Relief and Intaglio Printing Techniques

What are relief and intaglio printing techniques?

Which parts of the plate are involved in applying ink and creating a print in these techniques?

Answer:

Relief printing involves ink being applied to the raised parts of a plate to create a print, while in intaglio printing, ink is wiped off the plate surface and remains only in the incised channels.

Relief printing, such as woodcut or linoleum cut, is an example of relief printing. In this process, the areas of the matrix that are to show the printed image are on the original surface, while the parts of the matrix that are to be ink-free are cut away or removed. The ink is applied to the raised parts of the plate, and when paper is pressed against the plate, the ink is transferred to the paper, creating the print.

On the other hand, intaglio printing involves incising channels into a plate, such as a copper plate, with a burin. The entire plate is then inked, and the ink is wiped off the surface, leaving ink only in the incised channels. When paper is pressed onto the plate, the ink is transferred to the paper, creating the print. Examples of intaglio techniques include engravings and etchings.

Hence, relief printing and intaglio printing techniques differ in how the ink is applied and transferred onto the paper, leading to unique prints with distinct characteristics.