With the 2021 Cape Dorset Annual Print Collection releasing on Oct. 16th, we thought a quick, simple glossary of print-making terms might come in handy…

Lithograph – when an artist uses a flat stone or metal sheet to create a work. The surface is treated with a compound that retains ink, while the area that the image will not cover is treated with a compound that repels it.

Etching – a metal plate (such as copper or iron) is polished to remove all imperfections and then acid is used to produce incised lines which then holds the ink.

Sugar Lift – using a paint brush and a sugar solution, an artist can make marks on a plate that will remain to the final printing.

Hand-coloring – manually adding color to a print. also called over-painting.

Chine Colle – a technique which allows color or texture to be added to a print by adding a thin tissue paper which is then run through the press along with the larger, thicker paper below it.

Aquatint – is a technique which produces a tonal effect instead of lines in printmaking. Acid is used on the printing plate to create areas which hold the ink.

Stonecut – is a method of printmaking where the printmaker copies the original drawing onto a flattened stone. They then chip away any stone not appearing in the print. The raised area is then inked using rollers and a sheet of thin paper (often hand-made) is placed over the sheet and pressed gently against the stone, by hand with a little, padded disc. One print per inking of the stone can be pulled at a time.

Stencil – when holes are cut into cardboard or metal and then paint or ink is passed over the holes to create images/decorations.

Blind Embossing – is when an image/design is raised using pressure and not ink.

Linocut – similar to a woodcut, but linoleum is the surface into which the image/design is cut and printed.

Quick. And simple.

Hope it helps!

(cover image – Shoreline Spirit – Nuna Parr (Etching & Chine Colle))