Lithography
This form of print exploits the incompatibility between water and oily or greasy substances on a surface of calcareous stone. It also gives a lot of scope as to what can be done with it as it extremely flexible. To carry out lithography the artist draws with crayons and lithographic inks onto the stone and then a chemical preparation of nitric acid and Arabic gum fixes the original drawing to the stone. It is then humidified and then ink is rolled onto the stone, then the process described above becomes clearer as the ink only sticks to the surface covered by the crayon or lithographic ink. If calcareous stone is not available a zinc or aluminium covered surface can replace it to the same outcome.




Etching
An etching needle is used to draw into a wax ground applied over a metal plate. The plate is then submerged in a series of acid baths, each biting into the metal surface only where unprotected by the ground. the ground is removed, ink is forced into the etched depressions, the un-etched surfaces wiped, and an impression is printed. Also, both the design etched on a plate and an impression made from an etched plate.




Aquatint
Aquatints often resemble wash drawings. A powdered resin which is then melted and used to stick to a surface. Any pure whites are stopped out entirely before etching begins, then the palest tints are bitten and stopped out, and so on as in etching. This process is repeated 20 to 30 times until the darkest tones (deepest recesses in the plate) are reached.




Engraving
A method of cutting or incising a design into a material, usually metal, with a sharp steel tool called a graver. In engraving, a print can be made by inking such an incised (engraved) surface. It may also refer to a print produced in this way.




Dry point
An intaglio printing process in which burrs are left on the plate by the pointed needle (or "pencil") that directly inscribes lines. A kind of engraving which has a soft, fuzzy line because of the metal burrs. Its disadvantage is that because such plates wear out quickly, editions are usually rather limited.




Mezzotint
A copper or steel plate is first worked all over with a curved, serrated tool called a rocker, raising burrs over the surface to hold the ink and print as a soft dark tone. The design is then created in lighter tones by scraping out and burnishing areas of the roughened plate so that they hold less ink, or none in highlights. Details may be sharpened by engraving or etching in a "mixed mezzotint."




Wood cuts
A print made by cutting a design in side-grain of a block of wood, also called a woodblock print. The ink is transferred from the raised surfaces to paper.




Linocut
Linoleum is a durable, washable material formerly used more for flooring as vinyl flooring is used today. It is usually backed with burlap or canvas, and may be purchased adhered to a wooden block. The linoleum can be cut in much the same way woodcuts are produced, however its surface is softer and without grain.




Serigraphy
A stencil method of printmaking in which an image is imposed on a screen of silk or other fine mesh, with blank areas coated with an impermeable substance, and ink is forced through the mesh onto the printing surface. Also called silkscreen process and screen-printing.

Edition
It is always difficult to predict the number of editions that can be made for one single project.
Every print is given a number which is either written in normal or roman numerals. In some cases, the quality is indicated by a crayon mark made by the artist when he/she signs their work.

Paper forms
There exists a wide variety of papers that vary in quality and that are conducive to different forms and techniques of printing.
As an example, Velin d’Arches, BKF Rives, Japon Nacré, or Richard de Bas paper would be used for a lithography as Velin de Lana would be the most conducive and effective paper to be used in conjunction with a Woodcut or an Etching.
Certain forms of paper have watermarks which allow the works printed on them to be identified or sometimes dated. It is highly common practice to carry out a print on several forms of paper.

The signature
In modern printing, it is highly common for an artist to sign every edition taken from a print.
This stage of the process permits the artist to examine the quality of the work undertaken and to eliminate any work that doesn’t meet entirely to their satisfaction.
In some cases the artist will sign on the actual plate that is used to print the works, and will in some cases double sign the prints afterwards, on the contrary it is possible to find works that have never been signed.




Original prints
The artist will carry out him/herself the engraving on the initial material (stone, copper, wood or silk)




Interpretation prints
The artist gives a already finished work to a lithographer or an engraver who then makes a copy of the original work onto a printing plate and then carries out the prints under the direction of the artist. When the prints are finished the artist will then put his signature to the work.