Printmaking Vocabulary

1. Relief Printing - the original flat surface of a linoleum or wood block is the printing surface. Any parts of the design not to be printed are cut out. The surface is inked with a roller, then transferred to paper by direct pressure. Examples on this method are linocut, woodcut and wood engraving.

2. Intaglio Printing - This method is the opposite of relief printing. Done on metal or plexi-glass plates, the design is incised or etched into the surface. It is the applying heavy pressure to press the paper into the inked marks; the original surface level of the Intaglio plate represents the white in a black and white image. Examples of this method are dry-point, mezzotint and etching.

3. Stencil Printing - Screen-printing is basically a stenciling process. To create an image, parts of the mesh must be block so that they do not allow the ink through. Silk-screening is an example of this method.

4. Monoprinting - in method of printing that involves creating a unique impression by applying ink to a flat surface and transferring it to paper. Can be combined with other printing methods listed above.

5. Proofs - prints made at various stages during the creative process to act as guidelines for further stages to change, correct or improve the image.

6. Ink - a pigmented matter that prints an image.

7. Brayer - a small roller used to apply the ink to the plate.

8. Edition - A series of prints of the same image. An artist makes an edition of prints much as a book printer prints an edition of a book. In making art prints, all the prints are alike, but each is considered to be an original work of art. Each print in an edition is numbered and signed by the artist as it is completed.

For example: If you have ten prints in your addition the first print will be labeled 1/10, the second print will be labeled 2/10 and so on up to 10/10.

Sign your print like this (see below):
1/10 (number) “Peace” (title) Melanie Burnell (signature) November 3rd, 2010 (date)