Printing is a technique that has been used for centuries in its primitive forms. As time passed, the process developed, leading to a wide variety of ways to transfer text or images on any kind of medium. The art of printmaking is very versatile and includes numerous methods, such as relief printing, intaglio printing, or planographic printing, as well as special processes such as 3D printing. The following article will give you an overview of every type of printmaking process.
Definition: Printmaking
Printmaking describes the printing processes and techniques used in various media. Generally, there are three types of printing:
- relief printing: ink applied to elevated surfaces
- intaglio printing: ink applied to lowered surfaces
- planographic printing: ink applied to the flat surface
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Relief printing
Relief printing is a printing technique, in which the ink or paint is applied on the elevated surfaces of a base. Usually, the elevated surfaces are created by scraping the non-painted areas off or by placing the elevated areas on top of the base. Relief printing is mainly used in creative processes, but sometimes as well for making flyers or other simple types of commercial graphics.
Linocut
Linocut is a technique where the negative spaces of an image are carved into a linoleum block before the ink is applied to the elevated surfaces.
Woodcut
Woodcut works the same way as linocut, only that a wood block is used instead of a linoleum block.
Letterpress printing
Letterpress printing uses elevated stamps to print an image or text onto a sheet of paper. These stamps can be made from plastic, metal, or wood.
Flexography printing is a more modern form of letterpress printing, which uses rubber or photopolymer as a plate.
Collagraph
Collagraph printing uses materials glued to a surface, like cardboard or wood, which is then used as a plate.
Intaglio printing
Intaglio printing is a technique where the image is incised into a material so that the ink will seep into the etching. This means the scraped lines will appear on the print, and the upper level does not transfer paint to the medium during the printing process. Intaglio printing is used mostly in artistic contexts, where thin lines are required, such as in detailed art prints.
Etching
For etching, a metal plate is covered in a resistant, before acid is used to etch lines into the plate. These lines are then filled with ink, which prints the image onto the medium.
Aquatint
Aquatint is another form of etching, which uses powdered resin to create tonal effects instead of sharp lines.
Engraving
Engraving works similarly to etching, only that special tools are used to incise the image into the plate. This plate can be made of metal, wood, or plastic.
Gravure printing works by creating cavities in a rotary printing press, which are filled with ink before transferring the image to the medium.
Pad printing
Pad printing uses an etched plate to generate the 2D image that is then transferred by the pad onto an often 3D object.
Planographic printing
Planographic printing works without elevated or etched surfaces, but instead transfers the image flatly to the medium. Most modern printers work this way, but screen printing also belongs in this category. Planographic printing is the most used professional printmaking process, with applications ranging from printing documents and flyers to books and even clothing imprints.
Lithography
Lithography uses a stone plate, on which the image is painted on with fatty ink or crayons. Thereafter, the plate is etched with acid, which affects the stone everywhere but where the painting is. After the acid and fatty ink is retrieved, lipid-based ink is used to transfer the lines onto the medium.
Offset printing
Offset printing is the developed form of lithography, where metal printing press rolls transfer the image to a rubber roll, from where it is printed onto the medium.
Thermal printing
Thermal printing is known for being used for receipts. The thermally sensitive paper is heated in specific areas, activating the ink to be seen.
Digital printing
Digital printing is an umbrella term for inkjet printing and laser printing, which print a digital image onto a surface or medium.
Inkjet printing
Inkjet printing uses ink to print an image onto a medium.
Laser printing
Laser printing uses a laser beam to form an image on a drum, which then attracts toner that is transferred onto paper.
Stencil printing
Stencil printing is done by cutting out shapes from a material such as paper or coated cloth, creating a stencil mask, through which the ink is transferred onto the medium on just the cutout spaces.
Screen printing
Screen printing uses a mesh that works as a stencil to push ink through it onto any surface, such as paper, cloth, or wood.
Sublimation printing allows the ink to penetrate the fibers of fabric and secures it with heat, creating a long-lasting, vibrant image.
Special types of printmaking
Printmaking does not only include the traditional three methods, but there are other types of printmaking, such as 3D printing or large format printing, which pose specialties in the printing process.
3D printing
A 3D printer creates a 3-dimensional object out of plastic fibers or other materials, modelled as a digital construct on a computer before it is transmitted to the printer. This technique finds application in various fields, such as toys, mechanics, or even the food industry.
Large format printing
Large format printing includes printing on large formats of paper, used for posters or banners. Typically, every paper format starting with 12″ x 18″ or 30 cm x 45 cm is considered a large format. It is mostly used for banners, posters, or placards.
History
Printmaking has an extremely long history, with first prints dating from 206 B.C. to 220 A.D in ancient China, where the image was transferred through a wood block onto silk. Later, the techniques also arrived in Europe, first using relief printing shapes made of wood, before metal engraved intaglio printing got invented. Finally, Gutenberg invented the first form of conventional book printing in the 1500s, marking the starting point for the development of modern printmaking.
In the 16th century, more and more artists discovered different printmaking techniques for their creative process and publishing houses started emerging. Especially the map printing opened new possibilities for travels and voyages. While artistic printmaking techniques evolved greatly over the next few centuries, it was not until the 1970s that professional inkjet printers were acquirable, soon followed by various forms of digital printing still developing in the 21st century.
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FAQs
Printmaking is the process of transferring an image into or onto another medium via various techniques such as relief printing, intaglio printing, or planographic printing.
While screen printing uses a mesh as a template to print the image on top of the medium, sublimation printing allows the ink to seep into the fibers of a fabric before securing it with heat. This way, sublimation printing lasts far longer.
In printmaking, large format printing starts from a size of 12″ x 18″ or 30 cm x 45 cm. However, this measure might also vary depending on the shop.
