Letterpress Photopolymer

Nylon photopolymer is simply just another medium in the history of relief printing which started with wood and clay blocks, progressed through metal and wood type and, with the advent of photography in the nineteenth century, made a massive leap in accurate graphical reproduction with firstly iron, copper and zinc to the current magnesium plate. Photopolymer should be seen in this tradition but it's much more economic and the process uses water instead of harsh acids.
In the seventies, a number of fine printers began producing books solely from photopolymer plates while industrial printers often made reproduction plates from proofs of metal type in order to save wear and tear, especially on rare and precious founts. This was how the reproduction proof press (Vandercook, Korrex, FAG etc.) became popular.
Fine printing has since become synonymous with the combination of lead type and fine graphics. Photopolymer offers the possibility of reproducing almost anything from a screen, including any digital typeface, and printing solely by way of a plate or combining the plate with metal type. Line drawing, scanned and image processed is the ultimate when pressed into soft cotton paper.

This weekend workshop will take you through the process from beginning to end, from design to plate production and printing. The course is suitable for printers of all levels.

Part One: File Preparation
The course begins with scanning techniques and digital manipulation, and covered topics include resolutions, separations, trapping, multi-colour etc. and silver negative production We will then move on to Photoshop, Indesign and alternative software for digital files.

Part 2: Plate processing and finishing
Ultra-Violet exposure
Platemakers, (we will use both professional and desktop)
Calibration and maintenance
Bases, packing and type high
Printing with plates

This workshop is led by Dan Tait-Jamieson of Moana Road Press. Moana Road Press was founded in 2013 with the express aim of bringing fast and affordable platemaking to New Zealand and Australia. http://www.moanaroadpress.com
The weekend will also feature industry professionals for specific specialised areas.

Venue: WCBA, Wellington Centre for Book Arts, Woolstore Building, 262 Thorndon Quay, Wellington.
Time: 9.30am-4.00pm Sat. 10th and Sun. 11th May, 2025.
Cost: $290 (less 10% for members). Places are limited and can only be confirmed by payment.
Enrolments to: info@theprintingmuseum.org.nz