Art of Printing: Styles and Techniques

PRINT-BASED MEDIA
Different Forms and Techniques
BRYAN M. NOZALEDA

HAND PRINTING
23 June 2014Bryan Nozaleda2
ETCHING/INTAGLIOETCHING/INTAGLIO
LINOCUTLINOCUT
SCREEN PRINTINGSCREEN PRINTING
WOODCUTWOODCUT
LITHOGRAPHYLITHOGRAPHY

ETCHING/INTAGLIO
3
Etching is the process of using strong acid or mordant to cut into the
unprotected parts of a metal surface to create a design in intaglio in the
metal (the original process—in modern manufacturing other chemicals
may be used on other types of material).
23 June 2014Bryan Nozaleda

Steps
 Choose the
type of steel
you want to
etch. You can
etch stainless
steel, mild
steel, or high-
carbon steel.
Which type of
steel you etch
will determine
the best acid or
chemical to
use to etch it
with.

 Choose the
image you want
to etch into the
steel. You can
either draw a
freehand image or
replicate an
existing image onto
the steel surface.
Depending on
which transfer
method you use,
you can have a
fairly simple design
or a complex one.

 Transfer your
design onto the
steel surface. You
can transfer the
design in 1 of several
ways, as described
below. Be aware that
however you transfer
your design, it will
print the reverse of
the way you etch it
into the steel. If you
plan to use the
etched steel plate
solely as a
decoration, not to
print with, this won't
matter to you.

 Cover the steel's
edges. You can
tape over the edges
or paint them.
Either method
keeps the acid from
etching the edges.

 Choose the acid you
want to etch the steel
with. Possible acids include
muriatic (hydrochloric) acid
(HCl), nitric acid (HNO3), or
sulfuric acid (H2SO4).
Certain non-acids that form
acid in water, such as ferric
chloride (FeCl3) or copper
sulfate (CuSO4), can also be
used as etching chemicals.
How strong the acid is
generally determines how
fast the steel will be etched,
or "bitten." You can obtain
etching acids and chemicals
through chemical supply
stores or electronics supply
shops.

 Immerse the steel in a
bath of the etching
acid. Usually, you'll want to
place the steel plate face-
down in the solution so that
the exposed metal flakes
downward into the solution
and away from the plate.
This produces cleaner lines
when etching the steel. If
you put the plate in face up,
you can sweep away the
flakes as they form with a
light brush or feather; this
will also remove bubbles
that form. (The bubbles
impede the etching process,
but they can also create
interesting designs if left
alone.) Leave the steel plate
in the etching acid until the
lines are cut to the depth
you want.

 Remove and clean the
steel plate. Wash the
plate with water to remove
the acid. If you used a
particularly strong acid, you
may also need to use
baking soda to neutralize
it. You then need to
remove the resist;
depending on the resist
material, use one of the
following methods:
 Use alcohol, methyl
hydrate, or steel wool for
wax-like grounds.
 Use running water for
water-soluble inks and
alcohol for inks insoluble in
water.

LINOCUT/WOODCUT
Linocut is a printmaking technique, a variant of woodcut, in which a sheet of
linoleum (sometimes mounted on a wooden block) is used for the relief
surface. A design is cut into the linoleum surface with a sharp knife, V-
shaped chisel or gouge, with the raised (uncarved) areas representing a
reversal (mirror image) of the parts to show printed.
The linoleum sheet is inked with a roller (called a brayer), and then
impressed onto paper or fabric. The actual printing can be done by hand
or with a press.
Due to ease of use, linocut is widely used in schools to introduce children to
the art of printmaking; similarly, non-professional artists often cut lino
rather than wood for printing. In the modern day art world however, after
the input of Picasso and Henri Matisse, the linocut is an established
professional print medium.

LINOCUT TOOLS

SCREEN PRINTINGSCREEN PRINTING
Screen printing is a printing technique that uses a
woven mesh to support an ink-blocking stencil. The
attached stencil forms open areas of mesh that
transfer ink or other printable materials which can
be pressed through the mesh as a sharp-edged
image onto a substrate.
A roller or squeegee is moved across the screen
stencil, forcing or pumping ink past the threads of
the woven mesh in the open areas.

SCREEN PRINTING TechniquesSCREEN PRINTING Techniques

LITHOGRAPHY
Lithography is a method for printing using a stone
(lithographic limestone) or a metal plate with a
completely smooth surface. It makes use of simple
chemical processes to print text or images on to
paper or other suitable materials.
The positive part of an image is a hydrophobic, or
"water hating" substance, while the negative image
would be hydrophilic or "water loving". Thus, when
the plate is introduced to a compatible printing ink
and water mixture, the ink will adhere to the positive
image and the water will clean the negative image.

LITHOGRAPHY Techniques

MECHANICAL
LETTERPRESSLETTERPRESS
GRAVUREGRAVURE
SCREEN PROCESSSCREEN PROCESS

LETTERPRESS
Letterpress printing is relief printing of text and image
using a press with a "type-high bed" printing press
and movable type, in which a reversed, raised
surface is inked and then pressed into a sheet of
paper to obtain a positive right-reading image.
In addition to the direct impression of inked movable
type onto paper or another receptive surface,
letterpress is also the direct impression of inked
printmaking blocks such as photo-etched zinc "cuts"
(plates), linoleum blocks, wood engravings, etc.,
using such a press.

GRAVURE
Gravure (also known as rotogravure or roto) is a
type of intaglio printing process that involves
engraving the image onto an image carrier. In
gravure printing, the image is engraved onto a
copper cylinder because, like offset and
flexography, it uses a rotary printing press.
The vast majority of gravure presses print on
rolls (also known as webs) of paper, rather
than sheets of paper.

DIGITAL
PHOTOCOPYINGPHOTOCOPYING
LASER PRINTINGLASER PRINTING
INKJETINKJET
DESKTOP PUBLISHINGDESKTOP PUBLISHING
3D PRINTING3D PRINTING

PHOTOCOPYING
Photocopying is a mechanical process that makes paper copies
of documents and other visual images quickly and cheaply.
Most current photocopiers use a technology called
xerography, a dry process using heat. (Copiers can also use
other technologies such as ink jet, but xerography is standard
for office copying.)
While photocopying is widely used for business, education, and
government purposes, there have been many predictions
that photocopiers will eventually become obsolete, as
companies continue to increase their digital document
creation and distribution, and rely less on distributing actual
pieces of paper.

LASER PRINTING
Laser printing is a common type of computer
printing process that rapidly produces high
quality text and graphics on plain paper. As
with digital photocopiers and multifunction
printers, laser printers employ a xerographic
printing process but differ from analogue
photocopiers in that the image is produced by
the direct scanning of a laser beam across the
printer's photoreceptor.

INKJET
Inkjet printing is a type of computer printing that
creates a digital image by propelling variable-sized
droplets of ink onto paper. The ink can be applied to
the paper through various means which differ
between the models of inkjet printer, for example,
thermal and piezoelectric inkjet.
Inkjet printers are the most commonly used type of
printer and range from small inexpensive consumer
models to very large professional machines.

DESKTOP PUBLISHING
Desktop publishing (also known as DTP) combines a personal
computer and WYSIWYG (acronym for “what you see is what
you get”) page layout software to create publication
documents on a computer for either large scale publishing or
small scale local multifunction peripheral output and
distribution.
The term "desktop publishing" is commonly used to describe
page layout skills. However, the skills and software are not
limited to paper and book publishing. The same skills and
software are often used to create graphics for point of sale
displays, promotional items, trade show exhibits, retail
package designs and outdoor signs.

3D PRINTING
 Additive manufacturing or 3D printing[1]
is a process of making a
three-dimensional solid object of virtually any shape from a digital
model. 3D printing is achieved using an additive process, where
successive layers of material are laid down in different shapes.[2]
3D
printing is also considered distinct from traditional machining
techniques, which mostly rely on the removal of material by methods
such as cutting or drilling (subtractive processes).
 A materials printer usually performs 3D printing processes using digital
technology. The first working 3D printer was created in 1984 by Chuck
Hull of 3D Systems Corp.[3]
Since the start of the 21st century there has
been a large growth in the sales of these machines, and their price has
dropped substantially.[4]
According to Wohlers Associates, a consultancy,
the market for 3D printers and services was worth $2.2 billion
worldwide in 2012, up 29% from 2011.[5]

Art of Printing: Styles and Techniques

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Art of Printing: Styles and Techniques