So, as promised, here is all the fun that goes behind printing on the Vandercook press for the business cards you saw on the previous post. (This is after 4 weeks of designing, sketching, Photoshopping, tinkering with the design, more tinkering with the design...)
(1) We started with the not-so-glamorous process of cleaning the remaining ink off the rollers of the press from the previous job. The cleaners are totally environmentally friendly- just good ol' Crisco and alcohol. Eek. Oh, and you can also kinda see the photo plate (the golden plate at the top left corner) bearing the image of the business card which will be put to work in a minute.
(2) Inking the rollers. Note the purple gobs of paint, well, they're supposed to be carefully and evenly applied, eh, not quite here at my skillful hands. The ink is rubber-based, and is carefully mixed by my teacher, Kim, according to a color I picked out from the Pantone chart (5005, in case you wanna know). And it was perfect at first try at her expert hands, it would have taken me hours.
(3) You couldn't see it here, but the plate has been placed on the press, and it is in the process of being rolled over and inked as Kim cranks the press. And in the same motion, the paper is rolled over the plate right after the plate's been inked.
(4) Roll, roll, roll the press. And... taking out the first test print (here you can see the photo plate on the press)
(5) Kim and classmate Armando scrutinizing the test print...
(6) Tah dah! First test print! Obviously the alignment is off and the rollers and packing need to be adjusted, but I was sooo proud when I saw it, it's like seeing my newborn for the first time! The business card I designed... woo hoo!
(7) Lots and LOTS of adjustment, test prints later, I spent quite a few quality hours cranking the press and cutting them with the guillotine (which took forever)... and here's it is:
... but not complete till a super glam rhinestone is attached. Voila!
