A simple way to register a print

When you're creating a print with multiple colors, it's sometimes frustrating when the colors don't match up. There are a few ways to register an image so after each pass through the press every color lines up where it's suppose to be. 

Someone asked me recently how I got my images to line up so well, so here is my response to you. This method of registering I do with my work, I discovered after seeing someone else's printing video. I was watching a video created by Tugboat press where they were filming a demo, and as I watched them demo a print I noticed this strange stick thing they used to aline the print and paper. I watched the clip a few times to get a better understanding of what they were doing with it, because they didn't explain it in the video and then to the best of my abilities filled in the blanks. 

This method of registering has an official name but I don't remember it now. (Maybe one of you know) So this is what I came up with. 

The wooden one was the one I created first. What I noticed from the video was that there were two grooves on this stick, one for the board/matrix you were printing from and then the other for the paper. I created this wooden jig one night while I was creating some frames for an upcoming show. (This part you'll have to use some imagination, I don't have pictures sorry) So I bought a stick of poplar, then on a table saw I raised the blade 1inch (and a little bit)  just enough to cut halfway through the stick, ran it through the table saw then flipped the stick and cut halfway through the stick again to get that notch cut out that you see. The reason I raised the blade specifically 1inch on the first cut was because that's how much boarder I wanted around my print. You see, depending on how wide the spacing is is how much paper/boarder is around your print. In comparison you can see in the second register I made is 2inches. I also drew a 1.5inch mark. 

I didn't have access to a table saw the second time around so I made this second one in a different way. Warning, in a way this way was easier and harder at the same time. I'll explain. I made this one out of sintra, a plastic material like pvc pipe but rolled out in a sheet. I have lots of this around cause I get it out of a dumpster. (Yeah free stuff) so I measured out two "L" shape pieces. One 1inch and the other 3inches, so I could glue the 1inch piece on top of the 3inch piece and still have a width of 2inches. Makes sense, simple enough. But it was hard to make sure my pieces stayed true. That is the important part to this system, making sure the "L" shape is a perfect 90 degrees. Try as I might, mine is still not as true as I wanted so I have to fudge my prints a little bit when I print but for the most part it does the job. That's why creating my first one on the table saw was a little easier because the machine made my cuts true. And yet.... My wooden one isn't true either because wood has a stupid tendency to warp. So when I get around to making a 3rd one it will be the charm. 

Once it's created the rest is pretty simple. It's important to remember that when you are using this method you really have a limited choice for the boarders around your print. Unless you create multiples jigs with varying widths, you are stuck having the same boarder thickness. 

Before I print I tear my paper down. I add 2inches to the dementions of my matrix (in this case because I'm using the 1inch stick. 2inches, 1inch for either side if my print). Once my paper is torn then I begin printing. You set your matrix in the corner of the jig and hopefully it's slides right in snugly. If your jig and matrix don't match up because the agles are off then there will be some play. When this happens to me I will make a visual decision. You know how sometimes you can visually see that something is croocked? If my matrix has some wiggle room in the jig I will either line my matrix up with the top of the jig so the matrix and the jig are flush together on the top or on the side, whichever way won't look visually croocked. Hope that tip helps. 

Once the matrix is where you want it, then carefully put the corner of the paper in the corner of the jig. Holding the paper with my right hand (my dominate hand) I will angle the paper on a steep angle to get the corner and the top lined up guided by my left hand so the paper doesn't cause the jig to move. The first few times you try this you will probably push the jig with the paper so it's off registration, that's why I angle my paper at first so there is no premature transfer of ink to the paper. It takes practice, good luck. Once the paper is alined in the corner and the top I lay the paper down and once I know it's down, it's kind of past the point of no return cause I won't want my paper to move now, I put my left hand directly on top the paper so it doesn't move. 

At this point you don't want anything to move. So with my hand holding my paper in place I remove the jig. Yeah, this is important, chances are your jig is larger then your matrix so you can't roll that through the press so you have to move it and set it aside. But as long as your hand is there, there is no worries cause nothing moved. Roll it through the press and bam! A sweet looking print. 

Mine is still in progress so it's not sweet yet. But the registration looks great. A good example of a successful print using this registration method was this print, 

 

"Hallothankmas" this was one of the first prints I finished with this jig and whew.... It looks pretty sharp! 

Hope that inspires you, happy printing!