I'm printing letterpress, using halftone photopolymer plates on the Vandercooks. I think, but am not sure, that halftones print better on coated stock. Is this true? I want to increase the vibrancy of my color on the halftones however, I’ve had issues with ink adhesion on fully coated papers in the past (holographic foils). I love what I can achieve with the Arches 88 paper but not sure if this is the best paper for what I'm looking to do.
Yes, you're correct that halftones generally print better on coated stock. The coating on the paper helps to provide a smooth, non-absorbent surface that allows the ink to sit on top of the paper rather than being absorbed into it. This will often give you a sharper, more vibrant print, which is especially important with halftones where the variation in dot size is used to create different shades and tones.
However, the coated paper's non-absorbent quality can sometimes lead to problems with ink adhesion, as you've experienced. So, finding the right balance between a paper's ability to hold detail and its ability to properly adhere the ink is essential. It's going to take a little trial and error.
In general, here are some of the attributes you might want to look for in a paper for letterpress printing with halftones:
1. **Smoothness**: A smooth paper will hold detail better, which is important for halftones. However, very smooth papers may have adhesion issues.
2. **Absorbency**: A certain degree of absorbency is desirable for good ink adhesion, but too much can cause the ink to bleed, ruining the detail of the halftones.
3. **Weight/Thickness**: Heavier, thicker papers are generally preferred for letterpress as they handle the pressure of the press better and are less likely to tear or warp.
4. **Surface Coating**: As mentioned, a coated paper can provide a vibrant print with sharp detail. However, you need to ensure that the coating is compatible with your ink to avoid adhesion problems.
Legion Art Coated is an extremely level, smooth, matte clay-coated surface which gives it a very soft velvety feel. The unique coating gives artists the ability to create fine-line drawings and spend less time preparing uncoated sheets with a necessary ground or gesso coating.
In the end, the best paper for your needs will depend on your specific project and personal preference. It might be worth doing some test prints on a variety of papers to see which one works best for you.
Check with your ink supplier. Your issue is the difference between air drying on the surface of the material and inks that are absorbed to promote at least some of the drying. If your ink isn't properly formulated for these hard coated materials, the ink will tend to want to run around on the paper while it VERY slowly dries. It will smear and can be problematic. This should not be the case with clay coated stocks, but will certainly be an issue with materials with UV coatings or laminated printing surfaces.
Inks designed to dry by evaporation/oxidation will resolve this issue for you. I ran a letterpress shop for almost 40 years, we ran a lot of UV and laminated materials and we bought what I seem to recall were inks that were called peroxolyn formulas. They resisted running on the material, and dried by oxidation fairly quickly, rather than by a combination of oxidation and absorption.
Just be careful with leaving the ink on the press, they do tend to dry up more quickly and can leave you with a mess on the rollers that is very hard to remove if they dry up on press.
However, the coated paper's non-absorbent quality can sometimes lead to problems with ink adhesion, as you've experienced. So, finding the right balance between a paper's ability to hold detail and its ability to properly adhere the ink is essential. It's going to take a little trial and error.
In general, here are some of the attributes you might want to look for in a paper for letterpress printing with halftones:
1. **Smoothness**: A smooth paper will hold detail better, which is important for halftones. However, very smooth papers may have adhesion issues.
2. **Absorbency**: A certain degree of absorbency is desirable for good ink adhesion, but too much can cause the ink to bleed, ruining the detail of the halftones.
3. **Weight/Thickness**: Heavier, thicker papers are generally preferred for letterpress as they handle the pressure of the press better and are less likely to tear or warp.
4. **Surface Coating**: As mentioned, a coated paper can provide a vibrant print with sharp detail. However, you need to ensure that the coating is compatible with your ink to avoid adhesion problems.
Legion Art Coated is an extremely level, smooth, matte clay-coated surface which gives it a very soft velvety feel. The unique coating gives artists the ability to create fine-line drawings and spend less time preparing uncoated sheets with a necessary ground or gesso coating.
In the end, the best paper for your needs will depend on your specific project and personal preference. It might be worth doing some test prints on a variety of papers to see which one works best for you.
Inks designed to dry by evaporation/oxidation will resolve this issue for you. I ran a letterpress shop for almost 40 years, we ran a lot of UV and laminated materials and we bought what I seem to recall were inks that were called peroxolyn formulas. They resisted running on the material, and dried by oxidation fairly quickly, rather than by a combination of oxidation and absorption.
Just be careful with leaving the ink on the press, they do tend to dry up more quickly and can leave you with a mess on the rollers that is very hard to remove if they dry up on press.