On Thursday I …

On Thursday I joined my daughter, who is also a printmaker  at her Print Workshop. Where she attends weekly for a monthly charge to make use of the printing equipment  and the professional   facilitator. It was my plan to teach her to do a reduction linocut and the need of registrations. For the exercise I bought from the UK a set of Schminke inks, that I had used early in my printing journey, when I was unsure of my progress. These proved to be OK for a learner, but I soon appreciated the value of better inks. So,  this now discarded set might be suitable for the this session.especially as they are easily washed etc.  

This proved successful for my daughter using as she was using easy cut lino and was able to hand print with a baren.

For using traditional lino it proved more difficult and more important time consuming.  We wanted to do the reduction in day.

So while she was doing well (ish) I spied a nipping press; never having  used one I saw an opportunity to learn.  After some instruction I was able to do my reduction more quickly.  

However,  this was not without difficulties.  The reduction plate had to be adjusted and the results we not as I might enjoyed at home with better ink and my hand printing or my kinder etching press.

I nipping press was not so generous with my rather hurried lino cutting.  I persevered, and the result was pleasing as lesson in reduction but aesthetically not so nice.  

I wonder:

How much should a nipping press be used with lino? Also, how much pressure?

Does a nipping press have place in art studio?

and the use of poor quality inks should be avoided at all cost!