The
next time you are at a garage sale or auction you may run across an art print
that is described as a lithograph or a silkscreen. Here is what those terms mean.
Giclée
(jhee-clay) (also known as Iris prints)
French meaning 'to spray ink'. This
term has become more prevalent with the use of computers in the production of
art prints. A scanned image printed on a high resolution, inkjet printer.
Lithograph
A print based on the idea that oil and water don't mix. The lithographer creates
a design directly on a stone or smooth plate with a greasy material, such as crayon,
and then fixes it to the surface. The stone is dampened with water, which, repelled
by the greasy medium, only settles in the blank spaces where there is no design.
The ink is then applied where it adheres only to the areas where the design was
originally drawn.
Screen Print (or silkscreen)
A stencil process using
a cloth or mesh screen fixed to a frame. The artist blocks out areas of the screen
with paper or paint that clogs the holes in the screen. The frame is then placed
on the paper and thick ink is forced through the mesh onto the paper with a squeegee
or rubber blade. Also used to make a lot of t-shirts.
Woodcut
A printing
process in which a design is drawn or transferred to the surface of a wooden block.
Wood Engraving
Developed in the 18th century and used primarily for
book illustrations. In wood engraving, the block is cut across (rather than parallel
to) the grain, creating a harder, denser surface than a woodcut's.
For
more information on various types of art prints see this about.com article.
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