PRINTMAKING
TERMS
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Aquatint
Prints
Fine particles of resin that is acid-resistant
are placed on the plate, it is then heated as
to adhere to the surface of the palte; it is immersed
in acid which bites into the plate. The tiny pits
in the plate hold the ink and when the plate is
printed it give the effect of watercolours.
Drypoint
Scribing directly on the copper plate with a sharp
metal point creates a rough ridge of metal often
called 'burrs'. When the plate is inked, the burr
catches the ink, where more burrs are the darker
the print will be.
Etching Prints
A metal plate often copper or zinc is coated with
a varnish-like coating called the 'ground' which
acid can not bite through. The artist creates
an image by scribing this surface with an etching
needle, thus exposing areas of metal. The whole
plate is then immersed in acid until the exposed
lines are sufficiently bitten. This produce grooves
in the metal that will hold the ink. The ground
is then removed, before the plate is printed.
Intaglio Prints
The lines of the design have been created by scribing
the plate, as in engraving or etching. The lines
are sunken grooves in the plate.
Linocut Prints
Lino which is a soft rubber-like material commonly
used as a floor covering. Linocut is a relief
printmkaing technique similer to woodcut.
Lithograph
The design is created on a lithographic stone
with a greasy crayon-like medium or ink. Water
adheres to the bare stone and not the greasy areas,
and ink does the opposite to this. Ink adheres
to the greasy areas and not to the wet stone thus
producing the print.
Mezzotint Prints
A copper plate is worked over with a rough, evenly
spiked tool called a 'rocker' until the plate
surface is thoroughly roughened. The artist working
from dark to light then smooths out area's with
a scraper to produce tone. The smoother the area
is the less ink it will hold.
Monotype Prints
Ink or paint is applied to a smooth plate. Because
there is no design scribed into it as such, only
one solid impression can be printed.
Relief Printing
The image is produced from the raised areas of
a carved, etched, or cast block or other solid
material. The printing surface stands in relief
above the rest of the block.
Screenprint or Silkscreen Print
Silk or synthetic mesh is stretched tightly over
a wooden or alloy frame. A stencil is adhered
to the fabric often by a photosensetive emulsion
this blocks the non-printing areas. The image
is created as the paint can pass through the open
mesh by force with the aid of rubber squeegee.
Softground Etching
A piece of paper is placed over a special soft
etching ground. The design is drawn with a pencil
on the paper. The pressure of the pencil causes
the ground to adhere to the back of the paper,
recording the pressure of the artist's hand. When
the paper is peeled from the plate, it takes with
it the ground which adhered to it. The plate is
then bitten with acid, the remaining ground is
removed, and the plate is inked and printed.
Woodcut
The areas around each line are cut out of the
block of wood so that the lines to be printed
stand out in relief.
Solarplate Printmaking
A form of Printmaking and an intaglio printmaking process process that uses ultraviolet light (often just the sun, hence the name) to harden a light sensitive ground to produce etching-like plates for printing.
Also
see links for: Printmaking
Press Manufacturers
Printmaking & Art Supplies
Printmaking Methods
Printmaking Paper
Printmaker Forum
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ART-search
Australia: www.art-search.com.au
or link the: US,
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AU
& NZ
entrances
WHAT
IS PRINTMAKING?
Printmaking
is the fine art of using a printing plate or other suitable
suface to create one or a series of multiple prints most
commonly printed on paper. Printmaking comes in many various
forms including: Monotype Printing, Relief or Block Printing
such as Woodcuts & Linoleum Printing, Drypoint Etching,
Acid Bite Etching such as on Zinc or Copper plates. Silk
Screen, Lithography, Intaglio, Aquatint, Mezzotint, Engraving,
Solar Plate Etching, Collagraph and Relief Printing.
The Printmaking terms above will explain each of these
to you. |
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