Printmaking Series (8 of 21) - Using pin registration for accuracy

By Nik Semenoff July 26, 2004

} Using pin registration for accuracy Printmaking Series - Part 8 of 21 By Nik Semenoff T-bar and needle are some of the more used methods of registration in hand lithography. Amongst all the systems I have tried, the punched hole and registration pin is by far the most accurate. In North America the standard pins are ¼ inch and the punches are accurately made to fit. Commercial punch system are expensive, but may be purchased sometime on E-bay and from commercial shops changing their operation. Registration pins can be purchased from graphic houses at reasonable prices. Three-hole paper punches make good hole punches, but look for older models still using ¼ inch holes as new ones are manufactured in Asia, using larger holes. The holes should be as far apart as practical for more accurate registration at the far end of the plate. Some paper punches can be changed to remove the middle unit and make it easier to punch the aluminium sheet. Tab sizes The width set by the distances in your punch will be the standard for your studio. Keep it constant so you can recycle plates and save money. The pins are taped down on press beds, light tables or anywhere registration is important. Ordinary masking tape is usually used for this purpose. The pins come in different heights but the standard seems to be 1/8th inch. A common make of pin has the back just spot welded to the shaft, but be careful in using these if the hole is too tight in the plate. It is easy to break off the pin due to the weak weld. Slightly enlarger such holes with a reamer or a sharp blade. Pins Pin on press Sometimes it is best to attach tabs with holes to the edge of the paper sheet to overcome some printing layout. While these are available commercially, they come in only a few lengths, are expensive and could be hard to find. I have used old sheets of Mylar and negatives to make my own to the length I need at the time. I cut pieces of Mylar to the length and then use the paper punch to make holes about 2 inches apart. I next place two of these sheets side by side with the holes at the opposite side. Using ½ inch double faced tape, I put down one surface overlapping each sheet by ¼ inch. The sheets are separated at the middle of the tape, then cut into separate tags with scissors. To use, the distance between the pins is set from a punched metal plate, then the paper is positioned on the plate with the back side up. The tabs are attached by removing the protecting material. Leaving this sheet of paper in place, the next sheet is placed on top for registration and the tabs attached. Remove this sheet and replace with another. Punch Changing the subject. Before I acquired my hole punch system, I used T-Bar registration. At first I used the regular method penciling a line in the centre of one edge with the sheet staggered to produce a short line. Then on to the other end. This was tedious and even with a 9H pencil the line was not thin enough for best registration. I developed a better and faster way to make the centre marks. I would stack my sheets for the edition and find the center at each end. Using a sharp Olfa knife, I would cut through the entire sheets, about ¼ inch deep in from the edge. From the front of the sheet it was invisible, but easily seen when placing the paper on the plate. If in doubt, it is simple to twist the paper with your finger as it would normally be close to the centre anyway. The sharp distinct line made for better registration and much faster to prepare the paper. ________________________________________________ Copyright © 2004 Nik Semenoff Nik Semenoff Artist-in-residence University of Saskatchewan Visit Nik Semenoff's website at duke.usask.ca/~semenoff/ for more information.

• Posted: 2004-07-26