I assumed that everyone in the graphics arts market knew what relief printing was. You know what they say about assuming. I discovered that many of
my friends were unfamiliar with the term.
my friends were unfamiliar with the term.
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Woodcut
by Albrecht Dürer – Coat of Arms of the House of Dürer. (Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons, PD-1923.) |
While you may never have heard of relief printing, I am sure that at
some point in your life, you have engaged to some extent in this form of this visual
expression. If you can remember your kindergarten years, you might recall
putting your paws into paint and then transferring the impression onto a piece of paper. That’s a type of relief printing. So is inking a rubber
stamp on an ink pad and making an impression on some stationery. In fact, this type
of printing has been around since some Neanderthal left prints of his hands on a cave wall.
More sophisticated forms of relief printing involve carving a design
in a flat substrate called a printing block, which is made of solid wood,
plywood, medium density overlay (MDO) or linoleum. The raised portion of the
printing block that was not carved away is coated with ink using a brayer or
roller. Over the inked block a piece of paper or fabric is positioned and then
burnished, transferring the image.
in a flat substrate called a printing block, which is made of solid wood,
plywood, medium density overlay (MDO) or linoleum. The raised portion of the
printing block that was not carved away is coated with ink using a brayer or
roller. Over the inked block a piece of paper or fabric is positioned and then
burnished, transferring the image.
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Created
by Japanese artist Hokusai c. 1830, The Great Wave off Kanagawa is an example of multicolor woodblock printing. (Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons, PD-1923.) |
In Japan and China, artists were carving woodblocks and making prints
as far back as the 8th century. Europeans were making woodcuts by at least the 15th century. The really high tech form of relief printing came about when JohannesGutenberg invented the letterpress with movable type. Not much has changed since then.
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The Abbot. Woodcut by Hans Holbein the Younger from the series
known as The Dance of Death. (Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons, PD-1923.) |
Today, in the automated world of wide format digital printing, relief
printing is admittedly primitive. While the technology of woodcuts and linocuts
has not advanced greatly in the last 500 years, this form of printing is still
popular among hobbyists and practiced by serious artists.
In the field of fine
art some of history’s greatest artists have used this printing method,
including Albrecht Dürer, Hans Holbein, Pablo Picasso, Edvard Munch and Paul Gauguin. Whether used for commercial
applications, home crafting or fine art, relief printing continues to fascinate
the public.
Link to a video about the Bigelow collection of Hokusai woodblocks
RELATED ARTICLES
What are Ukiyo-e Prints?
How Japanese Printmaking Influenced Western Art
The Evolution of Color in Japanese Woodblock Printing
printing is admittedly primitive. While the technology of woodcuts and linocuts
has not advanced greatly in the last 500 years, this form of printing is still
popular among hobbyists and practiced by serious artists.
In the field of fine
art some of history’s greatest artists have used this printing method,
including Albrecht Dürer, Hans Holbein, Pablo Picasso, Edvard Munch and Paul Gauguin. Whether used for commercial
applications, home crafting or fine art, relief printing continues to fascinate
the public.
Link to a video about the Bigelow collection of Hokusai woodblocks
RELATED ARTICLES
What are Ukiyo-e Prints?
How Japanese Printmaking Influenced Western Art
The Evolution of Color in Japanese Woodblock Printing
The Division of Labor in Ancient Japanese Print Production
Checklist for Relief Printing with Oil Based Ink
Japanese Carving Tools for Woodblock Relief Printing
Japanese Carving Knives for Woodblock Printing
Safely Carving Woodblocks, Woodcuts and Linocuts
Linocut Tips
Japanese Papers for Printmaking
How Japanese Mulberry Paper is Made
How Handmade Papers in the West are Made
Selecting a Brayer for Relief Printing
Selecting Wood for Relief Printing
Selecting an Ink for Relief Printing
Inking the Woodblock Panel
Clean Up After Relief Printing
About Jim Hingst: After fourteen years as Business Development Manager at RTape, Jim Hingst retired. He was involved in many facets of the company’s business, including marketing, sales, product development and technical service.
Hingst began his career 42 years ago in the graphic arts field creating and producing advertising and promotional materials for a large test equipment manufacturer. Working for offset printers, large format screen printers, vinyl film manufacturers, and application tape companies, his experience included estimating, production planning, purchasing and production art, as well as sales and marketing. In his capacity as a salesman, Hingst was recognized with numerous sales achievement awards.
Drawing on his experience in production and as graphics installation subcontractor, Hingst provided the industry with practical advice, publishing more than 150 articles for publications, such as Signs Canada, SignCraft, Signs of the Times, Screen Printing, Sign and Digital Graphics and Sign Builder Illustrated. He also posted more than 485 stories on his blog (hingstssignpost.blogspot.com). In 2007 Hingst’s book, Vinyl Sign Techniques, was published. Vinyl Sign Techniques is available at sign supply distributors and at Amazon.
