2.3 Printmaking Processes

Printmaking Processes

Printmaking is the process of creating art by transferring an image from a prepared surface (the matrix) onto another surface, typically paper. Unlike drawing or painting, which results in a single, unique object, printmaking is fundamentally designed to produce multiples—an 'edition' of identical impressions. Printmaking is divided into four major historical categories based on how the ink is held on the matrix: Relief, Intaglio, Planographic, and Stencil.

Relief Printmaking

Relief printing is the oldest form of printmaking, originating in ancient China. In a relief print, the artist uses gouges and chisels to carve away material from the matrix (usually a block of wood or linoleum). The areas carved away become the negative (white) space. Ink is rolled onto the block using a brayer. The ink sits exclusively on the raised, uncarved surface. When paper is pressed against the block, only the raised image transfers.

• Woodcut: The traditional relief method. The artist must carve along or across the natural grain of the wood, which often leaves a visible woodgrain texture in the final print. Softwoods yield more grain texture; hardwoods allow for finer details.
• Linocut: Uses linoleum as the matrix. Because linoleum lacks a directional grain and is highly uniform and soft, it is much easier to carve in any direction, yielding bold, flat graphics without the inherent texture of wood.

Intaglio Printmaking

Intaglio (from the Italian intagliare, meaning 'to cut in') is the exact opposite of relief. In intaglio processes, the image is incised into the surface of a metal plate (typically copper or zinc). Ink is then applied over the entire plate and actively pushed down into the grooves. The artist then uses tarlatan cloth and paper to wipe the flat surface of the plate completely clean. When run through a heavy, high-pressure printing press, the damp paper is forced down into the grooves to pull the ink out.

• Engraving: A purely physical process. The artist uses a sharp, V-shaped tool called a burin to push through the metal, gouging out slivers of copper. It requires immense physical control and yields clean, precise lines (commonly seen in paper currency).
• Drypoint: The artist scratches directly into the plate with a steel needle. This raises a rough ridge of displaced metal called a 'burr'. The burr catches the ink, producing a rich, soft, velvety line. However, the burr degrades quickly under the pressure of the press, limiting the edition size.
• Etching: A chemical process. The plate is coated with an acid-resistant wax 'ground'. The artist draws through the ground with a needle, exposing the bare metal. The plate is submerged in an acid bath (like nitric acid or ferric chloride), which 'bites' (dissolves) the exposed lines into the plate.
• Aquatint: A specialized etching technique used to create vast areas of tonal value rather than lines. Fine rosin powder is melted onto the plate, acting as a porous acid resist. The acid bites around the rosin dust, creating microscopic pitting that holds ink like a sponge.

Planographic Printmaking (Lithography)

Unlike relief and intaglio, planographic printing uses a completely flat, uncarved matrix. Lithography, invented in 1798, relies entirely on a chemical principle: the mutual repulsion of oil and water.

The artist draws directly onto a polished slab of Bavarian limestone (or an aluminum plate) using a greasy, oil-based medium called tusche (which can be a crayon or a liquid wash). The stone is then chemically etched with a mixture of nitric acid and gum arabic. This chemical step does not carve the stone; rather, it fixes the greasy image and makes the negative areas of the stone highly hydrophilic (water-loving). During printing, the stone is sponged with water. The water clings to the negative areas but is repelled by the greasy drawing. An oil-based ink is then rolled over the stone. The ink adheres only to the greasy drawing and is repelled by the water in the negative space. The image is then printed under immense scraping pressure. Lithography allows for incredibly fluid, painterly marks that mimic charcoal or wash drawing flawlessly.

Stencil Processes (Screenprinting)

Screenprinting, or serigraphy, operates on a stencil principle. A piece of fine mesh (originally silk, now usually polyester) is stretched tightly over a frame. The artist creates a stencil on the screen to block out the non-image areas. This can be done using hand-cut paper, painted blocking fluids, or, most commonly, photo-sensitive emulsion exposed to UV light. Ink is placed at the top of the screen, and a rubber squeegee is pulled forcefully across the mesh, pressing the ink through the open, unblocked pores of the fabric onto the paper below. Screenprinting is prized for its ability to produce bold, massive flat areas of highly saturated color, and it became a defining medium of the Pop Art movement.

Monotypes and Monoprints

While printmaking usually focuses on multiples, these two techniques produce unique images.

• Monotype: The artist paints or rolls ink onto a completely smooth, unworked surface (like a piece of plexiglass or copper). The image is manipulated while wet and printed once. Because the matrix has no permanent incisions or stencils, an exact replica cannot be pulled again.
• Monoprint: The matrix does have permanent features (such as an etched line or carved relief), but the artist inks or wipes the plate in a wildly unique, non-repeatable way for each pull. The underlying skeletal image remains the same, but the final aesthetic varies wildly from print to print.