Date: Saturday, May 18, 2024, 10:00 a.m. - 5:00 pm | Presenter: Paul Mullowney 

Etchers! If you have ever been frustrated by your whites and yellows and greens going dirty gray when you print your copper plates; or you find your delicate aquatints and dry points wear out quickly, this one-day workshop is for you!

We at Mullowney Printing often incorporate an electroplating process for the copper plate etchings we edition.  Erroneously referred to steel facing, it is actually iron plating, a protective coat of iron is plated to the copper to add strength and resilience to the surface of the soft copper and slows down wear and tear from pressure and scratches over the course of the editioning process.  Also the plating allows for much cleaner impressions when using color inks, some of which contain mineral pigments which react to raw copper and cause oxidation.  The plating is very thin and there is no loss of image fidelity in your lightest tones and plated copper wipes more cleanly, with less plate tone, so your highlights will pop!

Bring in your copper plates, and get them steel faced while learning the steel facing process! We will go over the basics of steel facing best practices and discuss how you can safely and easily set up an electroplating tank in your home studio.  

Presenter Bio: The workshop will be led by Paul Mullowney, Founding Director of Mullowney Printing. With over three decades of experience working with traditional intaglio printing, Paul brings a unique perspective to the process.