rachel williams

Glossary of terms

Acid
Without complicating matters acid is the general term for the liquid which bites into a metal plate to eat away at the surface in a controlled manner. The etched lines carry the ink which is pressed under considerable pressure into the paper. This can be nitric acid or, now more commonly, ferric chloride which is both safer for the artist and the environment.

Acid free
Refers to paper. Acid free paper does not yellow over time.

A la poupée
Colours are directly applied to a plate and worked into different areas of the design using cotton daubs called dollies, so that the plate can be printed in more than one colour at a single pass through the press.

Aquatint
A spray of acid-resistant resin particles are dusted on the plate and then the plate heated so that they adhere to the surface. Enamel spray paint is also used. The plate is then immersed in acid which “bites” into the plate where the metal is left exposed. The effect is to provide tonal areas to an image which are darker or lighter depending on the time the plate is in the acid.

Artist's Proof
The first set of prints printed for the artist's own purposes They are marked as A.P. they can be considered of higher value that edition numbered prints in the same series. They are sometimes marked  E.A. (French, epreuve d' artiste) or P.A .(Italian, Prova d'Autore) instead of A.P.

Bite
To bite a plate means to etch it by placing it in acid. The depth of the bite is determined by the length of time the plate is submerged.

Bon a tirer (French, good to pull)
A proof of a print that is approved by the artist to be the standard or guide which the rest of the edition should match as closely as possible.

Chine Collé
Chine Collé is a print in which the image is printed onto a thin sheet of oriental paper which is backed by a stronger, thicker sheet. Because this paper is thin it takes on more detail and can give a richer print than conventional papers.

Drypoint
Drawing directly onto a plate of copper, zinc, plastic or even laminated card with a sharp point creates a rough ridge or burr along the scratched line. There is no acid involved in this process when the plate is inked, the burr catches the ink, the effect on line work is to make it softer than is found in an etched line. Drypoint prints usually have quite small editions as the surface deteriorates faster than an etched plate.

Edition
A number of prints of an image, all the same size and as close to identical as is possible. Traditionally an edition meant prints made by hand, one of the challenges of producing an edition was to make the copies as consistent as possible. Naturally in a hand printed edition there are differences between the various prints but it is one of the charms of an “original print” as opposed to a reproduction where a print or painting is scanned and then reproduced via computer and an inkjet printer. When images are produced by commercial photographic or printing techniques, the problem of consistency is eliminated; automated processes are capable of producing literally millions of identical images. However, this makes edition numbering very important as it makes it clear that there will be a fixed number of the image ever made.

Edition Numbering
Limited editions should show, usually on the bottom left hand corner, the edition. It is expressed as a fraction 3/25 for example means that this image is number 3 out of an edition of 25. The earlier prints in an edition are generally considered to be finer than the latter if the edition is very large, in smaller editions (of less than say 50 prints) this is not an issue. It is particularly true of drypoint in which editions can be quite small as the burred surface deteriorates faster than an etched surface. When commercial "reproduction" methods are used to create larger editions of virtually identical prints numbering is still sometimes used, however, it is not an indicator of quality. It is possible, of course, to print many millions of images in this manner. It is argued that numbered editions help to keep some integrity. When printing by hand it is unlikely that an artist would print more than a few hundred prints, usually a lot less – 100 or fewer. This is partly because the plate will begin to deteriorate and also because a smaller edition makes the work more sought after. Artist's proofs are often also numbered e.g. AP 3/8. Anything describing itself as an “open edition” means that there could be a limitless number on the market.

Embossing
Where the surface of the paper is raised using a relief block such as a wood block. These can be with colour or “blind” meaning no colour is applied.

Engraving
Lines are incised into a plate (usually copper). Unlike drypoint the burrs or curls of metal produced are scraped away and the lines inked.

Etching
A metal plate is coated with a substance (known as "ground”) which resists acid. The ground can be “hard” where the image is made by drawing through the ground with an etching needle or “soft” where a drawing can be made through tissue paper with a pencil or in fact other items can be pressed into the ground to expose the metal. The whole plate is then submerged in acid until the exposed metal is sufficiently “bitten”, producing grooves in the metal that will hold the ink. The ground is then removed, and the plate is ready to be inked and printed. The difference between hard and soft grounds are quite marked.

Gesso
In a painting context gesso is used to prime a canvas or other surface prior to painting. It seals the surface and can be used to provide a base texture. It is made from calcium carbonate mixed with glue or latex. It is also used in sculpture.

Giclee (from the French for little squirt)
A “giclee” print is an image produced by using a high quality digital inkjet printer. This means that the “original” image is scanned, it can be a painting, print, drawing or whatever, it can then be printed at will to an indefinite edition on paper or onto canvas. 

Intaglio
An intaglio print is printed from a recessed image which has been incised, scratched or etched into the surface of a plate. The ink lies below the surface of the plate and is transferred to the paper under pressure. The printed lines of an intaglio print stand in relief on the paper. A characteristic of an intaglio print is the mark of the edge of the plate where it has been pushed into the surface of the paper.

Limited Edition
See edition.

Linocut
A relief technique using lino, where the areas which are to remain unprinted are cut away.

Lithograph
The image is drawn on a stone (or certain types of plates) with a greasy crayon or ink. The ink then adheres to the greased areas.

Matrix
A matrix is an object upon which a design has been formed, used to make an impression on a piece of paper, thus creating a print. A wood block, metal plate, or lithographic stone can be used as a matrix.

Mezzotint
A plate (usually copper) is worked over with a spiked tool called a rocker until it is thoroughly roughened. If inked in this state it will print a solid black. A scraper is used to take back areas and therefore produce lighter tones . The smoother the area the less ink it will hold.

Monoprint
This technique creates prints which are unique but have a common base . The image starts with an etched plate so underlying image stays the same and is common to each print Pigment, lines or embelshments are then used to make each print in the series slightly different. The series of monoprints has a limited number of prints and each is numbered.

Monotype
Monotypes, often known as "printed paintings" and though often confused with monoprints (see above) they are quite different.  They are like paintings - unique. Ink or paint is applied to a blank plate usually metal or perspex just like a painting and an impression is taken. It is possible to make many impressions one over the other to build up the desired effect.

Offset Lithography
The image is transferred from the stone or plate to a roller on the press which then prints the inked image onto the paper.

Original print
An original print is one printed from a plate or other manual method on which the design was created by hand by the artist and issued as part of a limited edition. An original print must be distinguished from a reproduction. A reproduction is produced photomechanically and independently from the artist even though the artist may have given consent and overseen the process.

Photomechanical Reproduction
Any of a variety of printmaking processes in which the imagery is established photographically.

Plate
A plate is a flat sheet usually of metal such as copper, steel or zinc. although plastic and card may also be used, into which the image is scratched, etched or incised.

Platemark
A platemark is the rectangular ridge made by the edge of the plate.

Plate Tone
Tone created in intaglio prints by leaving a film of ink on the plate when it is wiped before printing.

Print
A print has multiple impressions. How many is governed by the edition (see Editions) It is an unfortunately vague word that is used as a catch all term and covers reproductions worth almost nothing to originals which are highly valuable.

Proof
A proof is an impression of a print pulled prior to the making of an edition. Proofs are taken at various points while a plate is being worked on to assess how areas will print - how dark how light etc. When all is well a final proof or bon à tirer is made which provides the standard for the edition.

Printer's Proof  
See bon a tirer

Reduction Printing
In printmaking, for registration purposes, the largest colour areas are often printed first, then the next sizes in sequence, and finally the smallest areas.

Relief
Unlike intaglio the image is printed from the raised area of the block or plate. The ink is rolled onto the top surface and then a print taken. Much less pressure is required for a relief print compared to an intaglio.

Reproductions
This refers to a print which is not an original print produced by the artist but a print which generally uses a scanned image and is printed in much the same way as a brochure or magazine. Reproductions of many famous artists' work are often sold usually as posters. They are not of any value.

Screenprint (also called Serigraph or Silkscreen)
Silk or synthetic mesh is stretched, tightly, over a wooden or metal frame resembling a window frame. A stencil is adhered to the fabric blocking the non-printing areas. The stencil can be cut paper, sticky-back plastic or photographicaly applied. The image areas are the open fabric through which ink is drawn past with a squeegee. Characteristically images are bold and the colours are flat, though with photographically applied images this is less true.

Signed
A signed print is one signed, in pencil or ink, by the artist. The term “signed in the plate” is used if the artist's signature is incorporated into the image and so appears as part of the printed image. A method Picasso often employed.

Softground Etching
A piece of thin paper is placed over a special soft etching ground which is applied to a metal plate (see etching). The design is drawn with a pencil on the paper. The pressure of the pencil makes the ground adhere to the back of the paper thereby exposing the metal plate beneath when the paper is removed. The plate is then bitten in acid, the remaining ground is removed, and the plate is inked and printed.

Steelfacing
A copper plate is covered with a thin layer of steel by electrolysis, this strengthens its surface which means that longer editions can be achieved.

Stencil (or Pochoir)
Prints are hand-coloured through specially cut stencils.

Stipple
In etching, engraving and painting stipple is used to create tone by amassing an area of small dots.

Sugarlift Aquatint
A mixture of sugar syrup and ink is used to draw on a metal plate. When dry, the entire plate is covered with an acid resistant varnish and then put in warm water where the sugar melts, and lifts the varnish off exposing the metal beneath. These areas are now aquatinted (see Aquatint) to produce tone.

Woodcut
A print produced from a wooden block. Areas and lines are carved away and the remaining areas are printed in relief.

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