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Art & Art History vocabulary · Materials & Techniques

Printmaking

Meaning in art & art history, with examples

/ˈprɪntˌmeɪkɪŋ/nounCommon term

In art & art history, printmaking means: The art of making images by transferring ink from a prepared surface, such as a metal plate, a woodblock or a screen, onto paper, so that several copies can be made.

In Turkish: baskıresim, özgün baskı, baskı sanatı

How it is used

The main techniques are relief (woodcut, linocut), intaglio (etching, engraving), lithography and screen printing. Each print in an edition counts as an original and is usually signed and numbered by the artist, for example 12/50. The artist is a printmaker.

Example sentences

  1. She teaches printmaking and specialises in etching.

  2. Dürer used printmaking to spread his images across Europe.

Common collocations

  • printmaking studio
  • printmaking techniques
  • fine art printmaking
  • limited edition print
  • mediumThe material or technique an artist uses to make a work, such as oil paint, bronze, video or photography; also a liquid added to paint to change how it behaves.
  • mixed mediaThe use of more than one material or technique in a single artwork, such as paint, collage, photographs, fabric and found objects.
  • drawingA picture made mainly with lines, using a pencil, pen, charcoal or chalk; also the skill or activity of making such pictures.
  • pigmentA coloured powder, made from minerals, plants, insects or chemicals, that gives paint its colour when it is mixed with a binder such as oil, egg or gum.

More terms: Materials & Techniques

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