When you are shopping for paper for your latest art project did you ever wonder what a Deckle Edge was? Or what 100% Rag actually means? Or whether you should choose  Hot Pressed over Cold Pressed?  We have compiled this handy list of artist paper terminology for your reference. Enjoy!

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Featured Artist Bruce Waldman was kind enough to join us at the Robert Blackburn Printmaking Workshop and walk us through his process for creating a Monoprint or Monotype (see our glossary of terms for clarification). Pictured above are the creative tools necessary; a variety of brayers, palette knives, Gamblin etching inks, rags and textured surfaces. Bruce uses a large plexiglass sheet with white paper taped to the back (to help see your image as you are working).

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Edition
An edition of a print includes all the impressions published at the same time or as part of the same publishing event. A number of art prints of a certain image, using the same plates, screens or blocks, all the same size and as close to identical as possible.

Artist’s Proof
The first set of prints pulled for the artist’s own use, are marked as A.P. and may or may not be numbered and are considered by many to be higher in value than the subsequent numbered edition prints. Sometimes marked E.A. (French, epreuve d’ artiste) or PA (Italian, Prova d’Autore) instead of A.P.

Intaglio
An intaglio print is one whose image is printed from a recessed design incised or etched into the surface of a plate. In this type of print the ink lies below the surface of the plate and is transferred to the paper under pressure, most often with a press. The printed lines of an intaglio print stand in relief on the paper.

Engraving
Lines are incised into a copper plate with a burin. The curls of copper thrown up at the sides of the furrow are cleaned away with a scraper.

Etching
A metal plate is coated with a ground that is impervious to acid. The artist creates an image by drawing through the ground with an etching needle, thus exposing areas of metal. The whole plate is then immersed in acid until the exposed lines are sufficiently bitten, producing grooves in the metal that will hold the ink. The ground is then removed, and the plate is ready to be inked and printed.

Relief
A relief print is one whose image is printed from a design raised on the surface of a block. In this type of print the ink lies on the top of the block and is transferred to the paper under light pressure. Transferred often by small presses or by hand using a baren.

Monoprint
Ink or paint applied onto an already worked plate. Although a matrix is present, real editions are really impossible to carry out, but some element of the print is repeatable. Subsequent “ghost” prints can be pulled, with varying results.

Monotype
Ink or paint is applied to a smooth plate. Because there is no fixed matrix, only one strong impression can be printed. No element of the print is truly repeatable. Subsequent “ghost” prints can be pulled, with varying results.

Printmaking Tools:

Plate
A plate is a flat sheet of metal, usually copper, steel or zinc, used as a matrix for a print. Metal plates are used for intaglio prints and for some lithographs. Plexiglass plates can also be used to create monoprint and monotype prints.

Block
A block is a cutable surface used as a matrix for a print. Blocks can be made from mounted or unmounted linoleum, various woods or easy to cut rubbery materials.

Baren
A Japanese designed tool with a smooth flat bottom and woven handle used to apply pressure to the back of paper when creating block prints.

Brayer
Roller (often rubber) used to apply ink to plates and blocks. Available in a wide variety of sizes.

Lino Cutter
Tool or number of tools with assorted V-shaped gouges used for carving linoleum or wooden blocks for printmaking.

Ground
A varnish-like substance, impervious to acid used to prepare a plate in the engraving process.

Scriber
A metal hand tool sharpened to a point used to draw on a prepared plate to create an etching.

Burin
From the french for “cold chisel” a burin is a tool used in the engraving process. Sometimes called a graver, it has a rounded mushroom-shaped handle with a steel shaft and sharp chisel tip.