My Printmaking Process

Printmaking is such a diverse discipline and a 'print' can mean lots of different things. Often you hear 'print' meaning giclee prints or digital reproductions of an original painting or illustration.

Most of my works are dry point prints. Each one is made by hand, painted by hand and then signed and numbered -  as they are limited edition.

First, I start out by sketching my design until I'm happy with it. I then transfer my design onto illustration board, which will become my 'plate'. I cut out my plate, seal it with up to 6 coats of sealer, and then I etch all of the lines of my design into the plate with a sharp tool.

My next step is to 'ink up' my plate ready for printing. The ink goes on and then the excess ink gets gently wiped off, leaving ink in the etched lines. This is the most time-consuming part of the process.

When I'm happy with the plate, it goes onto the etching press. My paper goes on top and I hold my breath and wind it through the press.

​The prints are left to dry. To make the next print, I ink up and wipe off my plate again. 

Plates made in this way can only go through the press limited times and so each of my designs will be limited to /15 or /25 prints in an edition.

When you see a number on the bottom of an artwork like: 2/25, that means it was the second print pulled in an edition of 25. U/S stands for Unique State and means that the print is unique, either due to ink colour, layout or the watercolours used.

Once the print is dry,  I paint it with artist quality watercolour paints. The colours that are mixed can never be recreated exactly, so each one has its own unique quality.

​ORIGINAL PRINTS vs GICLEE PRINTS and DIGITAL PRINTSIt is easy to get confused about what you are looking at when viewing a 'print'. This term applies to a wide range of different products.

Hand-pulled prints: These are original, handmade artworks. They may be a one-off or form part of a small edition. But each is a discrete artwork. Intaglio techniques, such as my etchings and collagraphs will create an embossed edge on the paper. Relief techniques include linoprints and woodblock prints. Hand-pulled prints are more valuable than other types of prints by the same artist. They will be signed and numbered by the artist, most commonly in pencil.

Includes mediums such as: collagraph, etching, lithograph, dry point, intaglio, linocut, monoprint, screenprint.

Giclee prints: (pronounced jee-clay) These are quality, archival reproductions of an original artwork or photograph. They may even be a reproduction of an original print. Also called fine art prints, they should be of excellent quality, printed with specialised inks to museum standard. They may be editioned, signed and numbered, thus increasing their value. 

Digital prints: These are the most affordable prints. They are digital reproductions of artwork or photographs, often printed with an inkjet printer. The lines have blurred in recent years with many digital prints being referred to as giclee prints, and digital printing now available to a very high standard of quality and longevity. They may be signed and numbered - but not necessarily. Uneditioned prints will be the most affordable.

It can be hard to tell a good giclee from an original. Look for the embossed edges on an original intaglio print and an original signature. If the signature forms part of the image and is not made by hand on the paper, it is a reproduction. ​

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