Master printmakers are technicians who are capable of printing identical 'impressions' by hand. However, impressions can vary considerably, whether intentionally or not. Each print produced is considered an 'original' work of art, and is correctly referred to as an 'impression', not a 'copy' (that means a different print copying the first, common in early printmaking).

Other types of matrix substrates and related processes are discussed below.Įxcept in the case of monotyping, all printmaking processes have the capacity to produce identical multiples of the same artwork, which is called a print. Screens made of silk or synthetic fabrics are used for the screen printing process. Common types of matrices include: metal plates for engraving, etching and related intaglio printing techniques stone, aluminum, or polymer for lithography blocks of wood for woodcuts and wood engravings and linoleum for linocuts.

Prints are created by transferring ink from a matrix to a sheet of paper or other material, by a variety of techniques. 'Traditional printmaking' normally covers only the process of creating prints using a hand processed technique, rather than a photographic reproduction of a visual artwork which would be printed using an electronic machine ( a printer) however, there is some cross-over between traditional and digital printmaking, including risograph. Printmaking is the process of creating artworks by printing, normally on paper, but also on fabric, wood, metal, and other surfaces. Francisco Goya, There is No One To Help Them, Disasters of War series, aquatint c.

Art printing