Introduction to Printmaking

Introduction to Printmaking

Types of Printmaking

  • Lithography: This is a method that involves drawing on a stone or a specially treated plate with a grease-based material. It works on the principle that oil and water do not mix.

  • Intaglio: The design to be printed is cut, scratched, or etched into the printing surface. This is often used with copper plates. Example techniques are etching, aquatint and drypoint.

  • Relief printing: This happens when the areas of the plate that form the image are left raised while the remaining areas are cut away. This method includes woodcut and linocut techniques.

  • Screenprint: Also referred to as silkscreen or serigraphy, this process involves creating a stencil on a fine mesh screen and then pushing ink through the open areas.

Basic Terms

  • Edition: Refers to the total number of prints made from a single plate.

  • Artist’s Proof: Apart from the main edition, artist proofs are additional prints not for sale, usually for the artist’s own collection.

  • Baren: A tool used in relief printmaking to apply pressure to the back of the paper, transferring the ink from the block to the paper.

  • Inking slab: A smooth surface upon which inks are mixed and rolled out.

Process Steps

  • Creating the print matrix: This involves working on the surface that will create the print, such as a wood block, a metal plate, or a stone slab.

  • Applying ink: Ink is applied onto the surface of the matrix. It is either rolled on for relief, wiped onto intaglio plates, or spread across and forced into the matrix for screen printing.

  • Transfer to paper: The inked matrix is then pressed onto paper, either by applying pressure by hand, or by using a printing press.

  • Drying and finishing: After printing, the prints must dry properly. Pieces can then be tore or trimmed to size and signed.

Do explore different styles and have experiments with a variety of mediums and tools when working on printmaking. The outcome can be greatly influenced by your choice of matrix, ink, and transfer method.