A relief in printmaking is a general term for those printmaking techniques in which the printing surface is cut away so that the image alone appears raised on the surface.
In essence, relief printmaking involves carving or removing the areas of the printing surface that you do not want to print. This leaves the image areas standing out in relief (raised) from the background. When ink is applied to the surface, only these raised parts receive the ink, which is then transferred to paper under pressure to create the print.
How Relief Printing Works
The process relies on the simple principle of a raised surface holding ink. Here's a breakdown:
- Preparation: A block or plate (the "matrix") is chosen, made from materials like wood, linoleum, or metal.
- Carving/Removal: Using tools, the artist carefully removes material from the matrix in the areas that are intended to be white (or the paper color) in the final print.
- Inking: Ink is rolled onto the raised surface of the matrix, covering only the parts that were not cut away.
- Printing: Paper is placed on the inked matrix, and pressure is applied (using a press, a roller, or by hand) to transfer the ink from the raised areas onto the paper.
The resulting print is a mirror image of the design left in relief on the block.
Common Examples of Relief Prints
The reference states that Relief prints include woodcut, linoleum cut, letterpress, and rubber or metal stamping.
Here are some key techniques that fall under the relief umbrella:
- Woodcut: One of the oldest printmaking techniques, where the image is carved into a block of wood. The grain of the wood can sometimes be visible in the print.
- Linoleum Cut (Lino Cut): Similar to woodcut, but uses a sheet of linoleum, which is softer and easier to carve, allowing for finer detail and smoother lines.
- Letterpress: Traditionally used for printing text and images from raised metal type or plates. It's a form of relief printing often associated with distinctive impressions on the paper.
- Rubber or Metal Stamping: Simple, everyday examples where a raised design on rubber or metal is inked and pressed onto a surface.
Understanding relief printmaking is fundamental to appreciating various historical and contemporary print methods where the positive image stands out from the surface.
| Relief Technique | Material | Typical Result |
|---|---|---|
| Woodcut | Wood | Bold lines, wood grain |
| Linoleum Cut | Linoleum | Smooth lines, less grain |
| Letterpress | Metal/Polymer | Crisp text, indentation |
| Rubber/Metal Stamp | Rubber/Metal | Simple shapes/designs |
