What is an Etching? – and other Printmaking questions answered

An artist like Zak Benjamin sometimes uses a printmaking process instead of a brush or pen to create a limited edition of original works of art, which he signs and numbers. These “prints” are not created by machines, but by the artist himself. They are not reproductions of works of art – they are works of art.

These rough working definitions of a few terms used on Zak’s site should provide you with a general idea of what the words mean:

Etching

The artist draws through an acid-resistant coating onto a copper plate, after which the plate is placed in a chemical bath and the image is bitten into the metal. Next, the plate is inked and then carefully wiped clean. The etched grooves retain the ink. A sheet of acid-free linen paper is laid onto the plate, and heavy pressure is applied to force the paper into the inked-filled grooves. When the edition – or predetermined number of prints – is complete, the plate is effaced so that it cannot be used again.

Drypoint

The artist scratches his drawing into a metal plate with a sharp instrument called a burin, or he draws with an electrically powered engraving tool called a drimmel. Once his drawing is complete, it is printed in the same way one prints an etching.

Litho (Lithograph)

The artist uses a special crayon, and draws onto a surface (Zak uses a zinc plate, but some artists use stone). The surface is treated with a chemical that will make the exposed areas slightly porous and water-retentive, whilst the crayoned areas remain smooth. The smooth areas will accept ink, so that the image can be transferred onto paper. The pressure required to transfer the ink from the plate to the paper is much less than needed for an etching or drypoint.

Screenprint (Silkscreen or Serigraph)

A form of stencil printing in which the stencil is adhered to a screen made by stretching silk, or similar finely woven fabric, onto a frame. The artist prepares a different screen for each colour. Ink is forced through the fabric with a squeegee onto paper. Screen prints usually have a hard-edged quality caused by the crisp edges of the stencil.

So what is a reproduction of a work of art? A “print” of a painting or a drawing is made by photographing the original and using sophisticated, electronic machinery to print it – the same way a magazine, a calendar or birthday cards are printed. The artist himself is not required for the process.