One of the essentials to being a printmaker is patience
Picture: prints drying.
Each original print can have any number of colours. Though not an absolute rule, each colour is printed individually. Illustrated here are two different prints with their own first soft blue newly printed. (The lighting in the photograph makes the blues look very similar). Printed ink is best allowed to dry thoroughly before another colour is printed over the top – otherwise some very 'experimental' (unpredictable) results can occur.
How long before the ink's dry? Well, it depends… on the paper, the humidity, how many colours have already been printed, and the ink: it's thickness, kind and specific mix. Touching a print while it is still tacky will leave a mark so experience is key to developing this skill, especially when drying time can vary from one day to several weeks.
Original prints cannot be put out in the sun to dry. This will damage the paper, probably the ink too and shorten the life of the print.
Picture: prints drying.Each original print can have any number of colours. Though not an absolute rule, each colour is printed individually. Illustrated here are two different prints with their own first soft blue newly printed. (The lighting in the photograph makes the blues look very similar). Printed ink is best allowed to dry thoroughly before another colour is printed over the top – otherwise some very 'experimental' (unpredictable) results can occur.
How long before the ink's dry? Well, it depends… on the paper, the humidity, how many colours have already been printed, and the ink: it's thickness, kind and specific mix. Touching a print while it is still tacky will leave a mark so experience is key to developing this skill, especially when drying time can vary from one day to several weeks.
Original prints cannot be put out in the sun to dry. This will damage the paper, probably the ink too and shorten the life of the print.