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The print industry
Hand: 
Techniques 
Method Advantages Disadvantages Examples 
(pictures) 
Etching a method of making prints from 
a metal plate, usually copper, into which 
the design has been incised by acid. The 
copperplate is first coated with an acid-resistant 
substance ,which the design is 
drawn with a sharp tool. The plate is 
then exposed to nitric acid or dutch 
mordant, which eats away those areas 
of the plate unprotected by the ground, 
forming a pattern of recessed lines. 
• Many circuits can 
be etched at once 
• Circuits can be 
very compact - 
the etched tracks 
replace wires and 
leads. 
• If the circuit needs to be 
updated then it will need 
to be re-designed and re-etched 
from scratch 
• Uses some nasty 
chemicals that can be 
harmful. 
Linocut Linocut is a printmaking technique, a variant 
of woodcut in which a sheet of linoleum is 
used for the relief surface. A design is cut 
into the linoleum surface with a sharp knife 
with the raised areas representing a reversal 
of the parts to show printed. The linoleum 
sheet is inked with a roller and then 
impressed onto paper or fabric. The actual 
printing can be done by hand or with a press. 
• Sturdy 
• Easy for simple 
designs 
• Mistakes are 
irreversible 
• Time consuming 
• Limited colour 
application 
• Long time to dry 
Screen print Mesh is stapled to a wooden or metal frame. 
Masking tape stuck around underside of the 
screen 
Stencil design cut. 
Stencil placed under frame but above paper. 
Line of ink placed at one end of screen. 
Use squeegee to draw ink across screen, 
pressing firmly 
Carefully lift screen. 
Evaluate and repeat. 
• Economical 
• Quicker process 
• Larger designs 
• Wide range of 
utility 
• Sturdy and tough 
• Takes a long time-particularly 
high quality 
prints. 
• It is financially impractical 
for the production of a 
single item particularly for 
colour printing advertising 
applications. 
Woodcut It’s a relief printing artistic technique in 
printmaking in which an image is carved 
into the surface of a block of wood, with 
the printing parts remaining level with 
the surface while the non-printing parts 
are removed. The areas to show ‘white’ 
are cut away with a knife or chisel, 
leaving the characters or image to show 
in ‘black’ at the original surface level. 
• Cheaper to buy 
• Cheap materials 
• Robust quality 
• Time consuming 
Lithography A printing plate with a relief image is 
dampened with water and then coated 
with ink. The ink only sticks to the parts 
of the plate that are not wet with water. 
The printing plate is fixed to a roller and 
the image is transferred onto paper fed 
under the roller. Lithography is used for 
• It’s fast 
• Cheap 
• The images 
produced are 
clear and 
• Cant produce high 
quality prints 
• Materials are 
complex to use
Mechanical: 
Technique Method Advantages Disadvantages Example 
(picture) 
Letterpress Letterpress is a form of 
relief printing. It can be 
used to create both type 
and illustrations. It is 
used for small printing 
jobs such as business 
cards and stationery. 
• Straight forward 
process 
• Sharp images 
• Any type of 
paper can be 
used. 
• Time consuming 
• The range of 
fonts and styles 
are limited 
• Colour 
disadvantage 
Gravure In gravure printing, the image 
is made up of small holes 
sunk in the surface of the 
printing plate. The holes are 
filled with ink and any excess 
is removed. Paper comes into 
contact with the ink in the 
holes when it is pressed 
against the plate. They are 
used for magazines, mail-order 
catalogues, packaging 
and printing onto fabric. 
• Photographic 
Quality 
• Bright colours 
• Best appearance 
• High cost 
• Time needed to 
engrave 
Screen process Is a print made by 
pushing ink through a 
screen. 
• Can be used on 
glass, plastics 
and textured 
surfaces 
• Durability 
• images can be 
scaled upwards 
• Limited colour 
mixing 
• Multi step process
Digital: 
Technique Method Advantages Disadvantages Examples 
(pictures) 
photocopying Photocopiers can enlarge 
and reduce images, and 
process paper and card. 
They can also be used 
for back-to-back copying 
and to collate multiple 
copies. 
• They make large 
amounts of copies 
• they are easy to 
understand on how 
to use 
• Speed 
• cost 
• Its heavy and it 
takes up a lot of 
space. 
• Lack of reliability 
Laser printing Laser printing is an 
electrostatic digital 
printing process that rapidly 
produces high quality text 
and graphics by passing 
a laser beam over a 
charged drum to define a 
differentially charged 
image. The drum then 
selectively collects charged 
toner and transfers the 
image to paper, which is 
then heated to permanently 
fix the image. 
• Colour printing is 
possible 
• Print quality 
• Noiseless 
• Cost of ink 
• When printed 
they are wet so 
need to dry 
• Printing is slow 
Inkjet Inkjet printing is a type 
of computer printing that 
creates a digital 
image by propelling 
droplets of ink onto 
paper, plastic, or other 
substrates. 
• Colour is 
perfect 
• faster 
• Very expensive 
Desktop 
publishing 
is the creation of 
documents using page 
layout skills on a personal 
computer. Desktop 
publishing software can 
generate layouts and 
produce typographic quality 
• Frame based 
• Easy to use 
• Multiple available 
templates 
• Slow installation 
• Not very precise 
layouts
Etching 
• ‘The Soldier and his Wife’ 
Etching by Daniel Hopfer. Who 
is believed to have been the 
first to apply the technique to 
printmaking.
Linocut 
• Linocut by Carl 
Eugen Keel.
Screen print 
• Screen print 
technique by 
Margret 
Hofheinz-Döring.
Woodcut 
• ‘Four 
horsemen of 
the 
Apocalypse’ 
by Albrecht 
Dürer
Lithography 
• Charles Marion 
Russell’s ‘The 
Custer Fight’ 
(1903), with the 
range of tones 
fading toward the 
edges.
Gravure 
• Rotogravure 
portrait of 
Charles Darwin.

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The print industry

  • 2. Hand: Techniques Method Advantages Disadvantages Examples (pictures) Etching a method of making prints from a metal plate, usually copper, into which the design has been incised by acid. The copperplate is first coated with an acid-resistant substance ,which the design is drawn with a sharp tool. The plate is then exposed to nitric acid or dutch mordant, which eats away those areas of the plate unprotected by the ground, forming a pattern of recessed lines. • Many circuits can be etched at once • Circuits can be very compact - the etched tracks replace wires and leads. • If the circuit needs to be updated then it will need to be re-designed and re-etched from scratch • Uses some nasty chemicals that can be harmful. Linocut Linocut is a printmaking technique, a variant of woodcut in which a sheet of linoleum is used for the relief surface. A design is cut into the linoleum surface with a sharp knife with the raised areas representing a reversal of the parts to show printed. The linoleum sheet is inked with a roller and then impressed onto paper or fabric. The actual printing can be done by hand or with a press. • Sturdy • Easy for simple designs • Mistakes are irreversible • Time consuming • Limited colour application • Long time to dry Screen print Mesh is stapled to a wooden or metal frame. Masking tape stuck around underside of the screen Stencil design cut. Stencil placed under frame but above paper. Line of ink placed at one end of screen. Use squeegee to draw ink across screen, pressing firmly Carefully lift screen. Evaluate and repeat. • Economical • Quicker process • Larger designs • Wide range of utility • Sturdy and tough • Takes a long time-particularly high quality prints. • It is financially impractical for the production of a single item particularly for colour printing advertising applications. Woodcut It’s a relief printing artistic technique in printmaking in which an image is carved into the surface of a block of wood, with the printing parts remaining level with the surface while the non-printing parts are removed. The areas to show ‘white’ are cut away with a knife or chisel, leaving the characters or image to show in ‘black’ at the original surface level. • Cheaper to buy • Cheap materials • Robust quality • Time consuming Lithography A printing plate with a relief image is dampened with water and then coated with ink. The ink only sticks to the parts of the plate that are not wet with water. The printing plate is fixed to a roller and the image is transferred onto paper fed under the roller. Lithography is used for • It’s fast • Cheap • The images produced are clear and • Cant produce high quality prints • Materials are complex to use
  • 3. Mechanical: Technique Method Advantages Disadvantages Example (picture) Letterpress Letterpress is a form of relief printing. It can be used to create both type and illustrations. It is used for small printing jobs such as business cards and stationery. • Straight forward process • Sharp images • Any type of paper can be used. • Time consuming • The range of fonts and styles are limited • Colour disadvantage Gravure In gravure printing, the image is made up of small holes sunk in the surface of the printing plate. The holes are filled with ink and any excess is removed. Paper comes into contact with the ink in the holes when it is pressed against the plate. They are used for magazines, mail-order catalogues, packaging and printing onto fabric. • Photographic Quality • Bright colours • Best appearance • High cost • Time needed to engrave Screen process Is a print made by pushing ink through a screen. • Can be used on glass, plastics and textured surfaces • Durability • images can be scaled upwards • Limited colour mixing • Multi step process
  • 4. Digital: Technique Method Advantages Disadvantages Examples (pictures) photocopying Photocopiers can enlarge and reduce images, and process paper and card. They can also be used for back-to-back copying and to collate multiple copies. • They make large amounts of copies • they are easy to understand on how to use • Speed • cost • Its heavy and it takes up a lot of space. • Lack of reliability Laser printing Laser printing is an electrostatic digital printing process that rapidly produces high quality text and graphics by passing a laser beam over a charged drum to define a differentially charged image. The drum then selectively collects charged toner and transfers the image to paper, which is then heated to permanently fix the image. • Colour printing is possible • Print quality • Noiseless • Cost of ink • When printed they are wet so need to dry • Printing is slow Inkjet Inkjet printing is a type of computer printing that creates a digital image by propelling droplets of ink onto paper, plastic, or other substrates. • Colour is perfect • faster • Very expensive Desktop publishing is the creation of documents using page layout skills on a personal computer. Desktop publishing software can generate layouts and produce typographic quality • Frame based • Easy to use • Multiple available templates • Slow installation • Not very precise layouts
  • 5. Etching • ‘The Soldier and his Wife’ Etching by Daniel Hopfer. Who is believed to have been the first to apply the technique to printmaking.
  • 6. Linocut • Linocut by Carl Eugen Keel.
  • 7. Screen print • Screen print technique by Margret Hofheinz-Döring.
  • 8. Woodcut • ‘Four horsemen of the Apocalypse’ by Albrecht Dürer
  • 9. Lithography • Charles Marion Russell’s ‘The Custer Fight’ (1903), with the range of tones fading toward the edges.
  • 10. Gravure • Rotogravure portrait of Charles Darwin.