regi(frus)tration

I finished my gocco printing today! I honestly don't mean to keep you in suspense, but none of the photos I took of the finished prints really turned out and it is too dark to get a decent photo now. I will definitely share them tomorrow, though, and that is a promise :)

After the fiasco of printing screen two, I fully expected to be tearing my hair out for fifteen hours or more with screen three, but it couldn't have gone more smoothly. I used a much simpler technique to register the prints this time, something that only dawned on me two thirds of the way through the previous printing session, by which time it was too late to do it properly. Aargh!

Before inking the screen, I put one of the prints (with the first two layers done) in the machine, lined it all up with the third screen and stuck masking tape on the gocco's window where the edges of the image went. I guess this technique depends on your image having a straight edge or corner to work with, but mine did. So that the ink wouldn't smoosh out and obscure my view of the image/paper as I printed, I used a little bit of ink-blocking sticky-back foam stuff. Every time I printed, I would close the lid most of the way and then move the paper until the edges of the image lined up with the masking tape before I printed. This worked so well. It was still a little bit fiddly, but felt like a breeze after my attempt with the home-made registration plate. I was a bit worried about sticking masking tape on the gocco window, but I peeled it off as soon as I was done and it left not a mark. Maybe not a technique for faint-hearted printers, though ;)

My pessimistic estimation of having only a handful of usable prints was proved very wrong - I have hundreds! Hooray! I was a bit worried (and sad) about my design after printing the second layer, but adding the third layer was like magic. Every print went in looking a bit dubious and came out looking exactly as I wanted it to. It was such a good feeling and has got me wanting to gocco again very soon. I actually have three whole ideas taking shape in my head. Yay!

Now my only remaining challenge is to photograph (or scan?) the finished prints successfully. I hope you will not be disappointed after all this waiting about...