Beginner Suminagashi: Demo, trouble-shooting and tips

In this video I will show you the materials you need, talk about paper selection, demonstrate the technique on two kinds of paper and give you tips and tricks to help make your first Suminagashi a success. Thanks for watching!

Problems and solutions:

1) Your ink isn’t floating.

a) Hard water, use demineralized water

b) Add some more of your carrageenan mixture

2) Your ink rings are very thin or too light.

a) You may be using too much surfactant and thus, only DAB the surfactant tool on the top of the water quicker; try to place the ink on the top of the water and let the water draw or suck the ink off of the tool longer. You may be placing the tool too deep under the water.

b) Your tool (brush or stick) may have absorbed water and is mixing the water with the ink; try wiping the excess liquid from the tool in a paper towel and then reload with ink.

c) Your paper isn’t absorbing the ink correctly. Try a different type of paper or try treating your paper with Alum.

d) If you have used an Alum treated paper, you may have left it in the water too long and the water has reacted with the Alum and has started to rinse it off. Be a bit faster with your printing technique.

3) The ink is being pushed to the edge of the basin.

a) You have too much surfactant on the tool as it is spreading too much; try dabbing the tool that has the surfactant on a piece of paper towel first.

4) The ink rings are too thick

a) You need to reload your surfactant tool

b) You need to hold the surfactant tool on the top of the water longer.

5) You try to print the Suminagashi and it doesn’t transfer to the paper or is blurry.

a) Your paper is not absorbing the ink enough. This is the most frustrating problem as it is sometimes hard to find a paper that works. Use one of my recommended types of paper or treat your paper with alum.

b) Try rinsing your paper gently in a clean water bath right after printing.

Supply List:

• Rectangular Tray (a couple of inches larger than your paper that you will be printing on).
• Carrageenan
• Alum
• Surfactant (Kodak Photoflo or Ox Gall)
• Ink
• Paper (white newsprint for practice, uncoated cover stock for quality prints)
• Brush or wooden chopstick
• Demineralized water (optional)
• Fan, straw, hair or pet whisker
• Newspapers
• Paper towel
• Plastic lids

Видео Beginner Suminagashi: Demo, trouble-shooting and tips канала Natalie T