Intaglio - The process of incising a design beneath the surface of a metal or stone.
Plates are inked only in the etched depressions on the plates and then the plate surface
is wiped clean. The ink is then transferred onto the paper through an etching press. The
reverse of this process is known as relief printing.
Planographic - The process to print impressions from a smooth surface rather than
creating incised or relief areas on the plate. The term was devised to describe
lithography.
Relief - All printing processes in which the non-printing areas of the block or plate are
carved, engraved or etched away. Inks are applied onto the projected surface and
transferred onto the paper. The reverse process is known as intaglio printing.
Printmaking Techniques
Aquatint – A printing technique capable of producing unlimited tonal gradations to re-
create the broad flat tints of ink wash or watercolor drawings. This is achieved by etching
microscopic cracks and pits into the image on a master plate, typically made of copper or
zinc. Spanish artist Goya used this technique.
Blind - Printing using an uninked plate to produce the subtle embossed texture of a
white-on-white image, highlighted by the shadow of the relief image on the uninked
paper. This technique is used in many Japanese prints.
Collograph - Printing technique in which proofs are pulled from a block on which the
artwork or design is built up like a collage, creating relief.
Drypoint - Printing technique of intaglio engraving in which a hard, steel needle incises
lines on a metal plate, creating a burr that yields a characteristically soft and velvety line
in the final print.
Engraving - Printing technique in which an intaglio image is produced by cutting a metal
plate or box directly with a sharp engraving tool. The incised lines are inked and printed
with heavy pressure.
Etching - Printing technique in which a metal plate is first covered with an acid-resistant
material, then worked with an etching needle to create an intaglio image. The exposed
metal is eaten away in an acid bath, creating depressed lines that are later inked for
printing.
Iris or Giclée (pronounced zhee-clay) - A computerized reproduction technique in
which the image and topography are generated from a digital file and printed by a special
ink jet printer, using ink, acrylic or oil paints. Giclée printing offers one of the highest
degree of accuracy and richness of color available in any reproduction techniques.
Lithography - Printing technique using a planographic process in which prints are pulled
on a special press from a flat stone or metal surface that has been chemically sensitized
so that ink sticks only to the design areas and is repelled by the non-image areas.
Lithography was invented in 1798 in Germany by Alois Senefelder.
Mezzotint - A reverse engraving process used on a copper or steel plate to produce
illustrations in relief with effects of light and shadow. The surface of a master plate is
roughened with a tool called a rocker so that if inked, it will print solid black. The areas to
be white or gray in the print are rubbed down so as not to take ink. It was widely used in
the 18th and 19th centuries to reproduce portraits and other paintings, but became
obsolete with the introduction of photo-engraving.
Monotype - One-of-a-kind print made by painting on a sheet of metal or glass and
transferring the still-wet painting onto a sheet of paper by hand or with an etching press.
If enough paint remains on the master plate, additional prints can be made, however, the
reprint will have substantial variations from the original image. Monotype printing is not a
multiple-replica process since each print is unique.
Offset Lithography - A special photo-mechanical technique in which the image to be
printed is transferred to the negative plates and printed onto paper. Offset lithography is
very well adapted to color printing.
Serigraphy (Silk-screen) - A printing technique that makes use of a squeegee to force
ink directly onto a piece of paper or canvas through a stencil creating an image on a
screen of silk or other fine fabric with an impermeable substance. Serigraphy differs from
most other printing in that its color areas are paint films rather than printing ink stains.
Serio-lithography - A 21st Century invention, the serio-lithograph combines the best
elements of two accepted fine art mediums, the serigraph (or silkscreen print) and the
traditional lithograph. Typically printed on high quality papers, a traditional or offset
lithograph lays down the foundation of a finely detailed reproduction. The publisher then
takes the entire edition to a Fine Art Atelier, where a skilled “chromist” creates new
stencils by hand that enhance the texture and appearance of the original image, adding
color and depth. A high-gloss varnish enhances the two printing methods, adding a rich
lustred finish. Utilizing the latest technology of both printing methods the serio-lithograph
recreates the painterly look of an oil painting, while capturing the fine detail reproduction
of a lithograph.
Woodcut - Printing technique in which the printing surface has been carved from a block
of wood. The traditional wood block is seasoned hardwood such as apple, beech or
sycamore. Woodcut is one of the oldest forms of printing dating back to the 12th century.
Terminology