Printmaking

Emily is fascinated by printmaking, and enjoys learning as many different printmaking techniques as she can. Here, she explains some of her favourite processes, and the level of work involved in creating an edition of prints.

Printmaking is divided into several families:

RELIEF: lines are carved into the surface, creating grooves. The flat, raised areas of the print are inked and make the image.

PLANOGRAPHIC: the image is drawn directly onto a flat surface and a print is taken from that image. The image can be drawn in ink as for monotype, or a chemical process may need to occur for the image to be taken, such as for lithography.

INTAGLIO: lines are carved into the surface, but unlike relief printing the flat surface is wiped clean, and the ink sits in the grooves of the plate. When printing, the paper is pressed into the grooves to pick up the ink.

A print can be multiblock, meaning that multiple blocks are carved and layered to create a single image. This is often used to add colour to a print. Reduction prints are another way to add colour: the same block is carved over and over, each time removing a little more material. In between each carving, the block is inked in a certain colour. This produces a limited edition as the block will only have the final layer left once fully carved.

All of the techniques can be combined into one print, making printmaking a highly flexible and creative process!

Handprinted have an excellent blog about all things print: https://handprinted.co.uk/blogs/blog/glossary-of-printmaking-terminology?_pos=6&_sid=f9c51b351&_ss=r

Mokuhanga

Relief

Mokuhanga, or Japanese woodcut, is an ancient relief technique using ply wood and watercolour paints rather than oil based inks. Marks are carved into the ply wood using a flat, angled knife called a 'hangito'. Watercolour paint is suspended in rice paste to give it some structure, and the print is hand pulled without a press. Layers of paint are typically built up to create depth and variation in colour, and the delicate woodgrain adds to the print. Each layer must be hand printed, so each print is very labour intensive.

Fun fact: hangitos can be right or left handed!

Laura Boswell has some fantastic resources on this technique.

https://www.lauraboswell.co.uk/

Handprinted have some great articles on the process too: https://handprinted.co.uk/blogs/blog/meet-the-maker-lucy-may-schofield?_pos=2&_sid=f9c51b351&_ss=r

Lithography

Planographic

Stone lithography is a planographic printmaking process, where designs are drawn and painted directly onto limestone using greasy materials. The stone is then etched with acid, making it absorb the grease. When inking the stone, the greasy ink sticks to the grease in the stone, and areas that have not been drawn on (ie. non-greasy areas) are kept wet to repel the ink.

Other types of lithography employ the same principle of grease vs. water: plate lithography, kitchen lithography (printing with tinfoil!), paper lithography, and mokulito, or wood lithography.

Some great explanations of the process:

https://thelemonadepress.co.uk/lithography/

http://www.leicesterprintworkshop.com/printmaking/step_by_step_guide_to_stone_lithography/

Linocut

Relief

Linocut printing is a relief process, where the print is carved into linoleum. Traditionally, this was made of solidified linseed oil and other fillers such as sawdust. In printmaking, both this type of 'lino' and plastic or rubber lino can be used. There are different grades of hardness, allowing for easier, beginner-friendly lino and harder lino, which holds finer detail.

Handprinted is a great resources to learn many different techniques: https://handprinted.co.uk/blogs/blog/introduction-to-linocut-for-beginners

Laura Bosewell uses lino as well as woodcut, and often combines the two processes.

https://www.lauraboswell.co.uk/

Etching & Drypoint

Intaglio

Etching is an intaglio printmaking process, where grooves are carved (drypoint) or etched (etching) into a metal surface typically copper. The word 'etching' refers to the carving out of the surface of the metal plate using an acid: a ground is applied to the plate to protect it from the acid, and marks are scratched into the ground to expose the metal. The plate is then submerged in acid for a set time, and then removed for more marks to be made. The first marks will have the longest exposure to the acid and will therefore be deeper and wider, allowing them to hold more ink and print more darkly than later marks. Many different ground exist, and an incredibly wide variety of marks can be achieved with this process.

Monotype

Planographic

Monotype is a printmaking technique where only one print is created, rather than multiple prints being possible. Ink can be added to the plate (additive monotype) with a brush, taken away from a plate (reductive monotype), or paper can be placed on top of a thin layer of ink and the printmaker can press or draw into the back of the page, thereby picking up ink.

https://handprinted.co.uk/blogs/blog/monoprinting-with-the-drawn-line