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The traditional definition of "fine arts" encompasses painting, drawing, sculpture and printmaking. Perhaps because it is involved with the making of "multiples" rather than unique one-of-a-kind works of art, printmaking has always been relegated, unfortunately, to a lesser role in the world of art. This lesser role may also be partially attributed to the fact that printmaking is more process oriented, and frequently more technical, hence more difficult for the average viewer to fully comprehend.
Printmaking is divided into four basic processes: intaglio, relief, planographic and serigraphic. Each of these processes, in turn, produces distinct print types such as etchings, lithographs, engravings, woodcuts etc. An etching for example, is a type of print derived from the intaglio process, a woodcut is derived from the relief process.
INTAGLIO prints are produced by incising lines into a metal plate which is then inked and the surface wiped to remove excess ink. A sheet of dampened paper is laid over the plate and run through the press. The pressure of the press forces the paper fiber into the incised grooves of the plate where it picks up the ink and transfers the image onto the paper. Intaglio prints resemble pen and ink drawings and can often be identified by a characteristic embossed edge on the print surface.
RELIEF prints utilize a process which is the exact opposite of the intaglio process. Rather than printing from incised grooves, the ink sits on the surface of the plate before being transferred to the paper. As such, the artist must physically remove all areas of the plate which are not to print. Due to the heavy pressure of the press, and the fact that the ink must be transferred from raised ridges which are fragile, the relief process does not allow as much detail as the intaglio process. This difference is readily apparent when a woodcut is compared to an etching.
PLANOGRAPHIC prints are produced from a flat surface on which the artist draws or paints with greasy materials such a litho crayons or liquid tusche and is based on the principle that oil and water do not mix. The "drawing" is typically done on either a slab of Bavarian limestone or an aluminum plate. The image is then inked using an oil-based ink while the plate is kept wet with water. This deposits a thin layer of ink on the image while keeping the non-printing surfaces clean. The press pressure transfers the ink to the paper surface.
SERIGRAPHIC prints are derived through a stencil process in which ink is
forced through the fine mesh of a tightly stretched silk fabric. Areas
which are not to be printed are "blocked out" using various materials to
prevent the ink from passing through onto the paper surface. Also referred
to as serigraphy or screenprinting, the prints characteristically
incorporate flat color areas and a minimal use of line. A separate "run" or printing is required for each individual color used in the print.
Common print types and the processes used to produce them:
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INTAGLIO
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RELIEF
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PLANOGRAPHIC
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SERIGRAPHIC
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