Registration with Magnesium Plates - Help!

I have come a long way in six weeks and at this point I have my Pearl #3 printing beautiful with magnesium plates on a large piece of paper with no intention to fold or whatever.

I am wanting to make some greeting cards and am cutting the card stock 1/2 inch larger all the way around but I still cant figure out how to get the image to be where I want it to be on the paper.

Not sure how to position it on the chase to get it to do what I want and the gauge pins are very difficult to get straight when I am trying to slit them on the base of the platen and even then knowing where to slit them.

Anyone have tips or know of a video out there that would help me get this going. I am struggling with only one color much less trying to do two colors.

Oh materials - Pearl #3, Von Son Rubber based inks, metal chase and furniture, Cranes Lettra Paper, Adjustable Quad Gauge pins.

Thanks!
Brandi

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Hi, Brandi,

I “invented” my own method of registering the image on the sheet. I lock up in the center of the chase, ink up, put the forme in the press, and take a sheet of paper larger than the platen. I fold one edge so the remainder is about the same size as the platen and carefully holding the foldover on the edge of the platen I take an impression on it. I hold it in place as the press opens and then take a sheet of the paper I’ll print on and position it over the printed image so the image is approximately where I want it to be on that sheet. I then moisten my fingers to prevent the press sheet from slipping and hold it lightly in position while I slide the large sheet out from under it. I then usually take a pencil and mark on the tympan along the two gauge pin edges of the press sheet. Once I have that done I can position the pins and make minor adjustments to get the position exact. I use Megill’s spring-tongue pins that are stabbed into the tympan and have small teeth that can be set into the tympan with a tap on the pin after everything is set the way I want it.

I’ve used this system for 40 years. It’s unorthodox but it works for me, and I don’t have to print on the tympan and then clean it off.

Hope that helps!

Bob

You need three gauge pins, two on the bottom and one on the side (usually the left side). Adjust the bottom ones up or down to get the image where you want it on the paper; the side one left or right. I like to place the bottom two about 1/4 of the distance of the width of the sheet from the left edge and the other about 2/3 of the sheet from the left edge. The side gauge is a bit more variable but some where about 1/2 the sheet height from the bottom.

The type and cuts I put generally in the middle of the chase.

To register two colors always use the same two edges of the paper against the gauge pins. Adjust the gauges until the two colors are in register. Then feed carefully so the paper hits all three pins. It takes a number of extra sheets for every additional color you print to get the registration right and you’ll mess up a few on each run through the press through mis-feeding and thus not in register.

This is what has worked for me. If you want more detail on the correct way then read one of the standard texts by Cleeton, Polk, or Mills, etc.

One thing that I’ve found helpful is taping a piece of tracing paper down over my tympan, taking a proof, then lining up my paper stock under the image on the tissue/tracing paper—I can easily see through the tissue and ensure that the image will print where I want it. I then carefully hold that piece of stock in place, move aside the tracing paper, and underline the bottom & left edges—where I begin setting gauge pins as Arie describes.

I was taught this; it works for me. Best of luck! rh

Thank you everyone for the tips! I will be giving these all another try today.

Arie- I forgot about the books that I had so I checked those but they mostly focused on printing big blocks of type but the tips seemed helpful.

onemanger - thank you! I had printed my images out on transparency but I totally missed the sliding the stock under the transparency step! That would help ;-)