Popup Birthday Card

Materials:

computer
image designing software
polymer plate material
large roll of double-sided adhesive
negative of design
platemaker
platen press
metric ruler
violet and white rubber-based printer's ink
pallet knife
paper
tracing paper
craft knife
transparent tape
gauge pins
painter's tape
pencil
glue stick
glue dots
scissors

1. Create a birthday card design that will fit on a 7" x 7" square. Create an additional design that will fit on a 4-3/4" x 10-1/2" sheet. This will be the wrap-around and base for the pop up.

2. Separate the design's various colors into their own files and have negatives made of these images (figure A).

3. Place each negative on a polymer plate that is slightly larger than the negative. Make sure that the emulsion of the negative is facing the emulsion of the plate. The design should be read backwards when you look at it (figure B).

4. Open the exposure drawer on the plate maker. Put the negative and the plate down on the vacuum tray (figure C), turn on the vacuum unit, bring down clear plastic sheet on top of plate and smooth out all the bubbles and wrinkles so that there is even suction and the negative is secured tightly to the plate (figure D). Make sure the negative is still in proper position.

5. Turn on the UV exposure unit, expose the plate for 45-60 seconds. The image is now burned into the plate.

6. Repeat the process for the remaining plates.