Tools, Equipment, and Workshop Safety
What the exam tests
Tools and workshop safety questions test your knowledge of the printing table, blocks, colour tray, blanket, registration aids, carving tools, and safe workshop practice. You should know the function and material of each item and the consequence of using it wrongly.
Core rules
- The table must be rigid, padded, and covered with a washable blanket or felt; the pad gives the block an even impression.
- Blocks are usually carved from seasoned hardwood such as sheesham or teak; the printing face is flat and the design is in relief.
- Colour trays are shallow, level, and lined with a sponge or cloth to give an even film; too much paste floods the block.
- Registration aids include corner marks, pins, metal strips, and measured table marks.
- Carving tools include chisels, gouges, gravers, a wooden mallet, and sharpening stones; blocks are proofed before production.
- Safety: sharp tools stored separately, good lighting, ventilation, gloves for mordants, eye protection when mixing, and no eating near the dye area.
Worked example
A workshop has a soft, uneven table pad. A printer gets patchy colour and double edges. Reasoning: the pad is too soft or lumpy, so pressure varies and the block shifts; the fix is to re-stretch or replace the blanket, not to add more paste.
Traps
Do not choose unseasoned wood because it is cheap; it warps and cracks. Do not use a deep tray: it overloads the block. Do not ignore the blanket or table level when diagnosing print faults.