Glossary of Printmaking Terms
Printmaking Basics
print an impression made by any method involving transfer from one surface to another
intaglio any printmaking technique in which the image is produced by incising into the printing plate; the incised line or area holds the ink and creates the image; etchings, engravings, aquatints, drypoints, mezzotints are all intaglio prints
planographic a printmaking technique where prints are made from a flat surface, such as in lithography and some forms of monotype
relief a printmaking process where marks are carved into the matrix (typically made of wood or linoleum) with a burin; the material removed becomes the unprinted area in the final work; ink is rolled onto the carved matrix and the block is run through a press; common relief prints include woodcuts and linocuts
Materials and Methods
acid a corrosive liquid used to etch metal plates
aquatint an intaglio printmaking technique used to create tonal effects rather than lines; fine particles of acid-resistant material are attached to a printing plate by heating and the plate is then immersed in an acid bath, as in the etching process; the acid eats into the metal around the particles to produce a granular pattern, which holds sufficient ink to give the effect of an area of wash when inked and printed
bite the corrosive action of acid on a metal plate
burin a steel engraving tool with a pointed, elliptical or lozenge-shaped tip
burnisher a polished steel, slightly curved tool used to level or partially erase worked areas of an intaglio print
burr the roughened edge of metal on each side of drypoint line; the burr holds ink and is characteristic of a drypoint
celluloid print a print made from an image scratched into celluloid sheet in the manner of drypoint
counter proof a print made from another just printed, which gives a copy in reverse
drypoint an intaglio printmaking process in which a design is drawn on a plate with a sharp, pointed, needle-like instrument; both the incised line and the burr receive ink when the plate is wiped, giving the printed line a distinctive velvety look
embossing a deep impression created during printmaking processes
engraving an intaglio printmaking technique that involves making incisions into a metal plate with a burin or other tool and without the use of acid; the engraved lines retain the ink and form the printed image
etching an intaglio printmaking technique that uses the chemical action of acid to produce incised lines in a metal printing plate, which then hold the applied ink and form the image
foul bite an accidental or unintentional erosion of the acid resist in an intaglio print
gelatintotype a late nineteenth century process where a hardened gelatin image on a lineblock avoided the need for etching
ground an acid-resisting coating on a metal plate which traditionally is wax-based; the image is drawn through the coating to expose the metal beneath to the acid
gum arabic a material used to control the application of acid in an etching
hard ground an acid resistant coating used to prepare a plate for etching
heliogravure an etching technique where an image is produced by coating the printing plate with light sensitive acid-resist ground and then exposing this to light to reproduce a photographic image; also known as photogravure or photo-etching
impression a print or proof
lift ground an intaglio printmaking technique where a design is drawn on a plate with a pen or brush and water-soluble ink mixture, of which sugar or salt is the main component; this mixture dissolves and lifts the ground from the plate, exposing the metal where the image has been drawn
lithography a printing process that uses a flat stone or metal plate on which the image areas are worked using a greasy substance that the ink will adhere to them by, while the non-image areas are made ink-repellent
matrix the base from which a print is made
open bite an etching technique where areas of the plate are exposed to acid with no resist
plate a sheet of metal, card, board, or plastic which can be engraved, etched or collaged and printed
plate mark the imprint in the paper resulting from the edge of a metal plate being embossed into it during the intaglio printmaking process
proof a trial print
pull an impression taken at any stage of the printing process before the editioning
resist a material which masks areas of a printing matrix from the action of acid, alkali or light; these are either greasy or waxy substances, varnish, acrylic-based liquids or light-opaque substances
roulette a steel engraving tool with a small spiked wheel which makes a dotted texture directly on an intaglio print or through a ground
sandpaper an abrasive material used to roughen surfaces or remove unwanted material; an intact sheet can be impressed into a soft ground on a metal plate to produce a texture similar to aquatint
soft ground an etching technique which uses grease to create a non-drying ground to produce softer lines
sprit ground an alternative to dusting resin for aquatint; the resin is suspended in alcohol and poured over the plate and as the alcohol evaporates it leaves the resin particles in a regular pattern
spit bite an etching technique where acid is painted or splashed onto the plate
steel scribe a tool used to inscribe a copper plate for drypoint
stop out an acid impervious varnish
sulfur tint a chemical etching technique in which the engraved metal plate is exposed to a sulfur mordant
tarlatan an open-weave cotton fabric, stiffened with starch, used to hand wipe intaglio plates
Other Techniques Used by Buhot
drawing a technique in which images are depicted on a surface by making lines, sometimes incorporating tonal areas, washes or other non-linear marks
gauche an opaque, but water-soluble paint
graphite a metallic grey writing and drawing material most commonly used in pencil form
ink a writing and drawing medium in liquid or paste form
wash a fine layer of color, usually ink or watercolor, brushed over a broad surface evenly so that no brush marks are visible; often used in conjunction with drawing
SOURCES
Library of Congress, Printmaking Processes: A Webliography
The Metropolitan Museum of Art, What Is Printmaking?
Museum of Modern Art, Art Terms
The Print Club of Cleveland, Glossary of Printmaking Terms
Richard Benson, The Printed Picture
Rosemary Simmons, Dictionary of Printmaking Terms. London: A&C Black, 2002.
Smith College Museum of Art, Printmaking Terms
Tate, Art Terms