What you need

to know about
printmaking
 What is printmaking?
Let’s start with what you think it is?
 What is printmaking? 3

Printmaking is an artistic process based on the principle of transferring images from

a matrix onto another surface, most often paper or fabric. Traditional printmaking
techniques include woodcut, etching, engraving, and lithography, while modern artists
have expanded available techniques to include screenprinting.

A matrix is essentially a template, and can be made of wood, metal, or glass. The
design is created on the matrix by working its flat surface with either tools or chemicals.
The matrix is then inked in order to transfer it onto the desired surface. To print from a
matrix requires the application of controlled pressure, most often achieved by using a
printing press, which creates an even impression of the design when it is printed onto
the paper or fabric. (More modern printmaking techniques, such as screenprinting, do not
require a press.) The resulting print is often the mirror image of the original design on
the matrix. One of the great benefits of printmaking (save for monotype) is that multiple
impressions of the same design can be printed from a single matrix.

The Metropolitan Museum of Art. 2020. What is Printmaking. ONLINE. URL:

https://www.metmuseum.org/about-the-met/curatorial-departments/drawings-and-prints/materials-and-techniques/printmaking. Date
Accessed: 06/07/2020.
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What are the

different
printmaking
techniques???
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They are:
Woodcut
Engraving
Etching
Lithograph
Screenprinting
Woodcuts
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The oldest form of printmaking, woodcut is a relief process in which
knives and other tools are used to carve a design into the surface
of a wooden block. The raised areas that remain after the block has
been cut are inked and printed, while the recessed areas that are cut
away do not retain ink, and will remain blank in the final print.

The size of the woodblock is determined by the image, but is

ultimately limited by the size of the printing press. This means that
for a large-scale print, multiple blocks are cut and printed separately,
after which the image is assembled. Smaller blocks are less likely to
crack due to age or the pressure placed upon them during the printing
process. The thickness of the block is also important for ease of use
and the prevention of wear; the ideal thickness is around one inch =
2,54cm.
Method 9

After the woodblock has been prepared,

the design can be drawn directly onto the
surface of the block or a sketch can be
pasted on to it. Alternatively, the design
can be transferred from a sheet of
paper directly onto the surface of the
block by applying chalk or graphite to the
back of the sheet. The design is then
placed onto the surface of the block and its
lines are traced by the printmaker with a
stylus, which transfers the chalk and the
thus the design onto the block.
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Woodblocks are
most often cut by
a professional
block cutter, who
uses a chisel,
gouge, or knife to
carefully cut away
sections of the
block that will not
receive ink.
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The lines that comprise the image The block is then inked evenly by
then stand in relief to the rest using a dauber (ink ball) or a
of the block (which is why roller, taking care not to spill ink
woodcuts are in the group of into the recesses.
printmaking techniques called
relief prints).
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Once printed
onto its paper
support, the
woodcut design
appears in
reverse of the
original on the
block.
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Liz Zanis, Big Rocks, 2018, woodcut and woodblock. Courtesy of the
artist
Engraving
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Engraving is an intaglio printmaking process in which lines

are cut into a metal plate in order to hold the ink. In
engraving, the plate can be made of copper or zinc.

The metal plate is first polished to remove all scratches

and imperfections from the surface so that only the
intentional lines will be printed. When making an engraving,
the printmaker incises or cuts a composition directly into
the surface of a metal plate using a sharp tool, known
as a burin: a steel shaft ending in a beveled
diamond-shaped tip that is set into a rounded wooden
handle.
Method 17

The printmaker holds the burin by placing the

wooden handle against the palm of their hand
and grips the shaft with their thumb and third
finger. The burin is then set to engage with the
surface of the plate. When pressure is
applied, the burin cuts away a thin layer of
the metal to create a recessed line or
groove in the plate. Cutting into the plate also
results in the displacement of a thin curl of
metal residue.

Different sizes of burins can affect the size of the lines; the pressure the printmaker
applies to the burin can also be used to create thinner or thicker grooves in the plate.
Creating smooth lines requires both strength and control on the part of the printmaker.

The metal plate is placed on a sandbag or pillow by the printmaker to help manipulate and move
the plate, especially when a composition requires curved lines.
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To enhance a purely linear composition
with tone, the printmaker applies a
system of hatching—lines, dots, and
dashes, among other kinds of
markings, placed close together to
create denser areas in the print that
hold more ink. The closer the marks
are placed together, the darker those
areas will appear. The printmaker must
take care not to cut the lines or the
markings too closely together so that
the ink does not bleed between them.

Once the full composition has been cut into the plate, it is ready to be inked. A
cloth ball, cardboard tab, or equivalent material is used to gently spread ink
across the whole face of the plate; the same material is used to remove most
of the excess ink from the surface. The plate is further cleaned using a
tarlatan rag (heavily starched cheesecloth).
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As a last measure, printmakers often use
their palms or the sides of their hands to
wipe away the last bits of ink. In certain
cases, a printmaker can choose not to
clean the plate entirely, but to leave a
thin layer of ink on the plate to create
tone.

After the plate is wiped to the desired

level, it is ready for printing. While some
early intaglio prints appear to have been
produced by simply pressing the paper
against the plate by hand, in most cases
the pressure required to force the
paper into the finely cut lines entailed
the use of a special press equipped with
rollers.
The plate is placed on the bed of the press with the ink side up, and a sheet of
dampened paper is placed on top. Before the plate and sheet are moved through the
press together, they are covered with printing blankets, often made of felt, to soften
the pressure on the metal plate.
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Once the plate has been run through the press, the resulting impression
on paper displays a reverse image of the original engraved composition.
The pressure of the press not only forces the ink onto the damp
paper, but also produces an outline of the outer edges of the metal
plate in the paper, known as a plate mark.
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Liz Zanis, Practice Cloud, 2018, engraving and copper plate. Courtesy
of the artist
Etching
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Etching is an intaglio printmaking process in which

lines or areas are incised using acid into a metal
plate in order to hold the ink. In etching, the
plate can be made of iron, copper, or zinc.

To prepare the plate for etching, it is first polished

to remove all scratches and imperfections from the
surface. When the surface is completely smooth, it
is covered evenly with a layer of acid-resistant
varnish or wax, which is called the ground.
Method 25

Using a blunt
stylus called an
etching needle,
the printmaker
gently scratches
away parts of the
ground following
the design,
thereby exposing
the metal
beneath.
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Once the
entire design
has been
drawn into the
ground, acid is
poured over
the plate or
the plate is
dipped in acid.
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The acid eats into the metal
only in the exposed areas
creating recesses that can retain
ink. The depth and width of
these recesses is determined by
the length of time the plate is
exposed to the acid: a longer
exposure will cause deeper and
wider recesses, which hold more
ink and will thus print darker lines
on paper.
This process can be used to create a nuanced tonal palette. To create
darker tones, certain areas can be bathed in acid several times, while
lighter areas are protected from further acid bite by covering them
with ground. Once the plate has been satisfactorily bitten by the acid,
the printmaker removes the ground with a solvent.
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After the ground is removed, the
plate is ready for inking. In an
intaglio process, the ink is
retained in the incised lines. A
cloth ball, cardboard tab, or
equivalent material is used to gently
spread ink across the whole face of
the plate; the same material is used
to remove most of the excess ink
from the surface. The plate is
further cleaned using a tarlatan rag
(heavily starched cheesecloth).

As a last measure, printmakers

often use the sides of their hand to
wipe away the last bits of ink. In
certain cases, a printmaker can
choose not to clean the plate
entirely, but to leave a thin layer of
ink on the plate to create tone.
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Once the surface of the plate is
wiped clean to a satisfactory level,
the plate is placed on the bed of a
rolling printing press, with the ink
side up. Although some early intaglio
prints appear to have been
produced by simply pressing the
paper against the plate with one's
hands, in most cases the pressure
required to force the paper into
the finely cut lines entailed the use
of a special press equipped with
rollers.

Before the plate is moved through

the press, it is covered with a sheet
of dampened paper and then printing
blankets, often made of felt, to
soften the pressure on the metal
plate.
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Once printed onto its paper support, the etching design appears in reverse of
the original on the plate. The pressure of the press not only forces the ink onto
the damp paper, but also produces an outline of the outer edges of the metal
plate in the paper, known as a plate mark.
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Liz Zanis, Little Towel, 2018, etching and copper plate. Courtesy of
the artist
Lithographs
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Lithography is a planographic printmaking

process in which a design is drawn onto
a flat stone (or prepared metal plate,
usually zinc or aluminuim) and affixed by
means of a chemical reaction.
Method 35

First, the design for

the lithograph is drawn
directly onto a
polished slab of
limestone using an
oil-based lithographic
crayon or ink.
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Once the design is

complete, the
stone is ready to
be processed or
etched. A layer of
powdered rosin is
rubbed onto the
stone, followed by
a layer of
powdered talc.
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Gum arabic, or a combination of gum arabic with a mild acid solution, is then
brushed onto the stone. The chemical reaction between the solution and
the stone fixes the greasy image that is drawn with the oil-based
lithographic crayon. At the same time, the solution ensures that the blank
areas of the stone will absorb water and repel printing ink.
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The original
drawing is then
wiped away with
a solvent, known
as lithotine,
which leaves a
ghost-like trace
of the image on
the stone.
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To provide a base for inking, a layer of asphaltum is then

buffed onto the entire surface of the stone and allowed to dry.
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Before the stone is ready for

inking, it is dampened with
water, which is absorbed only
in the blank areas. Ink is then
applied to the stone with a
roller. The oil-based ink
adheres to the greasy area of
the image and is repelled by
the damp parts of the stone.
The dampening and inking of
the stone is repeated until the
entire image is thoroughly
inked.
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The stone is placed with the image
facing up on a flatbed lithographic
press, and a damp sheet of paper is
laid on top.

The stone and paper are covered

with a board, also called a tympan,
and sometimes several sheets of
newsprint as padding for the press.
A flatbed press is equipped with a
pressure bar. This bar, which usually
approximates the size of the image, is
lowered onto the tympan and the
stone, and is dragged across the
greased surface as it passes through
the press. The bar guarantees a
smooth and even application of
pressure across the surface of the
stone.
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Once the stone has been run
through the press, the
resulting impression on paper
displays a reverse image of
the original composition
drawn onto the stone.

In order to make a multicolor

lithograph, additional stones
or matrices must be used for
each desired colour. The
same sheet of paper is run
through the press repeatedly
to add each color, and care
must be taken to precisely
Liz Zanis, Lunch, 2018, lithograph and stone. register, or align, the stone
Courtesy of the artist each time.
Screenprinting
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Screenprinting is a process where ink is

forced through a mesh screen onto a
surface. Making certain areas of the
screen impervious to printing ink creates a
stencil, which blocks the printing ink from
passing through the screen. The ink that
passes through forms the printed image.
Method 46

A printing screen consists of

a fine mesh fabric that is
tightly stretched and
attached to a metal or
wooden frame. Traditionally
these screens were made of
silk, but today they are most
often made of synthetic
materials such as terylene or
voil.
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Stencils—which can be composed of a wide variety of
materials, including fabric, greasy paint, or a design on a
transparency—can be applied to the screen in different ways:
placing them directly onto the surface of the screen,
painting them onto the screen, or by transferring a design
onto the screen using a photo-sensitive emulsion. The
transfer of a design on transparency or Mylar film onto a
photo-sensitive emulsion is the most common contemporary
method to prepare a screen. Designs can be made by any or a
combination of the following ways: hand-drawn with an
opaque ink or printed onto the transparency, or cut out of
rubylith, an ultraviolet-masking film.
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To transfer the design from the After the emulsion dries, the
transparency, the screen is first design is placed against the
coated with a thin layer of screen.
photo-sensitive emulsion using a
scoop coater, a metal trough
that has a clean, even edge.
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The screen is then placed in an The emulsion covered by the

exposure unit that emits design remains soft and is then
ultraviolet (UV) light. When the washed out of the screen,
exposure unit is on, the design leaving the design on the
blocks the UV light that hardens screen.
the emulsion around the image.
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Once the screen has been prepared, it is placed in hinges

affixed to a board or screenprinting table, which has hinges
at the top and holes in the surface that allow a vacuum to hold
a sheet of paper in place during printing. A thick bead of ink
is applied along the top of the inside of the screen and
then pulled evenly across the image using a squeegee, an
action known as "flooding the screen".

A sheet of paper is then placed under the screen, and with

another pass of the squeegee the ink is pushed through those
areas of the screen that are not blocked by the stencil. The
resulting impression follows the direction of the matrix.
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If the composition
requires more than one
colour, the printmaker
must repeat the process
using a different stencil
for each colour. To keep
the colours of the
composition aligned, the
printmaker must take
precautionary measures
to ensure the proper
registration of the
sheet of paper and the
Liz Zanis, Memory Sticks, from APS Certificate,
screen.
2018, screenprint and screen. Courtesy of the artist
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Any questions?