FINE ART PRINTMAKING TECHNIQUES
An original fine art print is made by transferring ink from a substrate called a printing plate to another material, which is usually paper. The printing plate can be created using various methods, and the artwork is usually characterized by the name of the technique used for its creation. In the traditional graphic mediums, the artist is directly involved in creating the printing plate and through it conveying his/her creative ideas. More often than not, these processes are used to make multiple examples, and the total number of impressions is called an "edition." After the printing is finished, each print is signed and numbered by the artist, and the printing plate is canceled.
OUR PROCESSES
MIXOGRAFIA®
The Mixografia® technique is a unique fine art printing process that allows for the production of three-dimensional prints with texture and very fine surface detail. With this process, the artist creates a model or "maquette" with any solid material or combination of materials on which he or she incises, impresses, carves, collages or builds-up in relief the image to be reproduced. A sequence of copy plates is then molded, one from another, resulting in a copper printing plate in reverse. The edition is printed on moist handmade paper pulp after color is applied to the copper plate. The paper and printing plate are then forced through the press, simultaneously forming the dimensional character of the plate and transferring the color. The plate is reinked each time a print is pulled. Because of the extreme pressure at which these prints are produced, the ink is absorbed into the paper, giving them a fresco-like quality.
The Mixografia® technique is a flexible medium that permits the artist to transfer characteristics of the painting, bas-relief or assemblage onto paper without completely abandoning the graphic feeling. These artworks directly represent the artist's original creation, maintaining the identifiable traits of the artist's work, the artist's gestural expressions and the nature of the materials used.
When conceiving a Mixografia® print, the artist does not need to concern himself with the technical boundaries of the process or reversed images. The technique is flexible and straightforward with the possibility of being altered to accommodate each artist's unique working style. Consequently, the possibilities are almost endless, and the artist can focus intently on the creative aspects of the collaboration.
Besides printing a regular edition, it is also possible to print monotypes . In this case, the artist becomes the printer, by inking the plate differently each time.
FREEPOINT®
The Freepoint® technique is an alternative printing process to the traditional method of drypoint. The image is drawn onto a soft and smooth surface with any instrument leaving a burr on either side of the incised line. The image is then transferred in the positive to a copper printing plate. The plate is inked and printed in the same fashion as traditional printing methods.
The main advantage of the Freepoint® technique is that the artist does not need to exert a lot of force to mark the line on the surface leading to greater spontaneity and fluidity. As a result, different tools can be used to obtain varying line thickness and depth. The line can be reworked and enhanced to get the desired effect andthe surface can almost be worked like a pencil drawing.
TRADITIONAL PROCESSES
Intaglio
The intaglio printing techniques are processes in which paper is pushed into depressed or recessed lines made in a metal plate filled with ink in order to transfer the ink to the paper? The image can be incised on the plate by a sharp tool or etched into it with acids or other chemicals. The impression on the final print is always slightly raised.
Intaglio processes that use tools
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1. Engraving - a metal plate, usually copper or zinc, is scraped with a needle or a V-shaped tool called a burin, creating grooves which will hold the ink. . The plate is inked and the surface of the plate is superficially wiped off. The remaining ink is transferred to the paper when run through the press. Cutting deeper into the plate may increase the strength of the line. The qualities of the finished image are most dependent on the artist's use of the line and its varying thickness. In engraving, dark areas are created either by cross-hatching many small, closely placed lines or by leaving a small amount of ink on certain areas of the surface of the plate before printing.
2. Drypoint - lines are incised into a metal plate using a sharp instrument. The cut displaces the metal creating a burr on either side of the incised line. The inking and printing is done in the same fashion as in engraving but the main difference is that the burr traps additional ink alongside the grooves, resulting in a softer line.
3. Mezzotint - the only intaglio process that is conceived starting from a dark background, unlike the previous processes which are graphic in nature. An instrument called a rocker or roulette is used to create a fine grain on the surface of a metal plate. If the plate were inked and printed at this point, the result would be an even, black image. A burnisher or a scraper is used to smooth areas of the plate in order to create the image. The more scraping and burnishing is done, the lighter the area becomes.
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Intaglio processes that use acid
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1. Etching - An indirect way of achieving the same effect as engraving, but the drawing of the image is made easier by the application of a ground to the plate. The ground is an acid resistant substance out of which the artist scratches the image. It is softer and easier to work with than the metal itself and it allows more opportunities for correction and for more subtle variations of line. After the image is drawn into the acid resistant ground, the plate is placed in an acid solution. The acid eats away at the areas where the metal is exposed, creating the grooves that will hold the ink. The longer the plate is immersed in the acid, the deeper the lines will be and the darker they will print. This process allows for more variations of lines based on the strength of the acid and the amount of time that it is left in contact with the metal.
2. Liftground etching - the image is painted or inked onto the plate using a water-soluble substance usually containing sugar, soap or salt. After this solution dries, the ground is applied to the plate. When the ground hardens, the plate is immersed in water and the areas beneath the varnish that are water soluble dissolve and lift away the acid-resist. When the plate is exposed to acid, these areas of the original drawing are "bitten away" by the acid and are able to contain the ink. The prints are often known as "sugar-lifts." This process is not nearly as linear as either engraving or etching. The original image can be created with much more fluid strokes of the brush or pen and the resulting print is much more painterly than either of the other processes.
3. Softground etching - the plate is covered with an acid-resistant ground that is soft and sticky and adheres to anything pressed into it. When an object is pressed and then removed from the plate, part of the ground remains on the object, leaving its texture and pattern partially exposed on the metal. The plate is then exposed to the acid, and the areas of the original drawing are "bitten away" by the acid and are able to contain the ink This method can be used to create pencil like effects by drawing on a paper that is placed on top of the printing plate thus removing the ground where the pencil traveled.
4. Aquatint - a technique of acid-biting areas of tone rather than lines. The metal plate is coated with very fine particles of an acid-resist. The plate is heated to fuse the particles to the metal resulting in the production of a granular surface on the plate. The image is created by stopping out areas with acid-resist, and by exposing the other areas to varying amounts of acid to produce variations of darkness. The results are similar to a water color wash. |
Relief processes
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Unlike the intaglio techniques, the paper picks up the ink from the uncarved surface of the printing block; this surface is usually inked with a roller or a dabber. The grooves created with the carving tools are usually left as white on the final print.
1. Woodcut - a process used since the ninth century in China. The image is carved deep into a block of wood with a knife or gouge. The areas of the image that are carved away will not print. The areas left in relief are inked and the block is passed through a press or the paper is rubbed on top of it.
2. Linocut - same principle as woodcut, but instead of wood, the artist works on a piece of linoleum.
3. Collagraph and build up surfaces - A more contemporary process that combines the effects of a collage with the qualities of intaglio and relief printing. The design or pattern to be printed is collaged directly onto the printing plate by adhering a selection of materials, such as paper, fabric, and natural or manufactured objects to a flat surface. If necessary, the materials on the plate are coated with shellac for permanence. This plate is inked and wiped, and a sheet of dampened paper is then laid on top of the printing plate. The paper and plate are run through a press, transferring the built-up image to the paper in the negative. This process allows for more flexibility of tone and texture than other traditional processes. |
Other processes
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1. Lithography - a planographic process based upon the principle that oil and water do not mix. A special type of limestone, aluminum plate or zinc plate specially prepared can be used for lithographic printing. Using greasy pencils or inks, the image is drawn directly on the surface. The image is chemically fixed into its substrate and is ready to print. The stone is dampened and then inked, so that the ink only adheres to the greasy surfaces of the drawing. It is then passed through the press with a sheet of paper. The image appears as an exact reversal of what the artist has created on the stone.
2. Silkscreen - this process dates to the first century in Japan. This method is used to print a flat color design through a piece of silk or other fine cloth. The silk or cloth is stretched across a frame, on top of which a stencil of the image is placed. A piece of paper is positioned beneath the screen and a squeegee is used to push the ink through the silk or cloth, and then onto the paper. The areas blocked by the stencil remain white. If more than one color is required for the image, separate screens are used.
3. Giclée, Ink Jet, Iris Print - This process was developed in the past few years due to the recent developments in computer science. In this case, the artist either makes a design utilizing a computer as a tool, or creating an image which is later scanned into a computer. The image is then printed on paper using a printer that sprays ultrafine droplets of ink on the paper. This process can also be used to reproduce photographs.
4. Monotype - a unique print created from an image that is painted or drawn onto a smooth metal or glass surface. The image is transferred to a sheet of paper using the pressure of an etching press or by rubbing the back of it with an instrument. It can only be printed once, although a few successive, paler ghost images can also be printed
5. Monoprint - A monoprint differs from a monotype in that the monoprint has an element or image printed from a printing plate. While each print contains the exact same element or image, each work is unique. The plate can be inked differently after each pull or like with a monotype, paler ghost images can also be printed. |
Print inscriptions
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1. BAT (bon a tirer) - "good to pull", the print that meets the standards for the entire edition. This proof is used as the guide for printing the edition.
2. AP or PA (artist proof) -prints outside of the edition that are reserved for the artist. These prints are numbered and signed.
3. HP, HC or PT (hors commerce proof) -prints outside of the edition that are reserved for the printer or the publisher. These prints are numbered and signed.
4. TP (trial proof) - a working proof that monitors different stages of development of the edition. There can be any number of trial proofs and they differ from the edition. |
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