Pronto Plates
Polyester Plate Lithography is a much less toxic version of stone Lithography.
They both use the same principle of grease loving grease and grease repelling
water.
There’s lots of good information on Pronto Plates & Polyester Plate Lithography
on the internet so I won’t go into much theoretical information here.
The plates are quite versatile. You can make marks in a variety of ways with
many different things. In this handout, I’m going to concentrate on two methods
(these have proven to give very consistent, good results):
•Photocopying & Laser Printing
•Drawing with Vivid marker & biro pen
If you’d like to experiment with other methods, please let me know!!!
General Info
Always ‘glove up’ when handling your
plates. The oil from your skin will make
marks on your plate that will print.
Also, keep your plates wrapped in
paper. Again, any oily smudge that
comes into contact with it could end up
printing.
Always leave at least a two
finger width border around your
image area.
Having it will be a great asset
when it comes time to print.
Trust me…I’ve learned this the
hard way. 
Photocopying & Laser Printing
You can image anything on to your
plate by way of running it though a
laser copier.
Cut your Pronto Plate to a standard
size and use the bypass tray to copy
the Black & White image on to your
plate. (Do a test first to make sure
you’ve got the orientation right).
Reverse your Image!
Ideally, make your print medium dark – not super dark but not medium either
You can use Photoshop to create images (or colour separations – if you want to
get fancy). Your image must be black only. No grey tones. There’s lots of ways
to do this - using Bitmap, Filters, Screens, Noise, etc.
**** remember, you can use any colour INK to print your plate – not just
black so don’t let your black & white photocopy limit your imagination.
Don’t forget to leave a sized nice border! I’d use an A3 plate for an A4 sized
image.
Black Vivid Marker, Sharpie & Biro
Pens work well as direct drawing
tools.
There’s something special about “Vivid,”
“Sharpie,” and “Biro” brands (perhaps
they’re lacquer based) that makes them
and not some other brands work.
Use your Vivid to draw and fill in solid
black areas.
(Don’t forget your gloves – like I did in the
picture)
Black Biros also work – they are a little
trickier but the delicate, fine lines are
fabulous!
The key with Biros: When you draw,
don’t press the pen into the plate just
draw with it lightly – this will keep it from
scratching the plate which would prevent
the line from printing.
Ink Preparation
After you ‘warm up’ your ink, add some Talc (or cornflour) to stiffen it up a bit. In
Lithography you use a “shorter” ink than in monoprinting.
Draw it out.
Not too much,
not too little
ink on your
palette.
Velvety is
Perfect.
Roll it out.
Inking
Use Fountain Solution in a spray bottle.
Use twp sponges: Dirty & Clean
1. Wet your glass surface with water.
2. Lay your plate down. It should stick.
3. Wet your plate & glass around it with water.
No Borders make
everything more difficult.
•
Wipe off excess so it’s just damp.
•
Spray a fine mist of fountain solution over plate.
•
Roll up your plate respraying it when necessary so that it’s always just damp.
Trouble?
Ink going where it
shouldn’t?
‘Snap’ it off & add a little
more fountain solution to
water.
Still wont come off?
Gently scrub with cotton
bud & pure fountain solution
or toothpaste.
Not inking up?
Add a little more water to the
mix.
•Plate shouldn’t ink up too
fast. Be ready to take 3
proofs before you get it fully
inked.
•The slower the better – to a
degree!
Printing
You can use the press or print by hand. If using the press, use medium pressure.
Proofs
As mentioned before, ink up & print at least 3 times before using good paper.
If you plate inks up faster than that there’s a good chance it will ‘fill in’ so don’t rush it.
To save a Pronto-Plate, print it several times on newsprint to remove the excess ink.
Next, wipe of ink with oil. Finally, take last bits of ink off with toothpaste. Rinse the
plate with water and store between newsprint. The next time you want to print it, use it
as you would any other Pronto-Plate.
http://www.vancouver.wsu.edu/staff/okinczyc/pdf/prnto_ht.pdf
To remove fused toner (maybe drawing materials, too) from the plate you can use
Wintergreen oil.
Extra Stuff
There’s lots you can try with your polyester lithography plate. Have a look on the
internet.
My suggestion is that you get really comfortable with the printing process using
photocopied/printed and vivid/sharpie/biro imaging before you move into the
advanced stuff. These methods give consistent, good results.
Honestly, I haven’t worked through all the possibilities yet myself. If you’re
passionate, please become an expert and show us all what you’ve learnt.
Go team-PRINT!
8
Non-toxic Polyester Plate Lithography
http://www.boisestate.edu/art/programs/print/Poly%20litho%20ill/polyester.html
George F. Roberts, Emeritus Professor (Deceased)
Boise State University
Department of Art
1910 University Dr.
Boise, Idaho 83725
Copyright © 1997 George F. Roberts
POLYESTER PLATE LITHOGRAPHY
Pronto Plates, Omega E-Z Plates or polyester lithographic plates are designed to resemble the surface of aluminum
lithographic plates and are used as offset lithographs. They are water loving and are simple to image either by hand or using
digital imaging methods. The following are instructions on how they can be used as hand printed lithographs.
Toner Tusche
Traditional looking tusche drawing can be achieved on the polyester plates using a toner tusche . The toner tusche consists
of two parts rubbing alcohol, one part water, one half part toner and one quarter part Hunt Speedball screen printing Drawing
Fluid or pancake syrup. The function of the drawing fluid is to give the tusche enough stability to stay where it is brushed on
the plates. If a less controlled mark is desired the drawing fluid can be left out. Brush the toner tusche on the plate or apply it
with a drawing nib. Draw with the toner in thin layers or it will interfere with fusing and printing. As you draw, keep in mind that
the toner prints a bit darker than the drawing looks on the plate. When the drawing is finished, let the plate dry. As it dries, the
alcohol, water and drawing fluid will evaporate leaving only the toner.
Fusing the Toner to the Plate
When the toner tusche drawing is finished, fuse it to the plate by heating it in an oven at 250
degrees for four minutes. Preheat the oven with a cookie sheet inside. Place the polyester plate
on the cookie sheet and watch the time carefully. Too much heat will warp and burn the plate.
The distributors of Pronto Plates recommends the oven temperature be 190 degrees and the
plate be heated for three minutes. Evidently all ovens do not heat the same. Pretest the oven
heating temperature and time to insure proper fusing. The toner is fully fused to the plate when it
won't wash off with water.
Making A Hot Plate Oven
A oven can be made using a hot plate. Since most print studios have hot plates it is simple to
convert them to an oven. Using galvanized sheet metal that an inch or so longer than the hot
plate make a simple oven top and sides by bending one half inches on two ends of the sheet.
Place the bent metal on the hot plate so the open end faces the front. Using a slightly smaller
piece of sheet metal bend two ends about one quarter inch on each end. This piece functions as
the shelf on which the polyester plates are placed. Use a inexpensive oven thermometer to test
the temperature. Between 190 and 220 degrees works well. The plates should be heated for
between three and seven minutes in the hot plate oven.
Photolithography
Photographic images are put on polyester plates using digital imaging techniques. High
resolution scanners, printers and high memory capacity computers will insure the greatest detail
and accuracy. Once the photographic image is printed on the Polyester plate using a laser jet
printer the plate is ready to print as a fine art lithograph. The toner is fused to the plate in the
printer. Another method of putting photo images on the polyester plates is using a toner based
copier. Run the polyester plate through the copier instead of paper. The better the copier the
better the results. Besides using a laser jet printer, copier and the toner tusche below are
drawing material that will image a polyester plate.
Permanent marker
Ball Point Pen and China Marker
Texture Techniques
Drawing Materials
The following is a list of material that can be used to image a polyester plate.
1. Black ball point pen.
2. Permanent Marker.
3. China Marker
4. Stones Crayon
Ball Point Pen and China Marker
Draw with them as you would on paper. Be sure to push hard enough so they are in the pores of the plate and not just on
top of them.
Marks made by any of the above can be scratched through or erased with a pencil eraser.
Texture Techniques
5. Future Acrylic Floor Polish. Add india ink to the Future so it can be seen of the plate.
6. Hunt Speedball Screen Filler. Dilute it with water, three parts water to one part screen filler.
7. Carbon based, waterproof India ink.
8. Carbon black acrylic paint
Wash Techniques
All of these materials can be used in a variety of way. Paint
them on the plate or use a drawing nib. Stamp a texture on
the plate using them, or use a tooth brush to spatter the
material on to the plate.
Use an airbrush to draw with them or brush them in to
alcohol for odd effects.
Resists
A resist is a mask used to retain white areas. Gum Arabic,
water soluble lithographic pencils andcrayons and rubber cement
are good resist materials. With any of these put them on the plate
priorto using any drawing material. When they are completely dry
draw over the top of them. To remove the resist use water and a
sponge rubbing lightly. The resist will come off lifting the drawing
material on top of it. Those areas will remain white in the midst of
the drawing.
Printing a Polyester Plate
A Polyester Plate is ready to print emidiately after the artist is finished working on it. No acid or Gum Arabic is
necessary. No asphaltum rub up, talc, or rosin is needed to prepare the plate for etching because no etching is required.
By eliminating these steps much of the toxic nature of the old lithography process is eliminated.
To print a lithograph the plate must be wet prior to rolling it with ink. The distributor of the Polyester Plates
recommends that the pH of the dampening water should be between four and one half and five and one half for
optimum printing. They make a fountain solution that can be added to the water which will insure the proper pH. For
example, the pH of the water in Boise is seven, so eight teaspoons of fountain solution are added to a liter to balance
the pH. The fountain solution will remove drawing materials from the plate so fountain solution should be used
sparingly or not at all when printing drawings. A teaspoon of fountain solution in a liter of water will not erase the
drawing.
Thin soft paper like Rives Heavy Weight can be printed dry. Heavier printing papers need to be dampened to print well.
Soak the paper of spritz it with a spray bottle. In either case blot the paper before printing on it. The ink should be a
standard lithographic ink. When the ink and paper are prepared, the polyester plate should be placed on a wet piece of
glass . The water will cause the polyester plate to stick to the glass and not be picked up when the ink roller is passed
over it. As an added precaution use cloths pens or spring clamps to hold the front edge of the plate to the glass. Once
the plate is stuck to the glass, wet its surface using a cellulose sponge and the pH balanced water. Run the inked roller
across the plate several times then rewet the plate. Re-ink and repeat the process again until the plate is properly inked.
Inking a polyester plate is the same as inking a lithographic stone. As a rule of thumb, if the plate won't accept the ink
use less or no fountain solution. If the plate scums or over inks too quickly use more fountain solution in the wetting
water.
Intaglio Press
The Polyester plates can be printed by hand or on an intaglio or lithographic press. To print using an intaglio
press remove the felts and adjust the pressure so the upper roller is contacting the press bed. Place three
sheets of newsprint on the press bed. Place the plate on top of the newsprint and the print paper on top of
that. Run them all through the press.
Lithograhic Press
Printing on a lithographic press is also simple. Since Polyester Plates are thin it is necessary to put a clean
lithographic stone, aluminum plate backer or a formica laminated three quarter inch plywood on the press
bed. Place backing paper on the plate backer. Put the plate on the paper followed by , the printing paper,
newsprint and greased tympan. Print the plate as usual.
Printing by Hand
To print by hand, ink the plate and place it face down on top of printing paper. Work on a flat smooth surface
to insure an accurate print. Using a wood spoon or any other kind of burnisher rub the back of the plate
methodically to cause the ink to come off the plate and on to the paper. Check the printing periodically by
lifting one corner of the plate.
Reworking the Print
One nice characteristic of a Polyester Plate is that it can be reworked during printing. Additional drawing or
deleting can occur while the ink is still on the plate. Add marks to the plate using any of the drawing
materials. Remove unwanted tonal areas by scraping them away with a razor blade or by using fountain
solution or a pencil eraser. Since no etching or Gum Arabic is involved it is not necessary to counter etch or
retch the plate. Once the modifications are finished, printing can continue immediately.
Clean Up
Clean up is simple and solvent free. Vegetable oil, liquid detergent, fountain solution and rubbing alcohol are
all that is necessary. Clean the ink off the roller and ink slab with a rag and vegetable oil. Clean the vegetable
oil and ink residue off the ink roller using liquid detergent and water. The rubbing alcohol is used to finish
cleaning the ink slab. To clean the plate, print it on newsprint three times without inking it. Now, clean it
lightly with fountain solution and a sponge. If you are cleaning a drawing plate dilute the fountain solution
with water so it won't remove the drawing.