Prints & Printmaking

 

  • Printmaking is a versatile and captivating art form that has a rich history dating back centuries. While most types of artworks are identified as individual pieces that can never be completely replicated, printmaking techniques make an exceptional set of practices that possess the ability to create multiple copies of a single piece of art. As such, pieces of printmaking are considered original artistic works despite the fact such artworks can exist in multiple copies. From a practical standpoint, Prints are made from a sole original surface known by its technical name as a matrix or a plate. After a matrix is created upon a block, plate, stone or screen, the depicted design is transferred by contact on the surface of the actual piece which then becomes the print. Conventional fine prints are normally produced in limited edition sets and each print needs to be numbered and signed by the artist personally. Afterwards, the matrix is usually destroyed as to prevent any future prints from being made.
    Many modern readers tend to hear the words printmaking techniques and immediately think of mechanically mass-produced commercial products, such as books, newspapers and textiles. However, printmaking techniques usually refer to a set of methods through which a fine arts print is made, an original creation of an artist who, instead of using a paintbrush or the chisel, has opted to use printmaking tools to express himself. Usually, the ability to have multiple originals is not the crucial feature for an author to choose printmaking over other mediums. Instead, what seems to be the key characteristic is the unique visual qualities that all types of printmaking have in their arsenal.
     
    An Overview of the Main Types of Printmaking
     
    Intaglio
    intaglio printmaking, the image is incised or etched into a surface, typically a metal plate like copper, zinc, aluminum, steel, or even plastic. The plate is then inked, and the surface wiped clean so that ink remains only in the incised lines. Paper is then pressed onto the plate under significant pressure, transferring the ink to the paper. Examples of intaglio techniques include etching, engraving, dry point, mezzotint, and aquatint.
     
    Relief
    Relief printing involves carving away areas from a block or plate so that the ink only adheres to the raised surfaces, which are then pressed onto paper. The most common material used for relief printing is linoleum or wood. Woodcuts and linocuts are popular examples of relief printing techniques. Woodcuts involve carving into the surface of a woodblock, while linocuts use linoleum for a softer material to carve into.
     
    Planography
    Planographic printmaking, also known as lithography, is based on the principle that oil and water do not mix. A flat surface, usually a smooth stone or metal plate, is treated so that the image areas attract oily ink while repelling water. The image is then transferred to paper through a press. Lithography is known for its ability to create detailed and multi-tonal images.
     
    Silkscreen (or Serigraphy)
    Silkscreen printing involves a stencil method where a fine mesh screen is used as a support for ink, with the design areas blocked off to create the image. Ink is forced through the mesh onto the printing surface (usually paper). Silkscreen allows for vibrant colors and is often used in commercial printing, such as posters and apparel.
     
    Monotype

    Each of these printmaking techniques offers artists a unique set of tools and creative possibilities, allowing for a diverse range of artistic expressions. 

    Monotype is a term used to define the printmaking techniques that produce editions of one print instead of multiples. The process of monotyping involves manipulating additional ink on a previously etched and inked plate. After which the exact reverse of the original drawing is conveyed to a new surface, the original design and its details are lost forever. Many famous artists worked in this method, such as Edgar Degas  and Jean Dubuffet . Their work with monotypes were full of spontaneity and was praised for the painterly quality of the final images despite such a technique challenging the fundamental definitions of printmaking. It should be noted that some pieces of monotype can result in a second and weaker impression which is referred to as a ghost and is considered to be a much less worthy print than the original imprint.

     

    Digital prints

    The most modern of all the printmaking techniques on our list, digital prints are produced using a computer and are usually made with an ink-jet printer. The results are uniformly toned images with highly saturated in details. It should be noted that a digital print is only considered an original piece if it was intended as a unique artwork – it must not be a copy or a reproduction of an artwork initially made in a different medium. Although this method demands the least amount of practical skill, digital prints truly shine in the details department as no other process is capable of resulting in more precise prints.