. .ImagOn Process Index 

.  ImagOn Techniques 
 

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This technique is used to create images that have subtle ink/tusche type washes and hand drawn lines.  Lines can be created from as many different drawing materials. It is possible to translate approximately 95 of the tonal range to the printed image. 

The Wash/Drawing technique can be used with or without the aquatint screen. It is necessary to use the aquatint screen if open areas of black are present in the art work. If for instance the art work consists of fine ink or pencil lines the aquatint screen may not be necessary but if there are continuous tones, the aquatint screen is critical. Generally it is best to err on the side of using the aquatint screen when in doubt. 
 

• Micron
• Staetler
• Rub-a-Dub Marker
• Acrylic

• Sharpie
• India Ink

• 20% future
• toner

isopropyl (rubbing) alcohol.   Apply and leave alone to dry.  If you over work it will deaden. 

Wash Media on Frosted polyester (Mylar) 

If using the aquatint screen with the Wash/Drawing technique the drawing or wash must be made on to a transparent or translucent surface. 
single sided architects drafting Mylar a high quality tracing film for all wash and drawing media. 
If non permanent materials are used then this Mylar can be reclaimed and used more that once. 

The mark making potential of this technique is enormous. 

Wash materials that work well: 

• combination of water soluble ink and black designers gouache makes a wash comparable with lithographic tusche washes. 
• high pigment density liquid watercolor
• air brush inks
• diluted Graphic Chemical water soluble relief ink 
• use alcohol and water or Fantastic to create interesting "effects" within the wash areas. 
• rock salt dropped into wet areas can create textural effects.
• toner Tusche (see formula to the left)

.
Pencil type materials 
• Water-soluble  pencils can be reworked with water charged brushes to produce wash drawings. 

Lexan sheeting is especially well suited for most drawing materials although it can be a little slick. Due to the stippled nature of the Lexan surface the drawing media has a tendency to sit on top of this stipple surface thus creating a dot structure that translates into a good quality intaglio image through the Wash/Drawing technique.. 
Make the drawing or wash directly on to frosted Lexan sheeting.   An advantage to using this technique is that the most non permanent drawing media can be removed from the Lexan sheeting so that it can be reused. 

 . Ink Modifiers   

..Printing    
    
 .Ink Cleanup    

 .Plate Prep    

 .Use of Photocopies   

 . Additives & Cleaners   

 . Olec Exposure Unit   

 .Basic ImagOn Process 

• It is best to start with a key plate wash drawing 
• Other Mylar layers are made by overlaying Mylar drafting film sheets on top of this key plate.
• Let each successive overlay wash drawing to completely dry before continuing to the next overlay. 

A full range of tonality and color can be achieved if process etching inks of magenta, cyan, yellow and black are used on the inked plates.

• Expose to Aquatint Screen.

Constant Exposure which has been calibrated. 
The aquatint screen simulates the results of conventional etching aquatints by exposing a densely clustered random dot onto the ImagOn coated plate. 
. 
• Image Exposure: Two the firstly to an aquatint screen and then to the wash/drawing. 

Varied Exposure time varies according to imagery. 
. 
• Flash Exposure.

Constant Exposure (with some exceptions)  calibrated to each exposure unit. 

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