What is an Original Print?

Processes and Techniques in Modern Printmaking

There are four major techniques for making original prints. A brief description of each of these — relief processes, incised processes, lithography, and stencil processes — is found in the following paragraphs.

Relief Processes

The basic principle of relief processes is that of cutting away part of the surface of a flat block so that the desired pattern or image stands up to provide a printing surface. Woodcuts and wood engravings are well-known. Other materials used are linoleum, lucite, cardboard, chipboard, composition board, plaster, and cut paper. In the case of cardboard or paper cuts, the areas are built up to provide the printing surfaces.

Incised Processes

The principle of incised or intaglio printing is exactly the oposite of relief printing. In the intaglio processes, the printing areas are grooves, furrows or indentations lower than the surface of a metal plate. In other words, the lines or surfaces which are etched out or cut away from the plate carry the ink. The high standing areas are wiped clean and do not print.

In intaglio processes, metal plates, chiefly copper, are used. Some artists have used lucite, zinc, or aluminum sheets. The general division within the intaglio process are: engraving, etching, aquatint, mezzotint and drypoint. The term "intaglio" is often used to deignate those prints in which more than one method is used. Sometimes artists refer to the combining of methods and techniques as a "mixed method."

Lithography

Lithography is based on the natural antipathy of oil and water. The image is made on the stone (or specially granulated zinc plate) with greasy crayon or ink. The texture of the stone is such that, if moistened, the water adheres to it in an even film except where the grease has been applied. When a roller charged with heavy ink is applied to the moistened surface, the ink adheres only to the greasy areas. After printing, the greasy image remains on the stone and the process of moistening, inking, and printing may be repeated.

Stencil Processes

In general the stencil process has been known to artists for centuries. Its basic principle is that of applying color or inks to the perforated or cutout sections of specially treated paper of thin material so that the desired pattern or design comes through the stencil to the surface to be printed. Thus all sections except those of the open design are masked out. Its most recent development is known as silk-screen printing. In the specialized field of fine printmaking this technique is called serigraphy. Variations of this technique are sometimes combined with engraving or etching to produce color prints.

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