Custom Printing

Printer’s ink is quite different from writing or Indian ink. Te latter is liquid and flows; printing ink is stiff and glutinous. It can be bought in tubes or in half and one pound tins and does not, as a rule, require thinning out. Ink is taken out from the tin, a little at a time, with a palette knife. It is then spread on a hard, smooth surface measuring about 15 in. X 10 in. If a suitable iron plate cannot be found, an enamelled oven plate, a piece pf plate glass or some Formica will do just as well. Start by putting on the surface a good deal less ink than you would consider necessary. It is far better to ink type sparely: applying too much ink is a mistake made by most beginners and results in a messy, smudgy proof. Having transferred a small amount of ink from the tin on to the convenient surface, it should be rolled out smoothly and evenly with a hand roller or brayer. Allow
the roller to go backwards and forwards over the surface until the covering of ink appears even: then, using the brayer, transfer ink to the surface of the type keeping the direction of the roller running from top to bottom. Do this three or four times to ensure an even spread: the actual film of ink transferred from the roller will be quite thin if care has been taken to see that the ink is evently distributed at the point pf pick up – that is from the metal plate. Avoid rolling from side to side in the direction of the type ‘measure’ as this may cause individual letters at the begining or end of the lines to be knocked off their feet. Remember, when the type matter was tied up, a 3-point lead or reglet was put in against the first and last line: this protects the type from being displaced by the inking roller as it travels from the top to bottom. After a proof has been pulled and corrections where needed have been made, the surface of the type should be cleaned with a soft brush impregnated with rubber
solvent. A small brush such as is commonly used for putting on boot polish will do admirably.

Custom printing is an art