Inks

In these trials with similar pages for my next book it was hard to tell, even from close up, which was printed with safe wash inks and which with traditional oil-based inks, but they just don't handle in the same way. The greatest disadvantage with the safe wash inks when making books is that if the paper is too wet, colour seeps through to the other side. 

The safe wash inks are wonderfully bright. In 'Drawing lines' for the Big Draw this year, Leonie and I drew and printed with local schools. The results, 'Dreams inside our heads' and 'Lines beneath our feet' were hosted by Brothers Hair Salon in this most central spot in a town whose council is in the process of drawing new lines on the map. Bright colours were needed for the work to show up in a shadowy lane. 

The new colours glowed but could also be subtle enough for chine colle and layers of embossing to work. I sometimes make collagraphs with young people using Rowney/Daler watercolour inks, but the colours are not lightfast. 

Several workshops later, I know these oil-based inks are better for first time printers, with easy washing up and consistent results. Work continues on 'Printess' (or the invention of printing in one sleepless night) however with the traditional inks that took hundreds of years to perfect.