The second or third print taken from the plate is what is known as a ghost print because the end result is a much lighter version of the original print. Before you clean off the painted Plexiglas plate, take multiple prints. Use a spray bottle filled with water to help saturate the paint, place the paper and pull each print. The final prints will have a watercolor-like quality.
paper stencil shapes
11" × 14" (28cm × 36cm) Plexiglas sheet
OPEN acrylic paint
soft rubber brayer
spray bottle of water
construction paper
Place a paper stencil at the edge of the plate. Pick up the rest of the paint on the plate. Press the edge of the previous pulled print onto the plate to overprint the design.
Add layers to previous prints. This shows the print picked up on the edge of the paper.
Now that most of the paint has been transferred in the previous pulls, spray the plate with a light mist of water, then place a previous print over the plate. This will pick up the leftover paint. Place the previous printed paper in the center of the plate, holding up the right side. This will transfer only a portion of the print to the paper.
Here is the overprint from the second pulled print.
Spray another light mist of water over the plate. Place another piece of construction paper onto the wet surface and press the back with your hands.
Here’s the ghost print on construction paper.