PrintingThomas Atkinson

Hand

Using a type of acid to cut through the

weakest parts in metal to make an image Advantages• It is useful for making circuit boards• It is permanent Disadvantages• It uses acid and can, therefore, be dangerous.• It can only be done by those who are skilled

in the subject

Etching

Scratching the design into either a wooden block or a

foam sheet, inking or painting over it and laying it on the paper

Advantages• Means it can be produced more than once• It is used as a way of teaching kids about printmaking

in early school years Disadvantages• It can (like etching) be hard for anyone unskilled in the

subject to do• Some pictures may be hard to translate to linocut

Linocut

Putting a large stencil over the top of a sheet

of paper and spreading ink over it Advantages• Reproducible numerous times• Useful for newspapers/other mass productions Disadvantages• Can be limiting to only have one stencil• Usually only uses one colour

Screenprint

Carving an image into a block of wood and

inking it onto paper Advantages• Similar to linocut• Reproducible Disadvantages• Only skilled people can do it• Wood is fragile

Woodcut

A stone or canvas is painted with half of the image as a

water-repellent substance and the other half as a water-retaining substance. These parts create contrast on the print, with the water-repellent becoming the positive image and the water-retaining become negative.

Advantages• Good process for creating maps• Common form of printing technology Disadvantages• Relies heavily on scientific principles• The image can only be achieved if the person drawing it is

a skilled artist

Lithography

Mechanical

The image is engraved onto a press and that press

is inked and rolled off onto paper numerous times. Advantages• It was widely used for printing newspapers and

leaflets before printers came into the business.• It can be done numerous times in a short space of

time. Disadvantages• An artist must be involved in the process• It can take a long time to make the engravings

Letterpress

Similar to a letterpress but instead the image is

engraved on a rolling cylinder which rolls over the entire image.

Advantages• Easy to replicate numerous times• Can constantly run Disadvantages• Must be completely precise• The image has to be done by someone skilled at

gravure

Gravure

Similar to screen printing, but done on a mass

scale Advantages• Can be replicated numerous times• More economically friendly Disadvantages• Requires artistic skill• Limited for colour choices

Screen Process

Digital

Electrostatic charges on a photoreceptor attract

and transfer toner particles to paper to create an exact copy of the image in question

Advantages• It is quick• It is inexpensive and widely used Disadvantages• Ink cartridges need to be replaced regularly• It uses ultraviolet light, which can be harmful with

prolonged exposure.

Photocopying

It uses LED to complete the same process as

photocopying Advantages• Economically friendly• The cost is much less Disadvantages• It is not possible to travel with a laser printer of

cartridges of ink• The environment can be damaged by the

discharge of ozone gases in the printing process

Laser Printing

Similar to photocopying but they don’t usually work

with cartridges, instead using a continuous supply of ink

Advantages• They require no warm up time• They are better for high speed mass printing Disadvantages• Even the slightest drop of water will lead to blurring

on the print• They are more prone to displaying error messages,

even in the case of the absence of an error

Inkjet

A document is made and put together by someone

using a computer program, usually on a personal computer

Advantages• It can all be done easily because of the accessibility• Cheaper than any other type of publishing Disadvantages• Can be unprofessional to some people• Can be more expensive than other methods of

commercial printing

Desktop Publishing