Glossary of Terms: Prints

Aquatint

A type of etching in which a metal plate is coated with a porous resin to create a granulated effect characteristically evident as a finely graveled background. The technique was discovered in the 18th century.

Drypoint

A type of engraving, first used in the 15th century, in which a diamond-hard tool is pulled across a plate creating a wave of metal along the incisions, under which ink gathers. This gives drypoint line the soft, textural, velvety appearance called "burr". The waves of metal gradually wear down as impressions are printed, resulting in consequent loss of burr.

Engraving

A print pulled usually from a copperplate on which the artist has engraved his design with a hard, pointed tool (a "burin"). The sunken, drawn lines receive the ink, and the raised surfaces of the plate are then wiped clean of residual ink prior to printing. The plate, in contact with damp paper, is passed through a press, forcing the paper into the inked sunken areas; the raised surfaces remain blank. The earliest engravings are from the 15th century.

Etching

A print from a metal plate onto which the design has been produced through the biting action of acid. In preparation the plate is coated with an acid-resistant material (the "ground"). The artist draws through the ground with a sharp needle-like tool, exposing the metal plate underneath. When the plate is put into an acid bath, the exposed parts are eaten away (etched), producing the sunken lines that will receive the ink. The plate is then inked and printed the same way as an engraving (see above). The first etchings were done around 1515.

Linoleum Cut

A relief print made from a block of linoleum from which areas which are meant to remain uninked are cut away with a sharp instrument. This print is similar to a woodcut; however, the surface of the print has less texture due to the homogeneous nature of linoleum. A 20th-century printmaking technique.

Lithograph

A print made by drawing with a greasy crayon on a fine-grained porous stone (commonly limestone) or on a zinc plate. The stone or plate is then wetted and inked. The ink adheres only to the drawn lines, which print when pressed against paper. Lithography was discovered in the early 19th century.

Mezzotint

A print from a metal plate, which is roughened with a tool called a "rocker" to create abundant burr. In this negative process, the burr is removed with a special scraper to produce lighter areas in the print. To produce white areas, the plate is smoothed with a burnisher. Because the burr is only temporary, only a few high-quality impressions can be obtained from each plate.

Monotype

A print made by painting an image on glass or a metal plate and then printing it while the paint is still wet. This method normally produces only one print, which is unique, though occasionally an artist will pull a few impressions, sometimes coloring them with pastel or by other means. The first monotypes were made in the 17th century, though it was not until the 19th century that monotypes were much favored by artists.

Silkscreen

A print made by passing ink or paint through a screen of cloth, usually silk but more recently synthetic material, to which a stencil has been adhered. The stencil may be made of adhesive film, cut or prepared photographically, or may be a brushed-on coating, often applied over an image made with water-soluble material, which allows the coating over it to be washed away.

Woodcut

A print produced from a wood block, made by cutting into the broad face of a plank, usually with a knife. The artist cuts away areas not meant to print, which appear as white parts of the design. The raised parts of the block hold the ink and are pressed against the paper in the printing process. Woodcut was the earliest print medium, dating to the 14th century.