fine art printing techniques - greenwich workshopan introductory guide to greenwich workshop fine...
TRANSCRIPT
-
An Introductory Guide to Greenwich Workshop
Fine Art Printing Techniques
A complex photo-mechanical process called “offsetlithography” is used to replicate original works ofart on paper.This process involves many steps beginning with photography, separation of the image into four
“process” colors (cyan, yellow, magenta and black), the creation of screened “halftones” and color
proofs, and the “stripping”of these halftones onto metal printing plates. Increasingly, the steps prior
to printing are performed digitally. To print, inks are carried by rubber rollers called “printing blan-
kets” to the stripped metal plates (hence the term “offset”) to paper. Each color is printed sepa-
rately so the paper may go through the press numerous times. Although this process is used for
many art reproductions,The Greenwich Workshop is known for its exceptional standards working
with leading specialty fine art printers and investing in the finest quality papers and fade-resistant
inks made to our exacting specifications.While the industry standard for printing offset lithographs
is often only four colors, we routinely take the time and expense to add additional “touch” colors
resulting in exceptional color, clarity and fidelity to the original painting. In addition, Greenwich
collaborates closely with the artist during the color proofing and correcting process. Only when
the artist is satisfied, is the print edition finally run and each print personally approved with the
artist’s signature—a process which takes many months from start to finish.The result is a limited
edition which, if properly cared for, can be treasured and enjoyed for generations.
Greenwich
Workshop
Limited
Edition Prints
James C. Christensen’s
Flight of the Fablemaker
Limited to 2500
Greenwich Workshopwww.greenwichworkshop.com
The SINCE 1972
-
One of the appeals of an original painting isundoubtedly its canvas, which lends the paint a sub-tle texture or “feel.”To closely re-create this effect,we perfected the Greenwich Workshop Canvas.
Fine Art CanvasOffset lithographic printing is applied directly to canvas using nearly the exact techniques by which
we create our offset lithographic prints.Our inks are specially adjusted for this technique and the can-
vas we select has many of the same characteristics as the artist’s original canvas.The process has been
adapted for printing in this medium with excellent results.And, like an original painting,a Greenwich
Workshop Fine Art Canvas offers the benefit of framing without glass. Generally, “texture” in this
process comes from the canvas itself and any additional original painting and enhancements to the
canvas readily stand out. From time to time, Greenwich artists will hand-paint on each canvas, mak-
ing each one an “original.”Greenwich does not use a studio approach; all hand-painting is done per-
sonally by the artist.
Textured CanvasThis unique technique replicates the look and feel of an original painting, including canvas texture
and the artist’s original brushstrokes.The image is first printed by offset lithography with oil-based
inks on a thick piece of oil-based material.A mold of the original painting can be used as a guide
to create a feeling of brushstrokes, or the artist can re-create the brushstrokes him or herself.The
mold is used with heat and pressure to bond the printed image to artist-quality canvas.
Giclée CanvasThis technique is also referred to as Iris printing, after the brand name of a particular inkjet print-
er, which is used to create limited editions on canvas as well as paper. Each second, the inkjet
printer produces over four million extremely fine droplets of ink that combine to form more than
two thousand shades of color resulting in an image of exceptional clarity and color fidelity.
No canvas transfers! Canvas transfer has become a generic term that is not the standard by which GreenwichWorkshop canvas should be referred. Most transfers are a chemical process by which inks are lift-ed from the original medium (usually paper) to another (canvas). Most inks, papers and print-ing processes were not designed for this use so there can be a breakdown in color.We cannotcontrol the image fidelity and will not put our name on this process.
An Introductory Guide to Greenwich Workshop
Fine Art Printing Techniques
Greenwich
Workshop
Canvas—An
Art in Itself
Howard Terpning’s
Textured Canvas
Council of Chiefs (detail)
Limited to 950
Greenwich Workshopwww.greenwichworkshop.com
The SINCE 1972
-
An Introductory Guide to Greenwich Workshop
Fine Art Printing Techniques
Intimacy by Thomas Blackshear II (detail, shown right), was produced
through the exacting serigraph process, using more than 120 hand-
applied colors. Also commonly known as silk-screening, serigraphy is a
time-honored technique, based on stenciling, for creating prints by hand.
Ink or paint is carefully brushed through a fine fabric screen, portions of
which have been masked for impermeability. For each color, a different
portion of the screen must be masked and each color must be allowed to dry before the next is
applied. Like Greenwich Workshop fine art lithographs, our fine art serigraphs are created from an
original painting, and the artist can see and adjust the evolution of the colors through many proofing
stages.The depth of color in the resulting fine art serigraph is almost luminous.
Greenwich
Workshop
Fine ArtSerigraphs
James Bama’s Blackfoot Ceremonial Headdress (shown right) was created by
specialized printmakers who have customized ink-jet technology specif-
ically for fine art.This technique is also called Iris printing,after the brand
name of a particular ink-jet printer.Each second, the ink-jet printer pro-
duces over four million droplets of ink that combine to form more than
two thousand shades of color. Blackfoot Ceremonial Headdress was printed
on the same archival watercolor paper that Bama used for the original
painting and must be treated as carefully. Greenwich Workshop giclée
prints on paper are identified by the chop marks of the printer and The
Greenwich Workshop. (Giclée printing is also used on canvas.)
Greenwich
Workshop
Fine Art
Giclées
Fine art lithographs, like Paul Landry’s Summer Mist, (detail, shown right)
are created by hand in a process that dates back to the 18th century
and is the origin of the modern offset lithographic process.A separate
plate is used to print each color (thirty-three in the case of Summer
Mist) and each plate is hand-drawn by the artist or a chromiste.The
plates are printed one at a time and each color is allowed to dry before
the next one is printed, giving the artist an opportunity to see how
the colors are building and to make changes, if necessary.A Greenwich Workshop “fine art” lith-
ograph is published from an original painting; an “original” lithograph is created directly on the
plates, without an original painting as a guide. This distinction is not overlooked by The
Greenwich Workshop.
Greenwich
Workshop
Fine Art
Lithographs
Greenwich Workshopwww.greenwichworkshop.com
The SINCE 1972