Editing Relief printing

{{short description|Family of printing methods}}
{{see also|Flexography|Letterpress printing}}
{{More footnotes needed|date=October 2012}}
[[Image:Principle of Relief Printing.svg|thumb|The basic concept of relief printing. ''A'' is the block or matrix; ''B'' is the paper; the thick black lines are the inked areas. (The thickness of the ink is greatly exaggerated for illustration.)]]
{{History of printing}}
'''Relief printing''' is a family of [[printing]] methods where a printing block, plate or [[matrix (printing)|matrix]], which has had ink applied to its non-recessed surface, is brought into contact with paper. The non-recessed surface will leave ink on the paper, whereas the recessed areas will not. A [[printing press]] may not be needed, as the back of the paper can be rubbed or pressed by hand with a simple tool such as a [[brayer]] or roller. In contrast, in [[Intaglio (printmaking)|intaglio]] printing, the ''recessed'' areas are printed.

Relief printing is one of the traditional families of printmaking techniques, along with the [[Intaglio (printmaking)|intaglio]] and [[planographic printing|planographic]] families, though modern developments have created others.

== The relief family of techniques ==
In the relief family of printing, the matrix was historically made [[Subtractive manufacturing|subtractively]], by removing material from the surface of areas not intended to be printed. The remaining surface would then receive ink. The relief family of techniques includes [[woodcut]], [[metalcut]], [[wood engraving]], [[relief etching]], [[linocut]], [[rubber stamp]], foam printing, potato printing, and some types of [[collagraph]].

By contrast, in the intaglio family of printing, the recessed areas are printed by inking the whole matrix, then wiping the surface so that only ink in the recessed areas remain. Much greater pressure is then needed to force the paper into the channels containing the ink, so a high-pressure press is normally needed. Intaglio techniques include [[engraving]], [[etching]], and [[drypoint]].

In the [[planographic printing|planographic family of printing]], the entire surface of the matrix is flat, and some areas are treated to create the print image.<ref>{{cite web|date=22 February 2016|title=Printing Size Guide|url=http://www.print2paper.co.uk/resources/printing-size-guide/|access-date=26 October 2016|publisher=www.print2paper.co.uk}}</ref> Planographic techniques include [[lithography]] and [[offset lithography]].

=== Mix relief and intaglio techniques ===
Normally, relief and intaglio techniques can only be mixed with others of the same family in the same printed page, unless the page is printed twice.

=== Movable type: traditional relief printing for text ===
Traditional text printing with [[movable type]] is also a relief technique. This meant that woodcuts were much easier to use as book illustrations, as they could be printed together with the text. Intaglio illustrations, such as engravings, had to be printed separately.

The first relief-printed publication in the US, the multi-page newspaper ''[[Publick Occurrences Both Forreign and Domestick]]'', was published on September 25, 1690.<ref>{{cite web|author=Breig, James|date=2014|title=Early American newspapering|website=Colonial Williamsburg|url=http://www.history.org/Foundation/journal/spring03/journalism.cfm}}</ref>

== See also ==
* [[List of art media]]
* [[List of art techniques]]
* [[Viscosity printing]]

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
*[http://libmma.contentdm.oclc.org/cdm/compoundobject/collection/p15324coll10/id/94303/rec/1 Prints & People: A Social History of Printed Pictures], an exhibition catalog from The Metropolitan Museum of Art (fully available online as PDF), which contains material on relief printing
*[https://www.masterworksfineart.com/educational-resources/printmaking-techniques/#4-relief-printing Types of Relief Printing] Descriptions of woodcuts, engravings, linoleum cuts, and monotype relief printing.
*See also [https://ldart.work/printing-relief-techniques-parts-1-to-7/ Relief printing techniques] as used and described by French printmaker Dominique Lecomte

{{Authority control}}

[[Category:Relief printing| ]]
[[Category:Printing processes]]
[[Category:Printing technology]]

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