We carry plates that are very similar to those recommended by Art Jewelry Magazine. Many metal clay artists have used our plates to great success. We have several plate types that will suit your needs and preferences.
| Art Jewelry Suggests | Boxcar Press plate | Boxcar plate thickness | Plate material | Impression |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0.8mm | 94FL | .94mm/.037” | plastic backed | shallower |
| 1.52mm | KF152 | 1.50mm/.060 | plastic backed | deep |
| 0.9mm or greater | 94SB | .94mm/.037” | metal backed | shallower |
| 0.9mm or greater | 145HSB | 1.40mm/.057″ | metal backed | medium |
| 1.52mm | 152SB | 1.50mm/.060″ | metal backed | deep |
Boxcar Press offers two options to metal clay artists. We can sell you unexposed polymer plates for do-it-yourself artists to create their own negatives and process themselves. Check out our new Plates by the Pound service for our plastic backed plates under our Supplies. Or we can take your digital files or images and professionally create plates for you, quickly and economically.
In either case, you will want to store your exposed plates in a zipper bag out of sunlight. You may also want to consider using a silicon spray to protect the plate from the moisture in the clay. You will want to clean the plate with vegetable oil. Exposure to too much light and moisture will cause your plates to deteriorate.
Remember, we’re a letterpress shop, and letterpress is our expertise. We can’t answer specific questions about how our plates work with your process, but we can offer information on the polymer plate material, thickness, exposure times, and processing.
For additional information, you may also want to check out:
- Metal Clay yahoo group: join this vibrant community of over 3,000 artists.
- Maggie Berman’s site features a great instructional article on using polymer plates for metal clay, PMC, or precious metal clay artists.
Posted in: Photopolymer, Unexposed Photopolymer