How Long Do Wood Blocks Last?

Occasionally I get asked how long a wood block lasts, or how many prints can be pulled from it.  There is no clear answer to this question. It depends on a lot of factors like how hard of a pressure is used in the press, what type of wood it is, or how well it is taken care of.  I had a print commission for the rooms of the St. Regis Hotel a few years ago, and was surprised that I was able to pull just over one hundred and seventy prints from a set of blocks. 

This is my favorite wood block that I carved about ten years ago when I still lived in Durango. The design I carved in it was inspired by a book I have of Indian wood block patterns used for printing on cotton. I found a scrap of high end plywood to use, planned the design as a repeat from edge to edge, and carved it as a demonstration at the Durango Art Center. This wood block has been used for thousands of printings on so many things; my prints, fabric for my art bin and handbags, on my suede day planner I made, paper covered light switch covers, notebook covers, and note cards I have been selling since I first carved this block. After ten years of printing this block, the plys in the wood have begun to crack and peel.  It is de-laminating, and the top layer is barely attached any more. Despite all of the wear and tear, it still actually prints pretty well.  I just used it tonight to print some cards for the HART sale at the Foothills Art Center, and the Open Studios Holiday Sale. The poor thing needs to be retired, but I keep using it anyway, hoping I can pull just a few more prints from it before it falls apart completely. Every time I pull it out, I wonder if it's wise to use it, or if today is it's last day to be printed. So to answer the question to "how long does a wood block last?" My answer would be - until I can let it go.

Registration Guide for Woodcut Printmaking

My student Debby's wood block in the registration guide

In college, I didn't learn how to register paper properly when printing wood cuts, so over the years, I've tried various methods I saw in books, and modified them for my own use. Through trial and error, my registration system has evolved to this current version. I hope this will be of help to other printmakers looking for a way to register their prints.

• A piece of thin but sturdy drawing paper is used as a base for the guide. It should be slightly larger than your wood block to accommodate the guide.
• Build the guide on the upper right hand corner. The woodblock is 1/4 inch thick, the same thickness as foam core. If your wood is thicker, build up layers of foam core or mat board to reach the same height as the wood.
• Place the wood block on the base paper, and draw a mechanical pencil line around it. Glue down strips of foam core as stops for the wood block outside of this line. Make sure they are placed at a perfect ninety degree angle, and fit snug against the wood block. If there is any wiggle room between the guide and the block, the registration will most likely be off when printing.
• Next determine how much margin you would like between the image to be printed and the edge of the paper. In this photo, it was 2 1/2 inches at the top, and 1 1/2 inches on the side. The dimensions were a little strange in order to maximize one large sheet of paper cut down for four prints.
• To make the paper stop, glue down foam core strips overlapping your margin line. Draw the margin line on the foam core strip, making sure it is a perfect ninety degree angle, and is lined up with the corner of the wood block stop. On the outside of this line, glue a strip of mat board. When printing, the edge of the printing paper will push up against these stops to keep it in place.
• This system requires the paper to be cut with a straight edge at a ninety degree angle. If a torn edge on the paper is desired, make the paper margin much larger than needed, and tear it down to size after the print is dry. A torn or deckled edge would not work well with this system since it has such an irregular edge.
• To use the guide, place it on the press bed, place the inked block in the corner of the wood block stop, and then gently place the paper against the paper stop, carefully lower down on the block, and run it through the press.

2009 Calendar

Welcome to my blog!  It has been on my very long "to do" list for quite some time. I have been apprehensive about getting started, but decided to test the waters, and get my feet wet anyway. 

Since 2005, I have designed a long scroll calendar to sell at Open Studios, a Boulder studio tour that takes place the first two weekends in October. It will take place this weekend and next, October 4, 5 and 11, 12 from noon - 6 p.m. 

www.openstudios.org

You can visit my studio at 2810 Wilderness Place #C  

For the 2009 calendar, I created a lupine design from photographs I took during my artist in residence at the Grand Canyon a couple of years ago.  I love the graphic quality of the star shaped leaves.  The image is transferred to a woodblock, carved with gouges, inked, printed on to paper through my press, and then scanned into the computer where the dates are added in Illustrator and Photoshop.  From there, I have it commercially printed on to a recycled paper. Back in the studio, I cut dowels down to size, and glue them to the bottom of the calendar to serve as a weight for hanging, roll them up, and tie them with a ribbon.