Mindanao State University

COLLEGE OF EDUCATION
Marawi City

TOPIC: PRINTMAKING
NAME: AMER, Nafisa Matuan
SUBJECT/SECTION: GED112
Instructor: Ms. Amnah Baraiman

What is ‘Printmaking?’
Printmaking, an art form consisting of the production of images, usually on paper but
occasionally on fabric, parchment, plastic, or other support, by various techniques of
multiplication, under the direct supervision of or by the hand of the artist. Such fine prints, as they
are known collectively, are considered original works of art, even though they can exist in
multiples.
Printmaking is an artistic process based on the principle of transferring images from a
matrix onto another surface, most often paper or fabric.
Traditional printmaking techniques include woodcut, etching, engraving, and lithography,
while modern artists have expanded available techniques to include screen printing.

Various types of Printmaking

I. Woodcut

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 The oldest form of printmaking, woodcut is a relief process in which knives
and other tools are used to carve a design into the surface of a wooden block. The raised areas that
remain after the block has been cut are inked and printed, while the recessed areas that are cut
away do not retain ink and will remain blank in the final print.

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II. Engraving

Engraving is an intaglio printmaking process in which lines are cut into a metal
plate in order to hold the ink. In engraving, the plate can be made of copper or zinc.

The metal plate is first polished to remove all scratches and imperfections from the
surface so that only the intentional lines will be printed. When making an engraving, the
printmaker incises or cuts a composition directly into the surface of a metal plate using a
sharp tool, known as a burin: a steel shaft ending in a beveled diamond-shaped tip that is
set into a rounded wooden handle.

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III. Etching

Etching is an intaglio printmaking process in which lines or areas are incised

using acid into a metal plate in order to hold the ink. In etching, the plate can be
made of iron, copper, or zinc.

To prepare the plate for etching, it is first polished to remove all scratches
and imperfections from the surface. When the surface is completely smooth, it is
covered evenly with a layer of acid-resistant varnish or wax, which is called the
ground.

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IV. Lithography

Lithography is a planographic printmaking process in which a design is

drawn onto a flat stone (or prepared metal plate, usually zinc or aluminum) and
affixed by means of a chemical reaction.

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V. Screenprinting

Screenprinting is a process where ink is forced through a mesh screen onto

a surface. Making certain areas of the screen impervious to printing ink creates a
stencil, which blocks the printing ink from passing through the screen. The ink that
passes through forms the printed image.

A printing screen consists of a fine mesh fabric that is tightly stretched and
attached to a metal or wooden frame. Traditionally these screens were made of silk,
but today they are most often made of synthetic materials such as terylene.

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