Printmaking is an art that has been created by transmitting an impression from one object right onto yet another two-dimensional surface area. Printmaking is among the oldest and most basic of artistic representations.
It began ever since the time of the ancient Chinese and from Dürer, artists have used and made techniques of recreating images on paper. These fine art print methods have grown as well as continued to evolve as time passes. Printmaking methods fall into 4 categories. 1) Relief – Woodcut, Linocut as well as some collographs; 2) Intaglio – Etching, Drypoint, Mezzotint as well as Aquatint; 3) Serigraphy – Silkscreen; 4) Planographic – Lithography.
Listed under "Traditional Printmaking", the following print types are classified as: Collagraph, Drypoint, Etching, Lino, Lithograph, Monotype, Silk Screen, Woodblock.
Collagraph – is actually a print obtained from a collection of materials that have been glued or adhered to a supporting surface. They can be basic or very rich in texture. A few might likewise classify prints done with a combination of print types as being a collagraph. These mixture prints can at times be categorized as monotype as well.
Drypoint – Both this and etching could come under a more expansive heading of intaglio printmaking. Intaglio prints all have the graphic being printed below the surface of the plate. With drypoint, the lines as well as tones will be hand-scratched right into the surface area of the plate with the lines as well as burr holding the ink. In most cases, the traditional surface to do this on will be metal. Zinc as well as copper happened to be two of the most frequent metals utilized.
Engraving as well as mezzotint can likewise be included in this classification probably since they both of them are dry methods. Engraving is crispier and cleaner than drypoint. Mezzotint requires the whole surface of the plate having a fine even texture put into it. The artist then scrapes and burns the surface to make varying degrees of smooth surface areas which will lead to finer shades when printed.
Etching – Yet another print type whichought to be under the leader heading of intaglio printmaking. Acid as well as acid resistant grounds are used to create the graphic on the plate for this printingmaking technique.
Lino – These are relief prints achieved from a plate which has had the image cut or gouged into it and then the elevated surface area is inked with the cut image being the white or lighter regions of the print.
Lithograph – this print form is based upon the concept that grease as well as water do not mix. The graphic is produced with materials which have an affinity to oil. Special litho pens, crayons, wax crayons as well as liquid tusche are some of the things that could have been utilized to produce the oily graphic on the surface. The stone or metal with the graphic on it is then sponged down as well as inked. The ink sticks to the greasy graphic and is repelled by the damp areas with no image in it. The print is then taken.
Silk Screen – This makes use of stencils of a single form or yet another with a screen in which the ink is forced through the stencil to show the image on the printed surface. Stencils could be cut or created with emulsions.
Woodblock – As with lino prints, these are typically created with lines being cut or gouged out of the surface. These mark creates the white or light parts once the plate is inked on the raised surface and then printed. Reduction prints are a procedure where multiple layers are printed on top of one another with more cutting into the surface occurring between registrations.