stitch and cut

Engraving and cutting are graphic printing processes in the visual arts as well as in letterpress printing. Both words also denote the work produced , the print .

Cuts are made with pulling knives , or stabbed with notching knives or chisels by pushing. The finer processing tools for the production of the stitches are called gravers when working by pushing. In all of these working methods, chips are lifted off (material is removed), in the case of drawing, non-cutting working methods one speaks of needles . There are also scraping techniques and embossing techniques ( embossing , punching) which are not actually stitches and cuts. There are many transitional forms in artistic printmaking, as well as numerous prints made with the mixed use of several methods.

overview

Stitches and cuts are named primarily by the material that is being worked with, less often by other criteria. Today, however, other modern materials are also used for these techniques:

• High pressure process:
  • Wood engraving in which work is done in end- grain wood .
  • Woodcut , working along the grain, as a black line cut , white line cut, or Camaieu cut using multiple printing plates
  • Block printing (wood panel printing), early form of the woodcut
  • Linocut , work in linoleum
  • Stone carving in different natural stones
  • Shot cut , in puncturing mode of operation
• gravure printing process:
  • Etching in the engraving technique ( drypoint ), in copper, zinc, brass or as a stone etching
  • Metal engravings : copper engraving , steel engraving
  • Dot stitch , in a dotting style of working
  • Punch engraving , in formative working method

While in the relief printing process the elevations absorb the printing ink , which is transferred to the printing material (usually paper ) by pressing it on, the depressions take on this function in the gravure printing process .

story

Historically, the oldest is block printing, which originates from China in the 6th century and was used for book printing , for illustrations and - according to Western ideas - for artistic graphics. He arrived in Europe in the 14th century. The engraving appears for the first time around 1430. Towards the end of the 18th century, the need for printed matter became too great for the relatively complex and expensive engraving technique. Therefore, Thomas Bewick developed the woodcut from the woodcut . Finally, in 1820, Charles Heath developed steel engraving, which enables more detailed illustrations and is still used today, for example, in the production of stamps and banknotes . In art, all engraving and cutting processes are still used today.

See also

• Engraving , which does not involve printing
• Notch carving , generally carving work in wood, which also includes relief techniques similar to woodcuts
• Niello is a process similar to metal engraving, a decorative technique for metal surfaces themselves that is not reproduced