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Printmaking is an art process in which an image is made on a prepared surface, called a matrix, and transferred to paper, fabric, or another support. The matrix may be carved, etched, drawn on, or covered with a stencil. Many methods let an artist make multiple impressions from it, but not every printed image is an original artwork made this way.
What makes an artwork printmaking?
The Metropolitan Museum of Art defines printmaking as an artistic process that transfers an image from a matrix to another surface, most often paper or fabric, in its Materials and Techniques — Printmaking entry, dated December 21, 2018. A matrix is the prepared surface or template that carries the image; it can be made from materials such as wood, metal, or glass.
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In many processes, the matrix is inked and pressed or otherwise brought into contact with a support. The result is an impression. Because the image transfers from the matrix, it may appear as a mirror image of it. Screenprinting is a notable exception to the need for a press: ink can be pushed through a mesh screen with a squeegee.
How do the main printmaking techniques differ?
The key distinction is where the image-bearing ink sits and how it reaches the paper or other support. These are broad process families, not a complete inventory; artists use variations in materials and methods.
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| Process | Where the image-bearing ink sits | How the image is made and transferred |
|---|---|---|
| Relief | On the raised surface | The artist cuts away areas that should remain unprinted, inks the raised parts, and transfers them to the support. Woodcut and linocut are examples. |
| Intaglio | In grooves or other recessed marks | The image is incised or bitten into a plate; ink held in the recesses makes the impression. Etching and engraving are examples. |
| Lithography | On image areas of a flat surface | The artist draws with greasy material on a prepared stone or metal plate. Water and grease help determine where ink adheres, and damp paper is pressed against the inked surface. |
| Screenprinting | In the open areas of a mesh stencil | A stencil blocks parts of the mesh, while a squeegee pushes ink or paint through its open areas, commonly one color at a time. |
The National Gallery of Art’s Printmaking Basics explains woodcut, lithography, and screenprinting, while the Victoria and Albert Museum’s overview of print describes relief, intaglio, and planographic processes. The NGA identifies woodcut as the oldest form of printmaking and dates it to seventh-century China.
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Relief: woodcut and linocut
In relief printing, the artist removes the parts that should not print, leaving an image on the raised surface. A woodcut is cut into a block of wood with a knife or another sharp tool. A linocut uses a piece of linoleum instead. Lino is easy to cut, but it can crumble and is not suited to fine lines, according to the V&A.
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For a hands-on introduction to this method, the basic materials are a linoleum block and carving tools: the cuts create the unprinted areas, while the remaining raised surface receives ink. These linocut printmaking tools suit relief work specifically; they are not required to understand printmaking or to explore its other processes.
Intaglio: etching and engraving
Intaglio reverses the relief principle. Instead of printing from raised areas, the artist makes marks below the plate’s surface. Ink in those grooves or recesses transfers to the paper. Etching and engraving belong to this family, though they create marks in different ways.
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Lithography: image and non-image areas on one level
Lithography is a planographic process: the image and the areas that do not print remain on the same level rather than being separated by cuts or grooves. A greasy drawing is made on a prepared flat stone or metal plate; water and grease govern where ink adheres. Damp paper is then pressed against the inked surface.
Screenprinting: ink through a stencil
In screenprinting, a stencil on mesh blocks the areas that should not print. Ink or paint passes through the open mesh when pushed with a squeegee. Artists commonly print one color at a time, using the stencil to control where each layer lands.
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Do printmaking techniques make multiple copies?
Many printmaking processes allow an artist to make multiple impressions from one matrix. A group of impressions made from a matrix is called an edition. Repeatability is one reason artists choose printmaking, but it does not mean every print is an edition, or that every printed object is an original matrix-based artwork.
Monotype is an important exception: it is a printmaking method that does not offer the same repeatability as processes designed to produce multiple impressions. The Metropolitan Museum discusses multiple impressions and the range of matrices in its printmaking overview.
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Is every fine-art print an original print?
No. Some objects marketed as “fine-art prints” or “limited-edition prints” are photomechanical reproductions of paintings or drawings, rather than impressions made from an artist-prepared matrix. The Smithsonian American Art Museum’s guide to researching prints and posters makes this distinction. A label such as “limited edition” alone does not establish how an image was produced.
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To understand what a particular print is, look for information about its process and matrix—such as woodcut, etching, lithography, or screenprinting—and whether it is an impression from that matrix or a reproduction of another artwork.
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