Combining Digital Print Technologies with 18th Century Underglaze Ceramic Printing to Retain an Industrial Heritage Process

这次投标旨在建立在霍斯金斯之前进行的研究的基础上，将柔版印刷技术的数字能力与17世纪80年代首次为陶瓷行业开发的最早的印刷工艺相结合。为了实现这一目标，它寻求与Burgess Dorling&Leigh(Burleigh)合作，Burgess Dorling&Leigh(Burleigh)是最后一家商业印刷釉下纸巾的公司，总部设在特伦特河畔斯托克市二级上市的Middleport陶瓷公司。王子再生信托基金于2011年6月收购了这座陶器，使其免于濒临倒闭。信托基金的参与已经挽救了50个工作岗位，保持了米德尔波特独有的传统制造技术，并保护了历史建筑、模具和机械收藏。王子信托基金规定，米德尔波特的陶器生产将在未来25年内保持不变。然而，印刷辊和印版的维护和生产存在一个长期的问题，过去这些印刷辊和印版是手工雕刻的。这次竞标试图通过引入印刷传统陶工釉下组织的可能性来解决这个问题，印刷和应用它的方式与18世纪的过程相同，但从数字文件创建版面。从而将雕刻滚筒所需的时间从一个月减少到不到一天，以创建数字等效滚筒，同时保持最终产品的完整性。Burleigh要求与英格兰西部大学精细印刷研究中心(CFPR)合作，因为我们在19世纪印刷工艺的实际应用和与数字技术的结合方面具有专业知识。CFPR旨在研究使用柔版印刷工艺再造釉下凹版印刷滚筒和版材。我们之前的研究表明，有可能创造一种凹版用于研究演示目的和一些基于实践的创造性用途。该项目旨在对博物馆收藏的现有釉下组织印刷样本进行视觉分类，以创建一个基准，以此为基础进行这项新研究的主要部分的经验研究。它的目标是利用当代数字技术重建釉下组织的质量和视觉美学，同时保留所有釉下组织印刷应用中固有的工艺和工匠技能。它将通过创建一种使用柔印辊和印版创建实际示例的方法来做到这一点。然后，可以将物理结果与基准进行比较和测试。该方法将确保结果既符合商业标准，又与视觉分类法中突出显示的18世纪和19世纪的例子相称。同时，作为进一步的基准标准，将对重新制造手工雕刻滚筒的可能性进行调查。该项目提供了保留陶器行业重要技能的潜力，并确保现存的、正在使用的维多利亚陶器仍然是社区和国家工业遗产的一个可行的部分。在学术上，该项目寻求利用一个独特的研究机会，在充分发挥作用的同时，保留英国工业遗产的一个重要部分，同时使该遗产与21世纪保持一致。该项目需要对伯利过程的历史背景敏感，以便未来的历史学家对19世纪实践的工业过程有默契。

This bid seeks to build upon previous research undertaken by Hoskins into the combination of the digital capabilities of flexographic printing technology and the earliest printing process first developed for the ceramic industry in the 1780s. In order to achieve this it seeks to collaborate with Burgess Dorling & Leigh (Burleigh), the last company to print underglaze tissue commercially, based at its Grade II listed Middleport pottery in Stoke on Trent. The Princes' Regeneration Trust acquired the pottery in June 2011 saving it from imminent closure. The Trust's involvement has already saved 50 jobs, is maintaining the traditional manufacturing skills unique to Middleport, and preserving the historic buildings, collection of moulds and machinery. The Princes' Trust has specified that pottery production should remain at Middleport for the next 25 years. However there is a long-term issue with both the maintenance and production of printing rollers and plates, which in the past have been hand engraved. This bid seeks to redress that issue by introducing the potential of printing traditional potters underglaze tissue, both printing and applying it in the same way as the 18th Century process, but creating the plate from a digital file. Thus reducing the time taken to engrave a roller from one month to less than a day to create a digital equivalent roller, whilst retaining the integrity of the final product. Burleigh requested the collaboration with the Centre for Fine Print Research (CFPR) at the University of the West of England, due to our expertise in the practical application and marriage of 19th Century printing processes, with digital technology.CFPR aim to investigate the recreation of underglaze intaglio printing rollers and plates using the flexographic process. Our previous research indicated it was possible to create an intaglio plate for research demonstration purposes and some practice based creative uses. This project seeks to create a visual taxonomy of existing underglaze tissue printed examples from museum collections in order to create a benchmark against which the major part of this new research can be undertaken empirically. It aims to recreate the qualities and visual aesthetic of underglaze tissue using contemporary digital technology whilst retaining all of the craft and artisan skills inherent in the application of underglaze tissue printing . It will do this by creating a methodology for the creation of practical examples using flexographic rollers and printing plates. The physical results can then be compared and tested against the benchmark. The methodology will ensure that the results are both of a commercial standard and commensurate with the 18th and 19th Century examples highlighted within the visual taxonomy. In parallel and as a further benchmark standard, an investigation will take place into the potential of recreating hand engraved rollers. This project offers the potential to retain important skills within the pottery industry and make sure that an extant and working Victorian Pottery remains a viable part of the community and the nation's industrial heritage. Academically this project seeks to capitalise on a unique research opportunity to retain, in full working order, an important part of Britain's industrial heritage concurrent to bringing that heritage in-line with the 21st Century. The project needs to be sensitive to the historic context of Burleigh's process in order for future historians to gain tacit understanding of an industrial process as it was practiced in the 19th Century.