Printing Processes

Relief Printing Process

     The printing process starts with a inked piece of wood prepared to be printed to a piece of paper. When a thin sheet of paper is pressed down against the wood with a baren. The grain of the wood affect the black areas of the print. This effect can be an advantage to an artist. Tools used are similar to a wood carver. This type of printing is like a flat consistent black board that you carve away to make white space to create a image with the depth of the piece itself. Imagine it being like a reverse drawing. This type of printing is the easiest to use and easiest to access, which is good for learning the basics of printing.

1) a wood block is toned with a black film ink

2) a carbon paper transfer can take place to transfer the paper

3) cut away the white areas with a wood carving tool

4) once the block of wood is ready ink is rolled over the block 

5) the block is pressed and transferring ink to paper 

Intaglio Printing Process

Intaglio is a print making process where the image is below the flat surface of your printing plate. This printing process is the process of getting a sheet of metal and making scratches into the metal which can hold ink. These scratches are moving the metal away from the area making a bump that can hold ink once you transfer the ink to the plate. These bumps make the ink a fuzzy line once printed. These bumps can also be texture for the piece later. Later in the process where we apply ground to the plate it makes the plate completely black. Unlike Relief where we add depth to the plate, we just remove the black sheet, this process also isn't like the scratching process. The copper showing through will be what the piece is in the end. After inking the plate and removing any residue from the top areas of the plate, the plate is pressed in the same way the Relief process is pressed.

1) prepare a plate for scratching or modification

2) scratch out the print on the plate

3) steel face the plate to make the plate stronger and more durable

4) prepare plate for etching 

5) apply ground to the plate

6) smoke the plate 

7) etch the plate

8) wipe plate with ink to force into into deep crevices of the plate

Lithography Printing Process

This process is about water and grease resisting each other. The stone is treated and etch is added into the stone. The tools to use are waxy like tools that can resist water, so the harder the material the darker the print will be. Most of the process is adding gum, lithotine and other materials to the stone to make ink stick to it.

1) stone is prepared with drawing
2) gum is added to stone to draw out white areas
3) soap is added stone which fades the drawing
4) wash surface and ink stone
5) prepare to press stone to force ink into stone
6) damp paper and press again to get complete print

Reflection

The process id attempt would probably be the Intaglio process because i'm most familiar with the process and I feel like would work best for me. The simplicity of the process itself make me feel like I could accomplish it. I also think the demographic of the type of printing would work for me. The plate system I also think would be easier and more enjoyable to work with. These old printing processes probably influenced some artist to go more deeper when it comes to printing, thanks to the modern age with new tools and machinery. But I think it can help artists when they need a type of design choice. Like for example a retro or a nostalgia feel for some people.