1. Make necessary preparations
   1. Prepare paper pack
   2. Gather and arrange printing materials (See: Printing Materials Checklist)
   3. Place plate support on the press bed.
   • Note: The press, "Bobby", pictured below usually set up for printing from plates.
   • When "Bobby" is not available and you must use one of the other presses with one of the designated litho stones for your plate support.

2. Secure plate to the support.
   • Recommended method:
     1. After wetting the support with your sponge, place a small puddle of water in its center.
     2. Place the plate onto the support. Then, grasp two of the plate's corners, slide it around in a circular/back & forth manner until there is sufficient suction created to hold the plate firmly in place.
   • Alternative method: With plates smaller than 18" x 24", the recommended method is not usually effective. Duct tape is recommended for printing from smaller plates.
     1. Sponge off the plate to remove the plate finisher coating.
     2. Dry the plate (front and back) and verify that the support is thoroughly dry.
     3. Position the plate where it should be attached on the support.
     4. Attach it by taping over the edge which enters the press first. Tape over the entire edge. (Additional tape may be required at the other edges, but it is best to wait until the plate has been through the press a few times before doing this

"Bobby", pictured with slate plate support.

3. Apply and tight-buff a fresh layer of plate finisher to entire plate (and duct tape, if applicable)
4. Select and engage scraper bar. The scraper bar should be longer that the width of the image but shorter than the width of the plate.
5. Place the plate on the support so that it is aligned to travel properly under the scraper bar.
6. Mark the press bed with masking tape to indicate the starting and ending points of the pull.
7. Set initial press pressure by doing the following:
   1. Lay the tympan over the plate and slide the bed forward to the marked starting point.
   2. Loosen current pressure setting until the "pressure on" state does not engage the scraper bar against the stone and tympan.
   3. In the "pressure on" state, crank the scraper bar down until is tight against the stone and tympan.
   4. Release the pressure, then crank it tighter to reach the initial pressure setting: Roll out ink Washout the image.
8. Sponge wash the plate finisher off of the plate.
9. Begin inking and bringing the image up. This is a gradual process of inking and proofing until the stone is producing good impressions.
   1. Your roller should be charged with as little ink as possible. Roll over the plate using a standard inking pattern (such as: three sets of four rolls, charging roller between each set).
   2. Pull a proof on newsprint. This first proof should be extremely light. (If it is not, you began with too much ink. Do not add ink to the roller & repeat go back to step a.
   3. Roll out a small additional line of ink on the slab. Roll over the stone using the same inking pattern.
   4. Pull a proof on newsprint. This proof should be slightly darker than the previous proof. Compare this proof to the previous one. It should be slightly darker.
   5. Repeat steps c & d until the image begins to look fully inked. (Bringing an image up should take from 4 to 8 newsprint proofs.)
10. Continue the same steps, but begin proofing on final proofing paper. (It can take from 1 to 4 proofs on good paper before you produce the perfect impression. )
11. Once you have produced the perfect impression ( referred to as the printer's proof, bon a tirer or B.A.T.), you begin printing the edition.Each impression is compared to the B.A.T. and checked for consistency. Adjustments to inking are sometimes required during the course of printing the edition.
12. When finished printing the edition, clean up the printing area thoroughly before leaving.