Glossary
Acid burn
See Acid-free
Acid-free
Acidic paper or board deteriorates quickly and also adversely affects material with which it is in contact. This results in acid burn, matt burn, mount burn or mount staining; all terms for a brownish discolouration that appears on the print over time. The use of “acid free” framing materials reduces the likelihood of this.
Aquatint
Aquatint is a form of printing that is carried out by sprinkling a resin or bitumen dust on a copper/zinc plate and then melting it. The areas to remain white are “stopped out” (i.e. covered with an acid resistant varnish) and the plate immersed in acid. This creates the lightest tone. Next, areas to remain the lightest tone are stopped out and the plate immersed again for a darker tone and so on. The printer cannot achieve pure black with this method. It is possible to achieve a watercolour wash effect when stopping out with a brush. The Aquatint printing method is often combined with etching.
Artist’s Proof
These are prints printed for the artist that are not included in the numbered edition. They are exactly like the editioned prints but usually inscribed A.P. in pencil in the margin. Sometimes they are marked E.A. (epreuve d’artiste), the French equivalent.
Blind Stamp
An embossed stamp which is not inked but produces a raised mark in the corner of the paper. It may denote the artist, printer or publisher. Sometimes called “chop mark”.
Burin
A steel cutting tool with a sharp angled point.
Catalogue Raisonne
This is a scholarly and comprehensive catalogue of all the works known to have been produced by a particular artist by the date of publication. In the case of prints, it usually includes images of each print and details about date, edition size, printing method, size of image, size of sheet, printer and so on.
Chine Paper
Chine (or “China”) paper is very thin and fine and was originally made in China from mulberry bark. It is often laid on a more robust paper for support. This is known as chine appliqué or chine collee. Sometimes, the backing paper is coloured.
Chop Mark
See Blind Stamp
Conservation Framing
The use of materials and techniques which protect works of art on paper. This includes careful choice of mount materials, hinges, adhesives, glazing, backboard and so on. The Institute of Conservation (www.icon.org.uk) produces a very good leaflet on this theme. Contact us if you would like a free copy.
Deckle Edge Paper
This has thinner, uneven (“ragged”) edges caused when the paper is hand made. Usually associated with heavy, good quality paper.
Drypoint
Drypoint is a form of engraving that uses needles and therefore the lines are very soft and fine. The lines tend to be short and look scratched, or even slashed. When the line is scratched into the metal plate the tool makes a ragged burr on each side of the line. This burr, as well as the carved line itself, hold a great deal of ink and cause the feathery nature of the lines. The burr quickly wears down under the pressure of the press. This means that Drypoints withstand much smaller editions than etching or engraving.
Edition
The total number of prints produced of a given image and authorized by the artist for sale. Each print is typically inscribed by the artist in the conventional manner. For example 10/100 is the tenth print from an edition of 100.
Engraving
Engraving involves using burins to cut v-shaped grooves in the plate. The deeper the line, the darker they will print. The line is crisp and controlled. Variety of tone can be achieved by hatching, cross hatching, stippling etc.
Epreuve D’Artiste
See Artist’s Proof
Etching
Etching is done by coating the plate with an acid resistant ground and drawing into this with needles of different widths. When the plate is immersed in acid, the line is “etched” into the plate. The style is less linear and stiff than engraving. Tone can be achieved by hatching, cross hatching, stippling etc.
Foxing
Brown or grey-brown spotting on paper produced by a mould.
Hors Commerce
Prints not originally intended for sale but exactly like the editioned prints. Usually inscribed H.C. in pencil in the margin.
Intaglio Printing
Intaglio is Italian for "cut in". This method includes: Engraving, Drypoint, Etching, Aquatint and Mezzotint. All entail making recesses in the plate by scratching or eating away with acid. The plate is inked and wiped clean so only the recesses hold ink. Intaglio printing is done under high pressure and hence there is a plate mark. The printed lines are slightly raised and can sometimes be felt with the fingertips.
Japan Paper
Japan paper is fibrous and often has a faint surface lustre.
Laid Down
This term is used when the print has been pasted or glued to another surface such as card or paper. It can present conservation problems and is not good practice.
Laid Paper
Laid paper is characterized by faint, closely spaced, horizontal and vertical lines caused by the wire racks on which the paper pulp has been dried. These lines are visible when the paper is held up to the light. Laid paper is usually made from linen or rags.
Light Staining
When paper is exposed to light it can, over time, become discoloured, tending to gain a brownish tinge.
Linocut
A type of relief printing used from the 20th century. The artist cuts into a plate of linoleum to produce the image. Everything except the image is cut away so the image stands in relief. Finally, the plate is inked and printed. Detail is very difficult with this method and it is difficult to depict texture so flat areas of colour are produced. Skillfully used, this can produce dramatic effects.
Lithograph
This method was rare before 1810. The image is drawn on a flat stone or on a metal plate with a water repellent, greasy, substance (e.g. crayon). The stone is moistened with water, which the stone/plate accepts in areas not covered by the greasy substance. An oily ink, applied with a roller, only sticks to the drawing and is repelled by the wet parts of the stone/plate. The print is then made by pressing paper against the inked drawing. Only one colour ink can be applied at a time, which makes the process time-consuming. This method can show brush marks and textures like painting or drawing. Lithographs can vary widely in appearance.
Matt burn
See Acid-free
Mezzotint
Mezzotint uses rockers to cover the plate with minute indentations. This would print black. Scrapers and burnishers are used to smooth out these indentations. The smoother the area is, the lighter it prints. Very subtle gradations of tone are possible. This method is often used to reproduce paintings.
Mount burn
See Acid-free
Mount Staining
See Acid-Free
Planographic Printing
This method includes lithography and screenprinting. There is no plate mark and the ink seems to sit on the surface of the paper, deposited smoothly, without pressure.
Plate Mark
The rectangular indentation made by the pressure of the plate in Intaglio Printing
Printer’s Proof
Impressions printed for the printer and not included in the numbered edition. They are exactly like the editioned prints but usually inscribed P.P. in pencil in the margin.
Recto
Refers to the front (i.e. image surface) of the print.
Relief Printing
This method includes: Woodcuts, Linocuts, Wood Engravings, (Metal Cut), and (Relief Etching). They all entail removing material so that the remaining raised areas can be inked and printed. The removed areas “print white”. The amount of detail that can be achieved is relatively low with Woodcut and Linocut but higher with Wood Engraving. There is no plate mark.
Sandwich Mounting
This is where a print is laid down and a mount pasted on top. This is not good practice.
Screenprint/Silkscreen
This method has become common since the 1960s. In screenprinting, a stencil prevents ink being applied to some parts of the paper. Ink or paint is brushed through a screen made of silk or synthetic material, on which areas have been 'masked off' to produce the image. Once the ink has dried, the next stencil (i.e. the next colour) is placed and the process begins again. Screenprints often show large areas of solid colour and there are usually clean edges between colours. Photographic detail can be incorporated and the screens can be “hand painted”.
Trimmed
When a print has been cut down to a size smaller than that originally intended by the artist. This is not good practice.
Verso
Refers to the reverse side of the print.
Watermark
Marks in the paper that are visible when the paper is held up to the light. They denote the identity of the manufacturer.
Woodcut
This was the most common relief method up to 18th Century. Woodcuts, like linocuts, are made using knives and gouges. Detail is difficult to achieve and the effect can be angular. This can produce very powerful and dramatic imagery.
Wood Engraving
The burins used in wood engraving are fine knives and gouges and are used on the end grain of hard wood (such as box or pear. Very fine white lines can be produced. This means that more subtle detail is possible than with Woodcuts or Linocuts.
Wove Paper
Wove paper has an even density and is not characterised by the fine lines found on Laid Paper.