Many mokuhanga (Japanese technique woodcut) printers are using an L-shaped kento registration jig. This is so each block can be carved without registration kento and a corner pushed into the L-shaped jig during printing. One disadvantage of this method is that the block and jig can easily shift during handling and printing so registration is insecure.
By wedging the block into a somewhat fancier jig, the block is held securely without shifting and the jig can be made so that the printing surface of the block is higher than the jig while the kento are on level with the printing surface. This allows very tight and certain registration and very clean margins without having to handle the damp block between printings.
I made a couple of prints using this jig, an aizuri-e of clover and a sumi-e of blades of grass.
Clover, 2017, 12 x 12 inches, 12 blocks, edition of 12
Grass 24 x 19 inches from 12 blocks, edition of 8 (image area)
CNC carving grass blocks in wedged jig on machine bed
Carved blocks stacked up and ready to print
grass block wedged in jig during printing
notch for registration of side of paper
Detail of corner-of-paper registration (kento)
Printing setup for Grass – delivery drawer above, then printing area, takeup drawer below
Printing setup for grass
Grass, 2017, 24 x 19 inches, 12 blocks, edition of 8
2017-09-14 Clover 12 x 12 inches, 19.5 x 19.5 inch sheet 12 blocks, edition of 12
