7.1: Printmaking

A print is an image made by transferring pigment from a matrix to a final surface, often but not always paper. Printing allows multiple copies of an artwork to be made. Multiple copies of an individual art- work are called an edition.

There are four main types of printmaking: relief, intaglio, planographic, and stencil. Relief prints are made by removing material from the matrix, the surface the image has been carved into, which is often wood, linoleum, or metal. (Figure 7.1.1) The remaining surface is covered with ink or pigment, and then paper is pressed onto the surface, picking up the ink. Letterpress is a relief printing process that transfers ink to paper but also indents an impression into the surface of the paper, creating a texture to the print that is often considered a sign of high quality.

Figure \(\PageIndex{1}\): Relief Wood Carving. (CC BY-SA 3.0; by Zephyris via Wikimedia Commons)

Intaglio prints are made when a design is scratched into a matrix, usually a metal plate. Ink is wiped across the surface, and collects in the scratches. Excess ink is wiped off and paper is pressed onto the plate, picking up the ink from the scratches. Intaglio prints may also include texture.

Planographic prints are made by chemically altering a matrix to selectively accept or reject water. Originally, limestone was used for this process since it naturally repels water but can be chemically changed to absorb it. In stone matrix lithography, black grease pencil drawings are made on a flat block of limestone, which is then treated with nitric acid. (Figure 7.1.2) The nitric acid does not dissolve the stone, but changes it chemically so that it absorbs water. The grease pencil is removed, and the stone wetted. Where the grease pencil protected the stone from the acid, the limestone repels water and remains dry. Next, oil-based ink is rolled over the stone. Where the stone is dry, the ink will stick, but where the stone is wet, the ink will not. The image is “brought up” to the desired darkness by passing an ink covered roller on it, then it is printed by pressing paper onto the surface to pick up the ink.

Figure \(\PageIndex{2}\): Stone used for lithography print. (Public Domain; by AndreasPraefcke via Wikimedia Commons)

Most commercial printing today is lithographic printing, using aluminum plates instead of limestone blocks, or offset printing, where the inked image is transferred from a metal plate to a rubber cylinder and then to paper. (Figure 7.1.3)

Figure \(\PageIndex{3}\): Lithographic Press. (Copyright - Permissions Granted; Clemens Pfeiffer-Photographer, by Panoramafotors via Wikimedia Commons)

Stencil prints are made by passing inks through a porous fine mesh matrix. In silkscreen printmaking, for example, silk fabric is mounted tightly on a rigid frame. Areas of the fabric are blocked off to form an image. The fabric-lined frame is placed on top of paper, canvas, or cloth. Ink is then pulled across the frame with a rubber blade. Where the fabric is blocked off, the ink does not transfer. Where the fabric is clear, ink is pushed through onto the receiving surface.

It is important to be able to distinguish between original prints and reproductions. Original prints are handmade prints. Since each print is subtly different due to its handmade character, each print is considered an original work of art. Editions of original prints can range from a few to dozens or hundreds of copies. Reproductions are mechanically produced. An original artwork is photographed; the photograph is then transferred to a printing plate on a mechanical press. Each print is nearly identical, and editions can run into the thousands or tens of thousands. (Figure 7.1.4)

Figure \(\PageIndex{4}\): Offset Press. (CC BY-SA 3.0; by Rémih via Wikimedia Commons)

The value of an individual print de- pends on a number of factors, including whether it is an original print or a reproduction and the number of prints in an edition. Recently a new kind of print has become popular, the gicleé.This is essentially a digital inkjet print. Those who buy gicleé prints should be careful that only acid-free paper and archival inks are used in its production. The fibers that make paper can come from many different sources, some of which contain acid that will turn the paper yellow with age. Over time, ink pigments can be fugitive, lose color intensity or even shift in hue. These effects will lower the value of the print. Acid-free paper and archival inks resist these defects and preserve the original appearance of the art object, thus maintaining its value.