There a million different approaches to drypoint printmaking. This post describes one approach. There are different schools and different characters. Rumor has it that you can’t print with water based colours and a book press. Actually I can ^_^…

This post was first published on The Lighthouse Kepper’s Cat (my general musings) on January 15th, 2009 and there are many more pictures on Flickr.

Background: Relief and intaglio printmaking

Traditional printmaking techniques like drypoint or etching enables an artist or print maker to print a certain amount of prints (edition) from a handmade plate. The plates are inked and the ink is transfered from either the surface (relief printmaking e.g. woodcut or linocut) or the incised lines (intaglio printmaking e.g. etching or drypoint) onto paper using a printing press.

In drypoint printmaking an image is incised into a plate with a hard-pointed “needle”. Traditionally the plate was copper, but today plexi-glass is commonly used.

Advantages of using Perspex or Plexiglas

• The Material is cheaper than copper or zinc plates.
• The plates are easily cut into the right size.
• You can see your sketch through the plate.
• You can see the inked areas through the plate.

Three Steps

Intaglio printmaking processes follows three steps.

• #1 ‘Transferring’ the artwork onto the plate
• #2 Inking and wiping
• #3 Printing the artwork onto paper

Materials needed

For step#1 Transferring…

• Your Sketch :-)
• 2mm clear Perspex or Plexiglas
• Ruler and cutting knife
• Sandpaper or a file
• Marker (fine line)
• Etching needle

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