Artist’s Proof (A.P.): A small group of prints set aside from the edition for the artist’s use.
Aquatint: An intaglio process in which rosin or asphaltum powder is dusted onto a plate and heated up so that the particles adhere to the metal. Next, the plate is submerged in an acid bath, which eats around each particle and creates a rough, textured surface for ink application. Deeper etching results in darker tones. Aquatint results in a varied surface, allowing ink to take on additional depth in large washes as compared to incised lines.
Bon à tirer: A proof designated by the artist as the standard against which every print in the edition is to be judged for its aesthetic and technical merits.
Burnisher: In intaglio, an oval-shaped tool used for polishing and smoothing the plate.
Chine Collé: A technique for pressing a thin sheet of glued paper to a heavier backing sheet and printing it at the same time. This can be utilized in both lithographic and intaglio printing methods.
Drypoint: An intaglio technique in which a sharp needle-like tool is used to draw on a plate. This action displaces the surface material and creates a burr or raised ridge. The engraved lines and burrs both collect ink as it is wiped onto the plate. This application results in a characteristically soft and velvety line once printed.
Edition: A set of identical prints, sometimes numbered and signed, that have been pulled by or under the supervision of the artist and are authorized for distribution.
Etching: As opposed to drypoint, where the plate is incised through pressure from the artist's hand, etching is a technique which utilizes acid to "eat" away at a metal plate.
The surface of the plate is first covered with a waxy acid-resistant ground, then drawn on with an etching needle. The exposed areas will be bitten or depressed once the plate is surbmerged in an acid bath. The longer the surface is in acid, the deeper the uncovered areas will become. The resulting etched sections are later inked and will appear as the printed image.
Ground: In etching and aquatint, an acid-resistant substance used to protect parts of the plate from being "eaten" by acid.
Intaglio: A printing technique in which an image is created on a plate by acid or a sharp tool using one of the following techniques: etching, engraving, aquatint, mezzotint, or drypoint. The incised lines are inked and transferred onto paper.
Lithography: Lithography is a printing technique in which a stone or metal plate is drawn on by the artist with a greasy medium, such as a litho crayon or tusche (a type of ink). The surface is then covered with a solution of nitric acid and gum arabic, which allows the non-image areas to be receptive to water and repel ink and the image to hold an oil-based ink and repel water. The stone is then covered with a wet paper and run through a press.
Lithography allows its creator to use a mixture of drawing and large, more painterly strokes to create images on the stone's surface because it allows the artist to use tools with which they are already familar (pencils, crayons, brushes).
Monotype: A monotype is a print pulled in an edition of one from a painting made on a sheet of metal or glass. The method has been successfully adapted in special lithography techniques.
Print: Image produced on paper or another material by placing it in contact with an inked block, plate, collage or stone and applying pressure; or by pressing ink onto a sheet of paper through a stencil.
Printer’s proof: Prints outside the edition, given to the master printer and the printer-collaborator.
Screen printing, silkscreen, or serigraphy: Screen printing, also known as silkscreen or serigraphy is a printing technique that begins with a stretched mesh made from silk or other synthetic materials. Areas of the screen are then blocked out with adhered fabric, special paper or Mylar, using a photo-sensitive emulsion process similar to developing photography. The screen is laid over a piece of paper or canvas and ink is forced through the unobstructed mesh by a squeegee. Blocked out areas will stop the ink from being transfered onto the final image.
Spit bite: An aquatint technique for achieving gradated tonal effects by applying acid to the plate with a brush containing saliva or water.
Sugar lift: An aquatint technique in which the image is drawn on the plate with a water-soluble solution (usually containing sugar). The plate is covered with a ground and submerged in water, which dissolves the sugar solution, lifting the ground and exposing the image areas so the plate can be etched.
Woodcut: A woodcut is a mirror image relief print made on the side of a block of wood. The artist uses a sharp tool to engrave or chisel the surface to create their image. In the final print the raised areas will be inked and printed onto paper or fabric through an application of pressure.
One of the oldest and most straightforward forms of printmaking, this method can vary drastically in appearance depending on wood variety, tools used and experience level of the creator.
Information sourced from Printmaking Glossary from 'Printmaking: History and Process' by Donald Saff and Deli Sacilotto
© 1978 by Holt, Rinehart and Winston