What is Printmaking? A print is
an image that has been transfered onto a surface (such as
paper) from a primary source (such as a copper sheet) that
has been covered in ink.
Of course in these terms a newspaper is as
much a print as a Picasso etching but
obviously how these two are priced is very different as one
can be discarded quickly without much thought while the other
can be insured for huge sums of money.
In most cases the term Printmaking therfore
describes a printed picture the original plate of which has
almost definetly been created by hand by the artist with the
prints most likely hand printed by them as well. The specialness
of them is therefore to do with the fact they have been created
and printed by the artist and the number produced will be
limited.
Why do artists use printing to create an
image?
The techniques involved to create the image enable the artist
to get certain effects that otherwise would be difficult.
Also once you create the image into the fabric of the metal
plate or piece of wood you can print many more.
