Print Processes & Clasifications

Prints are classified according to the type of surface used to make them. These have historically been divided into three groups: Intaglio, Relief and Planographic. Each process is complex, frequently used in combination with another and continually refined and adapted. Many artists develop approaches that move between, or sit outside, these categories.

Relief

Printed from raised surfaces : woodcut, linocut, letterpress and wood engraving.

Intaglio

Printed from incised plates: mezzotint, carborundum, etching, engraving, drypoint, and aquatint.

Planographic

Printed from flat surfaces: lithography, screenprint, monoprint, digital, cyanotype and stencil.

Other Processes

Includes chine collé, collograph, photomechanical and 3d print.

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Understanding Editions

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Caring for Prints