Output details

Continuous Tone Colour Printing in Two and a Half Dimensions Through a Combination of 19th Century Analogue Methodologies and 3D Printing

This co-authored paper (in collaboration with Peter McCallion, UWE CFPR doctoral student) details the results of ongoing research into creating a contemporary method of continuous tone colour printing based upon the nineteenth century Woodbury type printing process. Building upon CFPR’s long-term reappraisal of 19th century print processes in order to combine nineteenth century photomechanical techniques with current digital technology, the research aimed at creating a digitally generated physically printed relief surface that better represents the autographic mark-marking requirements of visual artists and designers.

Woodburytype, developed in 1865, was the only truly continuous tone black and white photographic image printing process yet invented. It was superseded by the cheaper and quicker half-tone dot and four colour separation process later in the century, and modern inkjet printers also employ the latter process. However, this results in digital prints which are mechanically uniform, without the commercially and artistically desirable surface characteristics, tactile qualities and rich tonal warmth of traditional processes.

The article describes how the research is exploring the potential of computer numerical control (CNC) milled imagery, where the tonal range of each colour is assigned a physical height to produce a continuous tone topographic relief printing matrix, from which the colour image is cast in silicone ink. A translucent image is cast from each of the colour matrices and each colour is assembled one on top of each other, resulting in a true four colour separation continuous tone print, where colour tone is created by physical depth of colour. The researchers’ objective is to design and test a set of four colour-moulds using both CNC and 3D print technology to create low relief printing matrices from which the images will be printed. Currently, the researchers have succeeded in creating a successful two-colour print, which highlights the potential of this research.