Gomuban relief printing plates are a popular choice, especially within Japanese educational settings, because of their user-friendly nature and ability to produce high-quality relief prints. Crafted from a soft yet robust synthetic rubber, these plates offer an excellent surface for both beginners and experienced printmakers seeking detailed results in relief printing.
Unlike softer eraser-like materials such as Speedy Cut or MasterCarve, Gomuban plates provide a unique balance of ease of carving with enhanced stiffness. This stiffness is crucial in relief printing as it allows for the retention of intricate details and sharp, clean edges during the printing process, even when subjected to the pressure of a printing press. This density also lends itself to versatility, enabling it to be used for both relief and intaglio printing techniques.
Preparing your Gomuban plate for Printing Relief is straightforward. You can draw your design directly onto the plate using permanent markers. For more complex designs, image transfer is simple with carbon paper. While our Red Carbon Paper works effectively, take care during carving as the transferred lines can be delicate and prone to rubbing off. Consider reinforcing your transferred lines with a permanent marker before beginning to carve to ensure clarity throughout the carving process.
Gomuban plates are designed with a green working surface, however, the blue side can also be utilized for printing if it is in good condition. The contrasting black core layer is a thoughtful design element, providing excellent visual contrast which makes carved areas easily distinguishable, greatly aiding precision and reducing errors during the carving process for relief printing.
Regarding size, Gomuban plates are exclusively available from our Japanese supplier in a standard size of 300 x 400 x 3mm (approximately 11.75″ x 15.75″ x 1/8″). For projects requiring smaller blocks, Gomuban is easily trimmed down to custom sizes. A metal ruler or straight edge combined with a utility knife allows for clean and precise cuts, offering flexibility in adapting the plate size to various relief printing projects.
For those new to Gomuban and relief printing, we offer a free sample within the U.S. to allow you to experience its unique qualities firsthand. To request your sample, please call 800-832-4264 or email your name and address to [email protected]. For international customers, sample shipping is available starting at U.S.$10.00. Please contact us to get an exact shipping quote for samples to your location. Sample requests are processed and shipped out every seven to ten days. We appreciate your patience as we handle sample requests alongside order fulfillment.
For larger projects or educational institutions, we offer a volume discount. Orders of 12 or more Gomuban blocks automatically qualify for a 5% discount, making Gomuban an economical choice for all scales of relief printing endeavors.
Consider exploring these related products to enhance your relief printing projects:
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