My 200 year old, hand cast, Hughes and Kimber of London Starwheel Etching Press uses the same design concept that current Etching Presss use.

Heavy rollers 'sandwich' felt blankets, which cushion the paper and inked metal surface called a Plate, and the heavy, thicker metal 'bed' of the press.

Wooden spokes ( the 'starwheel ) are used to roll the 'sandwich' through the Press. On this press these wooden spokes have the build up of literally centuries of artists 'inky fingerprints !

The press was discovered in Hawaii, where the Artist lived for 25 years....and has been part of her 'family' ever since.

The graphics & text below further explain the printing and etching process......

Intaglio, of which 'etching' is just one technique, is a process of 'carving' or scratching or using acids and corrosives to draw a picture into a firm surface. Subtle tones and textures are created by using combinations of the many intaglio techniques.

In the past many of the chemicals necessary for the printmaking process were noted for their toxic affects. Consequently, today, other 'non-toxic' methods and materials are used.

Of great interest to this Artist is the emerging techniques of combining computer manipulated drawings, printouts, and photo-sensitive films which are developed by 'safe' sunlight and non-toxic, water based solutions. Even the solvents can be removed from the studio with the use of vegetable oils  and the use of water based inks!

Once the Artist has chosen a subject / sketch for a new 'etching', many more choices must be made. The variety of methods to roughen the surface of the 'plate' so that it can retain ink is large. Copper, Zinc, Aluminum, plastic, hard papers, etc. are all choices for the 'plate' material.

Engraving utilizes sharp, ' v ' shaped tools the literally 'dig out' a line that can be, as pressure is changed, thick, thin, shallow or deep.

Etched lines are created by coating the surface of the 'plate', gently scratching through the coating to expose the underlying metal ; exposing the 'plate' to an acid or corrosive that 'eats down' into the scratches. Longer time in the acid or corrosive allows deeper etching , which gives darker lines/tones.

Material can be added to the surface of the 'plate', Built Up, giving additional texture to the future print. Drypoint is simply 'scratching' the 'plate' with a very sharp tool, usually a diamond tipped pen. While the scratch itself can 'hold ink', it is the fragile 'burr' of metal thrown up on each side of the scratch that captures the truly printable ink & gives a soft, feathery line quality.

Aquatint and messotint are techniques that roughen the surface of the plate in special areas ( aquatint) or all over ( messotint). Often the artist will 'polish' these rough areas to give highlights.....especially appropriate for capturing the shine of metal or glow of candlelight in an artwork.

All this texturing and scratching/etching of the surface of a sheet of metal/plastic/etc. is all for the purpose of placing an image in that surface & rubbing very fine ink into that rough surface.

Excess ink is carefully wiped away -- leaving the ink in the 'valleys', which will have the darker tones, and removing it from the 'moutain tops' and 'plateaus', which will have the lighter or whiter tones of the artwork. A stiffened cheesecloth is used for the wiping process, noting that successive prints from the same 'plate' must be wiped in exactly the same manner( pressure, pattern of wiping, amount of ink removed) to allow the printing of an 'Edition' of prints -- multiple prints from the original 'plate'. Multiple colors of ink can be applied to the original 'plate' and well registered addtional plates.

Once the plate has been inked and wiped, laid upon the 'bed' of the press, pre-moistened pure rag paper is carefully laid down upon the inked plate. The felt 'blankets' are then laid upon the paper and the plate,paper,blanket 'sandwich' is rolled through the press. The pressure exerted upon the plate,paper,blanket, and press bed is approx. 1000 lbs/sq. inch and can be varied from artwork to artwork for effect. This pressure forces the paper to be pressed into the inked textures and lines of the drawing on the 'plate', transferring both the inked image and an embossment to the paper. Note that this process reverses the image when it is transferred to the paper. Anticipating the 'mirror image' final art is yet another task and challenge for the Artist!

True Etchings/Drypoints/Messotints, Aquatints, Photograveure prints are hand pulled by the Artist, signed individually, and have a 'fraction' written on each print in an Edition. The top number refers to the order in which that print was made and the lower number refers to the total number of prints that were taken from the specific 'plate'. Prints that are 'one of a kind' are called monotypes or monoprints and can be created from a 'plate' that has had the surface drawn upon or even just 'painted' upon! These are also signed, but not numbered.

 My Hughes and Kimber English Star Wheel Etching Press was originally hand cast in London 200 years ago. It is beleived to have been shipped to Hawaii for use by the missionaries there. Eventually the press became part of the University of Hawaii's Printmaking Facilities. Some time later it was purchased by an individual who made the press available to artists in his commercial studio.

I was one of those lucky printmakers after I moved to Hawaii in '70. When it became clear that the my career demanded more access to the press, a serendipitous sale of several of my prints allowed the purchase of the press & expansion of my home printmaking studio.

I will never forget that 'moving day'.....as the 1 ton press was disassembled into it parts and loaded into my tiny VW bug. The drive up and down a mountain pass to my home was very slow and carefully driven ! In short order the press was reassembled and I truly began my 35 year career in printmaking. Each day as I work with the press, I touch the built up, inked fingerprints left on the press by the countless artists from preceeding decades. It is, for me, an experience of joy and reverence.

In '95 the press was again taken apart, crated, and carefully moved to my new location in Gig Harbor Washington. Believe me when I say that the movers were wide eyed and somewhat challenged by this particular shipping adventure.

While I developed my skills in all graphic media ( advertising design, childrens' book illustration, painting, pen-ink, pastel, watercolor, colored pencil, silk painting, silk clothing, silk jewelry, and comuter graphics & WebDesign ), Printmaking is a 'first love' and favorite - technically challenging, time consuming, but allowing for incredible subtlety in drawing.