This new World Printmakers Technique Tips feature requires some audience participation. It's a place for printmakers of all persuasions to share the secrets of their technique with one another. Just send your tips to us by email here, and we'll select them and publish them on this page. Don't hesitate to send along photographs or screen shots in .jpg or .gif format if it helps to illustrate your points.

Magnetic Mats

If you work with steel or steel-backed plates (such as many solar plates) you can simplify your inking immensely by buying a vinyl magnetic mat and placing it on your work surface. Any steel plate you lay down on it will be held firmly in place, permitting you to apply and wipe the ink without having to hold the plate steady with your other hand. If you place a sheet of newspaper between the mat and the plate, the plate will still remain firmly in place, and you won't have to clean ink off the mat.

This is useful if you're doing just a few prints, but if you are doing editions you will find it saves you immense amounts of time and effort in the process of printing up an edition.

These vinyl mats can be purchased via Internet at many big art supply houses, and they're very cheap, like less than $10. Unfortunately, this trick won't work with copper or zinc plates, as they're not magnetic.

Maureen Booth
Granada, Spain