A Guide to Printing Methods
Etching - a 15th century technique still in wide use today. A metal plate is covered with an acid-resistant coating, the artist then uses a sharp stylus to draw an image, scraping through the surface to expose the plate. This is then immersed in an acid bath which eats into the exposed metal, creating slightly convex lines. The plate is inked and wiped by hand, leaving ink only in the marked lines, and placed in a press facing a piece of damp paper. The press forces the paper into the inked lines, which transfer the image to the paper. Simple etchings may be done with one plate only, more complex images may require many plates and use a variety of colours. Copper is the most popular metal, but printmakers have also used zinc, bronze and steel, with varying results. Each print is hand done, and the plates tend to deteriorate over a print run, so etchings are generally done in fairly small editions.
Drypoint etching - no acid bath used here, the artist incises his line directly onto the dry plate using a stylus which produces a gentler mark. The results are therefore somewhat softer and have a more velvety look than regular etching, but the plate tends to wear down quickly, and the editions are very small.
Monotype - a process in which the artist
paints directly onto a plate, and transfers
the one-of-a-kind image to paper using a
press.
Monoprint - also produces a one-of-a-kind
work of art, but part of the work is produced using other techniques, such as etching. Each print is finished off with hand-coloring or brushwork, or different colors added to the etching plate. Thus each print is unique.
Serigraph - A print made using the silk
screen process. Each separate color requires its own screen, and more sophisticated prints will use 100 or more to produce the resulting depth and texture.
Giclee - pronounced "jeeclay", this is the newest of the printmaking techniques (sometimes called "Iris graphic"). A digital process, it was originally used as a proofing device for off-set lithograph, but the potential for creating fine prints was eventually recognized. Alterations to the machinery and refinement of the process have produced exquisite results. The rich depth of color and fade-resistant inks have made this one of the most popular media in use today.
