.
    • Then roll thicker Akua Intaglio ink over the painted surface.

    TIP: Try using Retarder, Blending Medium or Akua Kolor Extender for a clear resist. Tack Thickener can also be used in varying amounts for viscosity printing.

    Using Needle Applicators

    Fill the Bellows-bottles with Akua Kolor and assemble. Press the bottom of the bottle very gently. It will be ready to use when the color flows to the tip. When the needle is first placed on the plate, a small bead of ink may run off the tip. Before placing the tip on the plate, wipe the bead of ink off by running the tip over a piece of paper. To clean the needle tips, fill a clean Bellows-bottle with water and squeeze the water through the tip.

    Using Akua Kolor Pens

    Akua Kolor Pens have a unique valve dispensing system that allows the user to apply a thin coat of ink on plastic or paper. This system helps prevent puddles of ink on plates and increases the drying time onto paper. Fill the pens with Akua Kolor, and depress the tip with a gentle pumping action. It will be ready to use when color flows to the tip. To clean the pen tips, remove them from the pen and wash under running water.


    newpinpress.jpg
    Hand Printing with The PinPress

    Hand Printing

    The use of an etching press may not be necessary when printing monotypes, with Akua water-based inks. A baren, wooden spoon, bone file, or kitchen roller may offer good results for small plates but may cause uneven impressions for larger plates. The PinPress, was made specifically for printmakers. It is a machined aluminum roller that insures precision printing for large and small plates.

    Hand printing requires a different approach than when printing with a press. Therefore, it is important to follow the instructions below when printing without a press.

    Developing the Monotype Image for Hand Printing
    Develop your image on a thin, smooth plastic plate, Just about any smooth, non-porous surface will work— frosted mylar, acetate, or butcher paper. Thinner plates are easier to roll onto with the PinPress –1/16” polycarbonate plastic or PETG plastic is ideal.

    Sand or scrape off any burr the plate has around the edges (a burr or raised edge won’t allow the roller to apply pressure to the plate surface—suspect a burr if you see a halo around the edge).

    Rolling up the ink for Hand Printing
    For best hand print results use thick ink. Akua Intaglio ink can be used right from the jar or Akua Kolor can be made thicker with the addition of Transparent Base or Tack Thickener.

    Using Akua Kolor ink
    Akua Kolor with the addition of Transparent Base or Tack Thickener will release from the plate with the very lightest of pressure. Akua Kolor without modification is too thin to print by hand. Unmodified Akua Kolor only transfers well with the pressure of an etching press.

    Using Akua Intaglio ink
    Akua Intaglio inks offer greater color density and prints well by hand. Use right from the jar. No modification required.

     

    Brushwork for Hand Printing
    Akua Kolor or Akua Intaglio inks may be used for brushwork. Both inks may need some modification.

    Using Akua Kolor ink
    When using fluid Akua Kolor in brushwork for hand printing it will be necessary to coat the plate with Release Agent first.

    • Roll a thin coat of Release Agent onto the plate
    • Then paint with Akua Kolor

    TIP: A drop or two of Akua Kolor ink can be added to the Release Coat before rolling it up to create a different plate tone background color to work on.

    Using Akua Intaglio ink
    If Akua Intaglio ink is too thick to brush, loosen it by adding a few drops of Akua Kolor Blending Medium. Then paint your image directly onto the surface of a clean plate.
    Selecting Papers for Hand Printing
    Print to a super smooth surfaced DRY PAPER such as Arches 88 silkscreen. Other papers may need to be slightly damp for a good release when printing by hand.
    Press beds for Printing with the PinPress
    Most table tops, laminated surfaces, and Plexiglas are not as flat as they appear. You can easily check a surface by rolling a PinPress across it. Any gaps that appear between the roller and the surface indicates an uneven surface—these areas will not receive pressure during printing.

    If you have a heavy glass table top, you’re set. Otherwise, you can order tempered plate glass from a glass retail outfit. In any case, you need a truly flat surface for successful printing.

    • 1/4” or thicker tempered plate glass is recommended.
    • For optimum leverage, have the surface used as a press bed slightly lower than hip level.

    Registration

    • Place a piece of paper the same size as that you are going to print to under the glass press bed.
    • Center your plate over it.
    • As you drop your printmaking paper over your plate, line it up with the paper under the glass.
    • Add a little water between the surface of the glass press bed and printing plate. The water will suck the plate down and prevent the plate from moving.

    Using the PinPress

    • Place the printing plate on a super level surface.
    • Lay your printmaking paper on top of the plate. If you are using moistened paper, cover with an absorbent blotter (Viva brand paper towels are great blotters for small plates). Add a soft felt blanket for printing intaglio plates or adding chine collé.
    • Apply pressure by rolling completely across the plate, being careful not to cut across the plate with the edge of the roller. Lift a corner of the paper to check the transfer—keeping one hand lightly pressing the other half of the paper to the plate to keep the paper/plate registration.
    • Apply additional pressure with the roller as needed. Rolling up and down, then side to side, will enhance the plate mark. Lift and check a corner again before pulling paper from plate.

    Additional instructions for hand printing can be found in our past newsletter Printmaking without a Press

    Cleaning up

    Most of the time Akua Kolor, Retarder, Extender, and Blending Medium will clean up easily with just a damp rag.To clean color stained plastic surfaces use liquid dish detergent mixed with water or a non abrasive cleanser such as Bon Ami.

    Clean up Akua Intaglio inks, Akua Oil Converter, Transparent Base and Tack Thickener with liquid dish detergent mixed with water. (About 1 part liquid dish detergent to 20 parts water). Before applying water, remove as much ink or modifier as you can with a dry rag. A textured cloth works best.

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    TROUBLE SHOOTING

    Dry Paper wrinkles when going through the press

    • Use a thinner monotype plate

    Akua Kolor is not releasing from plate to dry paper.

    • Apply more pressure
    • Try different papers
    • Add Retarder to the ink

    Akua Kolor rolled on to the plate feels too stiff

    Colors on finished prints dry hazy.

    • Haziness upon drying indicates the ink has soaked into the paper.
    • Try a less absorbent paper.
    • Add Tack Thickener to the ink
    • Add less Retarder, Blending Medium, or Extender

    Akua Kolor beads-up on plate
    Akua Kolor may bead up on the plate if the surface is not clean or if too much Retarder, Blending Medium or Extender is added.

    • Clean plate with soapy water before applying
    • Add less Retarder or Extender to the ink
    • Add a drop of liquid dish detergent to ink
    • Apply a thin coat of liquid dish detergent to brush and paint over the beaded area

    Rubber Brayer is sliding when rolling-up Akua Kolor

    • Follow steps for Rolling up Akua Kolor above

    Akua Kolor is too thin when doing a roll up

    • Thicken with Tack Thickener or Air Thicken
    • Use a Foam Brayer
    • Try Akua Intaglio water-based ink

    Akua Kolor is too transparent

    • Select color with intense transparency rating
    • Add white
    • Add Tack Thickener
    • Air Thicken
    • Use Akua Intaglio Inks

    Akua Kolor is too thin for brushing

    • Allow Akua Kolor to sit on an uncovered palette till it thickens

    Puddling of ink occurs with Needle Applicator:

    • Wipe the bead of ink off by running the tip over a piece of paper before placing on the plate
    • Use a plate with a dull surface opposed to slick

    Print needs to be dampened for final intaglio plate

    • Spray the back of the print with water

     

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    WOODCUTS/LINOCUTS

    Western Roll-up Method
    Use Akua Intaglio Inks or add Akua Kolor to Akua Intaglio Transparent Base or Tack Thickener.

    Traditional Japanese Hanga Method
    When doing the Japanese technique, use Akua Kolor like watercolor and mix it on the wood block with water and a little wheat paste or methylcellulose. The amount of each depends on the color you want, the moisture already in the paper and on the brush, and the humidity. Brush it out with a stiff horsehair brush and lay paper on top, then rub the back of the paper with a baren. It takes some practice to get the balance of moisture right so the color goes cleanly into the paper. Note: The addition of wheat paste or methylcellulose on the block is optional.

    april-3.jpg
    April Vollmer printing a Japanese Hanga Woodblock.

    Photo above from SAFERPRINTMAKING video.

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    CREATING DIRECTLY ON PAPER

    Akua Kolor will thicken to the same consistency as traditional watercolors when left uncovered on the palette. Add Blending Medium to dilute and thin for brushwork.

    We also, recommend using the Akua-Kolor Pens for creating directly on paper. The Akua-Kolor Pen has a unique valve dispensing system that allows the user to apply a thin coat of ink that will dry on the paper within hours. Very Heavy brushstrokes on paper may take several days to dry. Drying time may also depend upon humidity conditions.

     

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