HERE'S HOW IT WORKS...

Laser Zylography™ is essentially a contemporary form of relief printing, and the actual printing part of the process is performed in the same manner as has been done for centuries. The difference is in the production of the printing plates, also known as "wood engraving blocks". With Laser Zylography™, each plate is produced either partially or entirely using a computer. The laser then cuts away the wood in the areas that you do not want to see printed on the page. The raised surface that remains after the laser cutting process holds the ink and prints, while the lowered surface stays ink-free and does not print.

The image can originate as a digital graphic as either a monochrome image or involving multiple colors. Alternately the plates can be produced from a scan of your original painting which is then broken down into color separations. Each color separation will require it's own printing plate. Since the registration marks are also embedded in the digital file the registration of the colors will be essentially perfect. Once your printing plates are complete, you can produce your own print editions on any type of paper that will accept the inks. Printing the block can be done by hand and requires very little equipment. Ink is first rolled over the raised surface of the block. The paper is then laid down over the block and the back of the paper is burnished using a tool called a baren to transfer the image from the block to the paper.