Glossary of terms and techniques with reference to Birgit Skiöld’s prints and bookworks Glossary of terms and techniques with reference to Birgit Skiöld’s prints and bookworks The processes referred to here were mostly used by Skiöld at Print Workshop and are not necessarily recommended for today’s use as health and safety issues have led to some procedures becoming obsolete. Note: Words found in bold italics indicate their own entry. Acetic Acid: Also called ethanoic acid is used in a dilute solution to clean/prepare plates prior to etching. It is also vinegar when very dilute. Acid: In Printmaking it refers to the solution used to etch plates. Nitric acid is commonly used to etch copper and zinc plates. A la poupée: A process of inking an etching plate in more than one colour and printed simultaneously; creating a colour print in one pull. Each print printed à la poupée may vary slightly. Examples of this can be viewed in BSMT 31 and BSMT 993. Artist’s Book, also referred to as Bookwork: A term applied to a broad range of art works that are realised in the form of a book. The form and content of a book is an expression of the artist’s concept as opposed to a book about an artist. Artists’ books are often published in small editions and sometimes they are one off objects. Artists' books are realized in a wide range of forms, including bound, scrolls, fold-outs, loose leaves or loose items/objects contained in a box and often involve printmaking techniques. Although artists have been active in printing and book production for centuries, the artist's book is primarily a 20th century form, rooted in the French tradition of the Livre d’Artiste. Aquatint: An intaglio etching technique used to create areas of tone. Generally powdered resin is evenly sprinkled, then carefully melted, onto an etching plate prior to being bitten by the etching mordant. After having been etched the surface of the plate is textured and will hold ink. The result is a finely textured tonal area, the intensity and darkness of which is determined by how long the plate is bitten by the acid. Skiöld used both box-resin aquatint and coarse or pepperpot aquatint. Density of tone can be controlled by the moment the plate goes in the resin box and the length of time it is left there. Coarse resin is shaken onto the plate through a stocking mesh stretched across a small container. Large particles of resin can be sprinkled onto the plate through a sieve or by hand. Artist’s Proof, A/P: Prints pulled outside the edition which are reserved for the artist. Proofs are sometimes identified by Roman numerals. Artists’ proofs are usually numbered to a maximum of six. Bleed, French Bleed: An image that runs to the edge of a sheet of paper, that is, where there are no visible paper margins. Blended Surface-roll: A method used in relief printing at the printing stage whereby two different coloured inks are rolled up alongside each other to merge before being applied to the printing surface. See BSMT 1281, BSMT 1019, and BSMT 1003. Blind Embossing, Embossing: A form of pressurised printing without the use of ink so that the paper takes on the form of the printing plate or relief block. A thin sheet of tissue is often placed between the plate/block and the printing paper in order to achieve a crisp, clean print. Birgit Skiöld often used this technique in conjunction with etching, relief printing and skilfully in lithography where careful registration was required. A thin rubber blanket was used in some cases to achieve a better impression. Examples can be found in BSMT 1017 and in the bookwork, Chimes 1969 Circle Press Bloom: A term used by some to describe surface-tone, a film of ink left on the plate during the wiping process and used to enhance background tone and atmospheric effect. Skiöld used this extensively, see, V&A AAD/1997/18/153, BSMT 1274 and BSMT137. file:///D|/OTHERWork/Ree/glossery/glossary.html (1 of 7) [25/11/2008 20:08:35] Glossary of terms and techniques with reference to Birgit Skiöld’s prints and bookworks Bon à tirer, B.A.T. (French): Good to print /pull. Often written as BAT on the printing paper by the artist to indicate to the printer that this particular print is standard for the edition. Burnishing: A method of removing and flattening part of an image on an etching plate. Burnishing can also be used to draw into an image by directly scratching the surface of an etched plate with a tool called a scraper/ burnisher. Carborundum: An abrasive powder made of carbon and silicon. The carborundum print is created by painting a mixture of carborundum grit and acrylic medium onto a firm, flat surface such as an aluminum, zinc plate or thick card. Once the plate dries it hardens and is inked intaglio and printed with the use of an etching press. It is also used for giving new grain to lithography stones. Catalogue-Raisonné: A catalogue containing a description of all the work made by an artist. Chinagraph Wax Resist: A waxy crayon/pencil. Skiöld used a chinagraph pencil to draw an image which was then transferred photographically on to an etching plate. Examples of this technique can seen in the Raked Garden Square series of etchings 1976, see BSMT 674, 1710, 1259 and 135. Chine-Collé : A method of attaching, with glue, a thin piece of paper to the surface of a print during the process of printing. The paper used is often thin and smooth in order to achieve a finer impression. In contemporary prints it is more often used for purely aesthetic reasons, exploiting visual qualities of the paper rather than its ability at subtly reproducing a printed line. Chop: A blind embossed image pressed into the paper by the printer and/or the print publisher. See Chimes, the bookwork, 1969, Circle Press, for an example of a Circle press seal, also BSMT 1742, for an example of a London Graphic Arts seal. Coarse Aquatint also Pepperpot Aquatint: Uneven powdered resin is sprinkled on to an etching plate through a stocking covered shaker. The plate is then heated and the resin melted and prepared for etching. The result is a speckled, uneven aquatint. Sometimes a fine aquatint is placed and etched on top of a pepperpot aquatint to give an area of extra intensity of tone and colour. An example of this can be found in BSMT 1710. Colophon: A page accompanying a portfolio or bound into a book giving information about the author and how the work was produced. The colophon often lists the printer, medium, paper, edition size and the typeface used. See Chimes, the bookwork, 1969 Circle Press. Counter Proof: The artist/printer places a piece of paper over a print while the ink is still wet, and pulls another impression from the print itself. Debossing: An inverted form of embossing in which a deeply etched plate or relief block plate is placed under (recto) the printing paper and run through the press. Examples are BSMT 991 and BSMT 1021. Deckle Edge: The naturally irregular edge of a handmade sheet of paper. The deckle edge is formed where the paper pulp thins out at the edges of a papermaking mould. Deckle edges are also to be found on two sides of mould-made paper. Drypoint: An intaglio form of printing but the lines are scored and scratched into the plate manually and without the use of acid. A feature that distinguishes a drypoint is a soft and often rather thick or bushy line. The printed line of a drypoint is often referred to having a ‘burr’. An example of this can be found in BSMT 1302. Edition: The number of identical images printed from the same plates, blocks or screens with same title and date. Editions can be limited or unlimited. For example, the size of an edition can be expressed as 15/40, indicating that particular print is the 15th print from an edition run of 40. It does not necessarily mean it was the 15th impression taken. After the edition is taken it is usual that the printing matrix is cancelled or destroyed. file:///D|/OTHERWork/Ree/glossery/glossary.html (2 of 7) [25/11/2008 20:08:35] Glossary of terms and techniques with reference to Birgit Skiöld’s prints and bookworks Etching: Taken from the German word ‘atzen’ meaning to be corrosive. An intaglio process where a print is taken from a metal plate, on to which the image has been produced through the biting action of acid. (The plate can be prepared in a number of ways including covering with an acid-resistant waxy hard ground or soft ground. The artist draws through the ground with a sharp needle-like tool to expose the metal plate underneath. Another method is to apply sugarlift.) When the plate is immersed in an acid bath, the exposed parts are eaten away (etched), producing the sunken lines that will hold the ink. Ink is pushed into the etched areas, the excess removed, and the plate printed. The amount of time spent in the acid will determine the depth of the incised mark and consequently the degree of tone of the printed mark. Ferric Chloride (iron(III) chloride or Iron Perchloride): A very corrosive salt used to etch copper plates, which does not release hydrogen gas and produces a fine etch; used at Print Workshop.