A multi‑color inking technique in which different colored inks are applied to distinct areas of a single plate or block using small wads of fabric (poupées). Each pull produces a unique color blend so no two prints are identical.

Materials (papers, boards, inks) made without acids that would cause yellowing or degradation over time. Essential for archival-quality prints intended to last.

A flat chisel tool used in Japanese woodblock printmaking (mokuhanga) to clear large areas of the block. Produces clean, flat gouged surfaces rather than V‑shaped grooves.

Designed for long-term preservation, resistant to fading, yellowing, and deterioration. Applies to papers, inks, storage boxes, matting, and framing.

An impression printed from the same matrix as the main edition but reserved for the artist rather than included in the numbered edition. Artist's proofs are marked A/P and are typically limited to around 10% of the edition size.

A greasy, highly pigmented drawing ink used to draw or write either directly on a printing matrix (such as a lithographic stone or plate) or on an intermediate surface (such as transfer paper or film) that is later transferred or exposed onto the final printing surface in lithography, screen printing, and related processes.

Lithography in which the artist draws directly on the litho stone or plate, as opposed to transferring an image photo-mechanically.

A flat, circular tool used to hand-burnish a print by pressing paper against an inked block or plate. Originally made from bamboo coil wrapped in a bamboo sheath; modern versions are made from plastic, ball bearings, or Masonite. Essential for relief printing without a press.

The substance that carries pigment in printing ink and binds it to the printing surface. Linseed oil is the traditional binder for oil-based inks; acrylic polymer emulsion for water-based inks. The binder affects drying time, viscosity, and how the ink transfers.

The action of acid eating into an unprotected metal plate during the etching process. The depth and duration of the bite determines how much ink a line will hold and therefore its darkness when printed.

Thick woven felt layers placed between the roller and the paper on an etching press to cushion the impression and press paper into the recesses of the intaglio plate.

When ink prints beyond the intended design boundary, either accidentally (ink spread) or deliberately (a bleed, where the print runs to the paper edge with no margin). In digital print preparation, “bleed” also refers to artwork extended beyond the crop line so that trimming yields a clean, edge‑to‑edge print.

A printing technique in which two or more colors of ink are placed side by side on the ink slab and blended together on the roller or brayer, producing a gradual color transition across the print in a single pass.

The material into which a design is carved for relief printing — traditionally wood or linoleum, but also rubber, vinyl, and other carvable surfaces. Also called a matrix or plate depending on context.

French for “good to print” or “good to pull”. The approved proof that establishes the standard for an entire edition. All subsequent prints in the edition must match the BAT. 

A hand roller used to apply ink evenly to a printing matrix (block or plate).

A steel tool with a sharpened, angled cutting tip used for engraving. The burin is pushed into the plate to displace metal and create a clean V-shaped groove. Different profiles (lozenge, flat, round, multiple) produce different line qualities.

A smooth, polished tool used to flatten the surface of a metal plate, removing burr (in drypoint), lightening aquatint tones, or correcting mistakes. Burnishing compresses the metal surface rather than cutting it.

A ridge of displaced metal pushed up alongside a scratched or incised line, most notably in drypoint. The burr holds extra ink and produces a characteristically soft, velvety line. Burr wears quickly under press pressure, making early impressions from a drypoint plate distinctly richer.

A print made after the stone or plate has been deliberately defaced to document that no further authorized prints can be made. Cancellation proofs are often numbered and signed.

A matrix that has been deliberately defaced by scoring, drilling, or otherwise marking it after the edition is complete, ensuring no further impressions can be printed from it. Proof of cancellation is sometimes printed and distributed as a 'cancellation proof'.

A silicon carbide abrasive used with a levigator (or second stone) to grind and grain the surface of a lithographic stone. Available in different grades, from coarse to fine, each producing a different surface texture on the stone.

A comprehensive, scholarly catalogue of all known prints by a specific artist, including edition details, dimensions, dates, and provenance.

A printmaking technique in which a thin paper is bonded to a heavier support sheet during printing.

A small embossed, inked, or stamped mark — typically in a print's lower margin — identifying the studio, printer, or publisher.

The four-color process using cyan, magenta, yellow, and key (black). Colors print as separate halftone layers or transparent overlays; the combination creates full color images.

A printmaking technique in which the matrix is built up (rather than carved away) by adhering materials like card, fabric, sand, leaves, texture paste to a rigid base. Can be printed in intaglio, relief, or both simultaneously, producing richly textured surfaces.

A statement, usually at the end of a portfolio or book, recording details of the edition: publisher, printer, paper, number of copies, date, and sometimes a list of subscribers.

The process of isolating each color in a design onto its own printing element (screen, block, plate, or stone). Each layer is printed separately and sequentially to build the final image.

A stamp or signature added by a print workshop to authenticate that an edition was produced under its supervision. It is distinct from the artist’s own signature.

A printing process that produces characteristic Prussian blue prints. Paper or fabric is coated with a light-sensitive iron compound; objects or film negatives are placed on the surface and exposed to UV light. The unexposed areas wash away in water, leaving a blue-and-white image.

The rough, feathery edge naturally formed on handmade paper where the pulp thins at the mould edge. A deckled edge is associated with fine art papers and is considered aesthetically desirable. Machine-made papers sometimes simulate a deckled edge by tearing.

The chemical treatment (typically with gum arabic and acid) applied to a lithographic stone or plate after drawing to fix the image. The gum fills non‑image areas with water‑loving (hydrophilic) molecules, making them reject oil‑based ink.

A measure of rubber hardness (squeegee blades, brayers, rollers) on the Shore A scale. Softer durometers apply more ink; harder durometers give allow for finer detail.

The total number of authorized prints pulled from a single matrix. An edition defines how many copies of a print exist. Prints in an edition are typically numbered (e.g., 3/25) and signed by the artist.

The process of selecting, numbering, and signing an edition, including choosing which prints from a run meet quality standards, recording the edition size, and annotating each print in pencil.

Process for etching metal plates using salt solution and electrical current instead of acid. Developed as a safer alternative to traditional mordants.

Pressing an uninked block, die, or plate into paper to create a raised (emboss) or recessed (deboss) impression. Blind embossing (without ink) is valued for its sculptural, tactile quality. Embossing can be combined with any inked printmaking process.

A light-sensitive liquid coating applied to the mesh of a screen before exposure. During exposure, UV light hardens the emulsion where it is hit, blocking those areas to ink. Areas shielded by the design on the transparency wash away when the screen is developed, leaving open mesh that will print.

Wood cut across the grain (transversely), producing an extremely hard, fine‑grained surface ideal for wood engraving. Allows finer detail than plank‑grain woodcut because the tool cuts through cell ends rather than along fibres.

Etching ink is a specialized, highly pigmented, and tacky oil-based ink designed for intaglio printmaking, ensuring it stays in plate grooves while excess is wiped away.

A fine-pointed tool used to draw through the ground in etching, exposing the metal beneath to be bitten by acid. Etching needles require little pressure and allow fluid, spontaneous mark-making.

A press with a flat metal bed that passes between heavy steel rollers. Forces paper into plate recesses (intaglio) or provides uniform contact (relief/monotype).

UV light step in photo-emulsion screen prep and photopolymer plate making. Light hardens emulsion/polymer in non-image areas through film positive or transparency; design blocks light, leaving image areas washable.

A clear, ink-free medium added to printing ink to reduce color intensity without changing the ink's printability. Used to create transparent tints, allow underlying layers to show through, or extend ink volume.

Safer alternative to nitric acid for etching copper or zinc plates. Works more slowly and is more controllable. Unlike nitric acid, ferric chloride does not produce toxic fumes.

Transparent film with opaque black design used to expose photo-emulsion on screens. Opaque areas block light (emulsion stays soft); clear areas let light through (emulsion hardens).

Technique where short fibers (flock) adhere to screen-printed adhesive layer, creating soft, velvety tactile surface. Common in textile and wallpaper printing.

A soft, reusable gel surface used for monotype printing without a press. Ink is rolled or painted onto the gel, the design is manipulated (by pressing, masking, or texturing), and paper is pressed by hand. Gel plates are accessible, non-toxic, and produce painterly results.

A secondary impression taken from a printing plate or block that has not been re-inked after the primary print has been pulled. The ghost carries whatever ink remained on the surface, fainter, more diffuse, and atmospheric in quality.