3 Types of Prints

The three major categories of printmaking techniques are Relief, Intaglio, and Lithographic.

The oldest known printed book, the Diamond Sutra from China, was made from relief prints. It is currently held in the British Library. Relief is the oldest printmaking category and has undergone many adaptations creating multiple techniques including but not limited to: woodcut, wood engraving, photoengraving, mezzotint, anastatic printing, stipple engraving, and linocut. Relief printing developed separately in ancient times in China and Egypt. When working in relief artists remove the areas of the matrix that will not be printed. This leaves the lines and “image” to be printed on the surface plane, while the “white” space, or area that is not going to be printed below the surface plane. The surface of the matrix is then coated in an even layer of ink, and then pressed onto paper or linen. This process does not require large amounts of pressure to create a print.

Intaglio prints are made from matrixes similar to relief prints, however the area to be printed is carved out of the surface. This leaves the “white” area of the print on the surface and the “colored” area depressed. In the printing process ink is pressed into the plate and then wiped off of the surface of the matrix. This process is typically done with a printing press to ensure that high, even pressure is placed on the matrix. The press pushes the paper into the inked crevices. The pressure creates an outline or indentation in the paper along the edge of the matrix. This technique was invented in the 1430’s. Intaglio prints were used to create multiple copies of books and art before the advancement of photography and the digital age. Intaglio prints are still used today, though they are less fashionable. An example of a recent intaglio print can be found at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, Roger Vieillard’s 1963 Horse. The print clearly shows how the depth of a carved line in the Matrix effects the resulting shade and clarity of the print. The cactus in the image is carved deeper than any other line, making it pop out on the page.

Lithographic prints are made from a smooth porous stone or plate. The image is made with a grease pencil on the surface of the stone. The stone is then wetted, which will stop the oil-based ink from adhering to the stone when spread across the surface for printing. This technique is the only one that will produce a printed image that is in the same direction as the original. The other techniques produce mirrored reflections. This technique was invented in 1796 by Alois Senefelder and became popular in the early 19th century. Artists such as Manet, Redon, and Goya composed lithographic prints during this time. The MoMA currently has Redon’s L’Oeil comme un ballon bizarre se dirige vers l’infini from 1882. The piece is an excellent example of the shades of gray in a lithographic artist’s repertoire as well as the detail and clear lines possible with this technique.