Gift Horse Gallery art guide

A wide range of sophisticated printing methods are now available on many pictures and paintings. The following selection are an example of the more common types of printing methods.

Giclées

Giclées is a revolutionary new process whereby a continuous inkjet printer sprays a staggering four million droplets of ink (each one the size of a red blood cell) per second onto the paper or canvas. Requiring highly sophisticated printers and specially tested colourfast inks, this blend of fine art and state-of-the-art technology produces exceptionally faithful reproductions of paintings.

Original prints

Original prints are handmade and are not reproductions of paintings: the print is a unique work of art. The term covers a range of printmaking techniques such as etching, woodcut, engraving, screenprint and linocut. Editions tend to be less than 200, partly because the materials used to make the prints wear out. This type of print is sometimes called an 'artists' print'.

Engraving

An engraving has an image cut into a plate of metal or wood, ink is applied across the plate and the surface is then wiped clean. Paper and then padding are laid on top of the plate, rollers are drawn over this, and the paper draws up the ink from the plate.

Etchings

Etchings are created individually. The printing method is the same as for an engraving, but the image is produced by coating the plate with acid resistant wax, then drawing onto the wax with an etching needle, after which the plate is immersed in acid and the acid eats into the plate where it has been exposed by the needle. Etchings ensure an unusual degree of clarity and strength of colour.

Photo Lithography

See Off-Set Lithography

Off-Set Lithography

Off-set Lithography is a commercial printing process and the most commonly used method of producing photomechanical reproductions of paintings. Off-set lithos are made using the same basic principles as stone lithography, but with considerable technical sophistication. Accurate reproductions of paintings are produced by an automated process which means that thousands of copies can be speedily produced and the last prints will be identical to the first.

Lithography

Lithography involves using a greasy crayon or greasy ink, the artist draws onto a stone (usually limestone) or metal plate. The stone is then wetted, the water being repelled by the grease and absorbed elsewhere, after which ink is applied to the stone and this only adheres to the greasy areas. Pressure from a press will then transfer the image from the stone onto paper.

Hand-Embellishment

You may see images described as Hand-Embellished. When the fine art print has been produced, it is placed alongside the original; under the direction of the artist certain elements of the image are then highlighted with hand-applied paints, inks, or gold and silver leaf. This is done to bring the piece closer to the essence of the original painting, and the effect is phenomenal.

Screenprinting/Serigraph

After stretching a piece of porous material over a frame, the artist uses a blocking agent such as a stencil or glue to create a design. The screen is placed over the paper and ink is pushed across the screen with a squeegee. Ink and thus the design, are transferred onto the paper through the gaps in the blocking agent. As with all methods of handprinting, many screens are required to obtain the various shades and nuances that appear in the finished paintings. It can take as long as six months to produce an edition of screenprints.