Intro to Colour Printing with Carborundum

In the Carborundum process we apply a mix of acrylic binder and fine Carborundum grit to the surface of a metal or plastic plate, let it dry and then ink and print it like a 'collagraph' print. The Carborundum grit creates a range of rich textures which have great capacity for holding ink. The thickness of the mixture, percentage of Carborundum to binder and the effects of brush or scraper to create marks and strokes in the mix all contribute to a very dense inking surface. Printing this onto a dampened etching paper with a medium-high pressure results in a striking range of ink tones. Pre-mixing coloured printing inks with a large proportion of oil-based extender allows under-colour to show through and creates some stunning colour mixes. The resulting prints show the beautiful saturated colours and textures that can be achieved with this versatile process.