The A-Z of Printmaking Techniques

A Brief History of Printmaking

Printmaking has existed for thousands of years. According to the Washington Printmakers Gallery, the first instance came from China in AD 105. Printmaking was a response to the invention of paper. It allowed for quick and easy copying of a piece of art or piece of printed literature for quick dissemination.

There are four main categories and several sub-categories of printmaking. The four main categories of printmaking are-

• Relief or carved blocks that feature a raised pattern to achieve the print.
• Intaglio is an engraved pattern used to achieve the print.
• Lithography uses a flat surface with specific areas that repel ink.
• Screen printing uses a screen with mesh to transfer a pattern.

Each category has specific uses for which it is best suited.

Nowadays, if we want a “print” of something, most people can use printers to get a copy.

Early printmaking techniques were created to help make it possible to copy a piece more quickly so that it could be sold to the masses. This was particularly popular with literature like the Bible and famous works of art.

Today, printmaking has allowed artists to oversee and authorize the creation of limited-edition reproductions of their work, ensuring the artist’s work is truly representative of their original painting. This also permits the artist to have control over how many prints will be created.

In this way, many art collectors and enthusiasts can have authentic, limited-edition works of art signed by the artist in their homes.

Lithography

Lithography is a process by which a flat surface is outfitted with a specific area of that flat surface made to repel ink.

Say you want to print a copy of an image. Put a metal plate with the image on it. The image would be covered in a substance that attracts ink. Meanwhile, the negative space would be coated to repel the ink. This allows for a transfer of the image to be printed relatively quickly under the artist’s supervision.

In recent years, many artists have authorized the limited print production of their works using lithography. Lithographs of renowned artists such as Marc Chagall, Pablo Picasso, and Alexander Calder are often available or sold at auctions.

Serigraph, Silkscreen and Screen Printing

Silkscreen printing is another word for Serigraph. The Word Serigraph is a combination of two Greek words, seicos, meaning silk, and graphos, meaning writing. We use silk to create a screen that helps to transfer the image, that’s why we call it silkscreen printing.

In typical screen printing, polyester and other synthetic fibers are often used to help make the image that will be transferred. In this process, the artist or person making the print will place a stencil with the image they want to transfer.

The paint or pigment is then carefully forced through a screen to color the areas not protected by the stencil. Usually, many colors are necessary, each being applied separately. This technical process requires the artist and printmaker to be involved in determining the ideal color to be used, and then perfecting a screen for each hue used in the process.

All of this is done under the watchful eye of the artist, ensuring a faithful rendering of the original work.

Etchings

Etchings are much like relief prints. They are a process by which the surface of the printing plate-metal, in this case-is etched so that the only raised part is the design or picture that you want to print.

The ink or other medium is then applied to the surface of the etching, and it is pressed down firmly and evenly to produce the reverse image.

In etching, or with any similar printing process, you need to etch the picture or words in reverse on the etching to make sure they are printed in the proper direction.

Enamel

There are a few different ways to approach enamel printing. You need to use screen printing, as it allows for the best overall result. With enamel printing, the enamel is going to be dry. The dry enamel is passed through the screen and stays where the design is. To lock in the design, the dry enamel is sealed with clear, wet enamel.

This process is best used with clock faces and other flat designs.

Aquatint

An aquatint is a very difficult type of lithograph. The process starts with an etching that uses chemicals to etch the design onto a metal plate. The chemicals allow for texture to be added to the print, which makes it more realistic in the final form.

This is a time-consuming process, and the plates are very delicate, so it is a rare type of printing process compared to other methods. The name aquatint originates from its resemblance to watercolor paintings.

Drypoint

Drypoint is a type of intaglio printing that requires etching tools to create a design on the metal plate that will be used for the print. Drypoint does not use chemicals, and the print is etched directly onto the plate with sharp etching tools.

This means it will be less precise than typical etching and can lead to lines that are more blurred and softer. Depending on the aesthetic the artist desires, drypoint is an outstanding option for reproducing detailed fine artworks and mass-produced drawings.

Collotype

A collotype is another type of printing often used to reproduce drawings. The process was invented in 1856. It involves coating a collotype plate with a thin layer of gelatin or other material that repels the ink. The negative is exposed to the surface so that it repels water and then accepts ink. The ink from the type is then transferred to paper. It is considered a type of lithograph.

Printmaking has certainly evolved and changed over the years. Modern tools are now used to help in the process of printmaking.

Even though there are new methods, plenty of people still stay true to older artistic methods to produce limited-edition prints of their most sought-after work. You can find many of these types of prints at any contemporary art auction.

Each of the methods discussed here was created to meet a specific need and intention. Printmaking is certainly going to keep changing and evolving with the times and to suit the needs of each person.