This is not meant to be the last word in printing but simply a broad overview of the most widely used terms & techniques.
Acid-Free: The best paper used in printmaking with a pH value of 7 or greater (based on an acidity-alkali scale of 0 to 14). Using acid-free mat boards and backings will prevent acid burns (yellowish-brown burn lines) from appearing on artwork over time.
Aquatint: An etching technique that creates areas of tone through the use of powdered resin that is sprinkled on the etching plate prior to being bitten by the etching acid. The result is a finely textured tonal area whose darkness is determined by how long the plate is bitten by the acid.
Archival Papers: Papers used in fine art printmaking that have textured surfaces and are heavy weight. The characteristic of this paper is that it doesn't change over time.
AP or Artist Proof: The artist proofs are usually kept by the artist, they are not numbered, but an "A.P." appears in lieu of a print and edition number to designate its nature. These proofs never exceed 10% of the overall edition.
Drypoint: Similar to etching, but the lines are simply scratched into the plate manually, without the use of acid. The hallmark of a drypoint is a soft and often rather thick or bushy line somewhat like that of an ink pen on moist paper.
Edition: A printing of many images from one master work. Open Editions typically are not numbered and have no maximum number to be issued. Limited Editions are numbered in succession with a predetermined maximum number of prints that can ever be made. The prints, which are numbered in succession, always record the overall edition size: 12/100 (read as: twelve over one hundred) means that this particular copy is number 12 and its edition is limited to one hundred copies.
Engraving: A form of intaglio printing in which lines are incised into a metal plate with a carving tool called a burin. The characteristics of burin engraving differ from that of etching in that engraving, requiring considerable force, is done from the strength of the arm and eliminates the quavering autographic qualities of etching, which is done more from the finger tips like fine drawing. The hallmarks of engraving are often elegantly swelling and tapering lines.
Etching: A means of incising lines in a metal plate with acid for printing in the intaglio technique. The plate is first covered with an acid resistant ground through which the artist scratches a design with a stylus or needle, revealing the bare metal below. This plate is then immersed in an acid bath that cuts the incised lines into the plate. Etched lines often betray the subtle motions of the artist's fingertips.
Giclée: (jhee-clay) - French meaning 'to spray ink'. A scanned image printed on a high resolution, inkjet printer. An advantage to Giclee printing is that artwork can be reproduced to almost any size and on various media, giving the artist the ability to customize prints for a specific client. Image permanence is a concern to artists and collectors. All images are printed with Endurachrome ink from ColorSpan which is very stable, giving fade & color shift resistance of 75 years on watercolor paper under average indoor light conditions.
Intaglio: Any of the techniques in which an image or tonal area is printed from lines or textures scratched or etched into a metal plate (engraving, etching, drypoint, aquatint, lift ground, soft ground). The plate is covered with ink, then wiped clean leaving ink in the incised lines or textures of the image. This plate is then printed in a press on moistened paper. The paper is forced down into the area of the plate holding ink, and the image is transferred to the paper.
Lift-ground aquatint: A form of intaglio printing in which the artists draws with a specially formulated ink on a metal plate. The plate is then covered with an acid resistant ground and immersed in water. The characteristics of the drawing medium (which may be applied with a pen or brush) allow it to dissolve and work through the acid resistant ground. When bitten in acid, the final result resembles pen or brush work.
Linoleum Cut: A relief print carved into linoleum rather than wood.
Lithograph: A printing technique in which the image is drawn on a very flat slab of limestone (or a specially treated metal plate). This stone is treated chemically so that ink, when rolled on to the stone, adheres only where the drawing was done. This inked image can then be transferred to a piece of paper with the help of a high pressure press.
Monotype: A form of printmaking in which the artist draws or paints on some material, such as glass, and then prints the image onto paper, usually with a press. The remaining pigment can then be reworked, but the subsequent print will not be an exact version of the previous print. Monotypes may be unique prints or variations on a theme.
Proofs: Impressions of a print. In the case of an incomplete print they are referred to as "working proofs."
Relief print: Any print in which the image is printed from the raised portions of a carved, etched, or cast block. A simple example would be a rubber stamp. The most common relief prints are woodcuts. The term "relief print" is used when it is not clear which kind of relief printing has been used (photomechanical or hand carved, for example).
Screen Print: A form of stencil printing in which the stencil is adhered to a fine screen for support. Ink can be squeezed through the screen onto paper. Screen printing can have a hard edged quality caused by the crisp edges of the stencil. Also referred to as "silk screen" and "serigraphy."
Soft ground: An etching technique in which the plate is covered with malleable ground through which a variety textures can be pressed, allowing them to be etched into the plate. For example, a piece of paper laid on top of a soft grounded plate can be drawn upon with a pencil, and the resulting etched image will resemble a pencil line drawn on paper. To be distinguished from "hard ground" used for simple line etching.
State Proof: An impression made of a print to check the progress of the design.
Woodcut: A relief print usually carved in the plank grain of a piece of wood. After the relief image has been carved in the plank with knives or gouges it is inked with a dauber or roller. It can then be printed by hand (in which case a sheet of paper is laid down on the inked plank and rubbed from the back with a smooth surface such as the palm of the hand or a wooden spoon) or with the help of a mechanical press.
