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CALL 860–930–5491

30 Arbor Street, Suite 205
Hartford, CT 06106

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Printmaking Terms

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Intaglio

Unlike reliefs which are inked so that the ink lies on the surface, intaglio plates are wiped so that the ink is left only in the incisions. They are then printed under great pressure so that the paper is forced into the grooves to pull out the ink.

Drypoint

A drawing technique used on a printing plate where a sharp steel or diamond-tipped tool is used to scribe a line into the plate, raising a rough burr along the edge of the line, and leaving scratches down in the plate. Both the low scratches and the higher burr hold the ink, giving a velvety quality to the image.

Acrylic Resist Etching

A term to describe the use of liquid acrylics and polymers in making etch-resist grounds for metal plates.

Archival

Refers to the permanence of an artwork and/or the materials from which it is made. Longevity is influenced by the presence or absence of natural or added acids in the materials.

B.A.T., bon à tirer

French for "good to hold," the final proof approved by the artist, used as a control to compare the images for consistency during printing of the entire edition.

Bevel

The act of tapering, by filing or sanding, the edge of a printing plate to aid the printing press roller getting smoothly up onto the plate. Also the name of the edge itself.

Blanket

Woven wool blankets or pressed wool felts of different thicknesses that act as a cushion between the printing press bed, the printing plate, and the paper onto which the image is being impressed.

Bleed

A print in which the inked image goes all the way off the edge of the paper so there is no margin; ink which spreads beyond the intended image or absorbs into a soft paper.

Carborundum

A polishing grit used in lithography which can be mixed with a glue binder such as an acrylic medium and applied to different types of printing plates, then inked and printed in the intaglio method.

Chine Collé

A method of gluing thin pieces of paper onto a backing (support) print paper at one time as it goes through the press with the primary ink layer.

Collagraph

To glue three dimensional objects and materials to a flat surface; an image created by collage on a plate that will receive ink for printing.

Damp Pack

Printmakers often spray, sponge or dip printing paper in water and wrap it in layers in a sheet of plastic until the paper has absorbed all it can. The paper is thoroughly blotted to remove surface water before printing.

Edition

All of the multiple prints made from a plate at one time, using identical ink and paper. They are numbered and the edition is then "closed." When the artist signs the prints, the number sequence is stated as a fraction such as: 2/24, meaning the 2nd print out of 24 copies.

Etching

An acid resistant coating (ground) is applied to a metal plate; a metal stylus or needle is used to scratch through the ground leaving the metal exposed. The metal is "bitten" in acid until the line is permanently "etched" into the plate. Also refers to the piece of artwork created.

Monochrome

A print done in only one color, by any method.

Monoprint

A one-of-a-kind print, even if made from a plate with a matrix that could be used to print multiple copies, e.g., a single print pulled by an artist for whatever reason.

Monotype

A method and the result of a unique process that uses a combination of painting and printmaking techniques to create one-of-a-kind images. The plate used is a smooth surface without a matrix.

Platemark

The embossed impression made by the beveled edges of the plate in the paper when the plate is printed under the pressure of the press and blankets.

Matrix

The permanent marks on a printing plate (cuts, etched grooves, etc.) that enable it to be re-inked repeatedly and used to print multiple identical copies, as in an edition.

Mezzotint

A fine and very dense network of marks is made on the entire plate with a multi-grooved rocker that would result in a solid color when printed. Burnishers and scrapers are then used to "pull" the image back out of this density.

Mass Tone

refers to how a color appears when applied thickly. When spread thinly you can see its undertone i.e. black may have an inclination towards warm...there's a hint of brown or red. A cool black has a bluish tendency. One way to test this bias is to mix in a little white...the tint may reveal the color's temperature.

Blog

Proofs, and more proofs August 9, 2012
A Letter to the Art Teacher… June 13, 2012
1st Annual Connecticut Printmakers Invitational Show March 14, 2012

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