HAND-COLORING
Hand-coloured prints have an old tradition and must be distinguished from those printed in color (color printing). Coloring is done in watercolor or gouache, with either a brush or a stencil cut to allow ink through over the necessary areas directly onto the impression (as opposed to the block, plate, etc.).

HATCHING.
Parallel lines which are cut close together in an engraving with the aim of giving an effect, en masse, of a grey or dark tone. The lines may be intersected by other parallel lines, a technique known as cross-hatching; or they may be over-hatched. Parallel marks made with a drypoint were used on geographical maps to represent water.

HC (HORS DE COMMERCE).
An impression pulled outside the edition for the personal use of the publisher or artist.

HUMIDITY.
See also relative humidity. The absolute humidity is the content of water vapor in the air measured as grams per cubic meter or in equivalent terms.

IMITATION.
A reproduction of an original drawing or of a particular artist's style.

IMPRESSION.
In printing terminology, an impression is any print taken from a particular block, plate, etc. The word may be qualified to indicate the type of impression, e.g. "natural" impression, pale impression, etc.

Types of impressions include:
1."Cloudy". If the ink is not applied evenly in screenprinting, a "cloudy" impression will result (from the French " nuage ").

2. Loose impression. A print on Indian or Japanese paper which has not been laid down on thicker paper (to strengthen it).

3. "Natural". From the French "epreuve nature": an impression taken from an intaglio plate after wiping it completely clean, as opposed to leaving a film of ink on its surface, or dragging some of the ink out of the lines to create special effects.

4. "Neigeuse". The French expression for an impression taken from a badly inked or misprinted plate which has caused white patches to appear where there ought to be lines.

5. Pale impression. One in which the design fails to show up sufficiently. This may be due to faulty printing; it also results from a plate with shallow incisions, such as one that has been well-used.

"IMPRESSIT" or "IMP".
Indicates the name of a printer. The artist has occasionally acted in this capacity as well as making the design.

IMPRINT.
The imprint obtained by making a mould of a relief block or an intaglio plate (in, respectively, intaglio and relief).

INCANDESCENT.
As used in lighting, refers to the type of lamp with a tungsten filament. The light produced is a continuous spectrum in the visible region, and is on the 'warm' side, i.e. about 2,500-3,0000 Kelvin.

INITIAL.
A large typographical letter appearing at the beginning of texts. It can be specially engraved and decorated with figures or various ornaments.

INK.
Colored liquid used for writing, drawing and printing. It can be thick in texture, or even solid, in which case it is dissolved. A large number of different types of ink are used in printmaking. Drawing inks are used for preparatory designs on blocks and plates. A particular type of ink is specially prepared for drawing on lithographic stone or on autographic paper. Printing inks can either be water or oil based. In screenprinting cellulose-based and plastic inks are also used. Other inks are specially prepared for certain procedures, e.g. for use as a mordant, or in transfer lithography.

INKING.
The process of putting the required amount of ink onto the necessary parts of the printing element (i.e. the relief areas of a block, the incised parts of an intaglio plate, the greased areas of a lithographic stone). It is applied with either a roller or a dabber; on an intaglio plate pieces of muslin or a brush are also used, or it can be applied & la poupee. In screenprinting the ink is scraped over the screen with a squeegee.

INPAINTING (RETOUCHING) .
Introduction of new paint into areas of loss in an original construction.

INTAGLIO. (See "Printmaking techniques" on Masterworks Fine Art website) A printing process in which the image is incised or etched into a metal plate using a variety of techniques and tools.

"INVENIT" or "INV.".
Accompanies the name of the artist of the original design on a print.

JAPAN PAPER.
A good quality paper which is lightly translucent and extremely resistant. It is used for fine impressions. Imitation Japanese paper also exists.

JAPANESE WOODCUTS.
A Japanese technique of woodcutting.

KEY STONE.
The stone on which the original drawing is made in lithography. It can be copied for transfer impressions in order to avoid damage which may be caused by over-handling.

KEY TRANSFER.
The transfer of each color from a transparency to a block for printing in several colours. The line which forms the outline of each color on the transfer can be called the key line. (See "overprinting").

LAID PAPER.
A type of hand-made paper which shows the pattern of the vertical wire-marks and the horizontal connecting chain-lines of the wires in the papermaker's mould.

LETTERING.
All printed inscriptions relating to the design represented in a print. Written references on prints first appeared in the fifteenth century. In the seventeenth century the lettering took on a particular importance with the addition of dedications, mottoes, tokens of esteem, etc., to the usual titles and descriptions. In the eighteenth century it became habitual to take a proof of an engraving before lettering, i.e. before any writing had been engraved. Proofs were also taken with the lettering in the process of being made, e.g. with white lettering in which only the contours of the writing have been engraved, with grey lettering in which the letters have been lightly hatched, or with scratched lettering, where the writing has been deleted. Some of the lettering concerns the fabrication of the print. The author of the design or the original painting is designated by name followed by: delineavit, del. (designed), invenit or inv. (invented), etc. The author of an engraving itself is described most frequently by: sculpsit, sculp., sc., incisit, incidit or inc. (engraved); or equally by: fecit, fee., fe., ft., or f. (made) which also applies to the craftsman of a print in any other technique. Perfecit signifies the completion of the work, possibly by a second engraver. The name of the publisher has for a long time been accompanied by excudit, excud. Or excudebat, and more recently by chez or the Italian version appresso. The name of the printer is followed by formis and that of the lithographic printer by lith. Artists who print their own prints may inscribe after their signature imp. Or impressit. On some old French prints, the name of the dealer or tradesman is found preceded by se vend chez. Copyrights granted to engravers were expressed by A.P.D.R. Or C.P.R. (French royal privileges) and by Published According to Act of Parliament in England (from 1735).

LIGHT-STAINING.
A print which has been exposed to the light, over a long period, without any protection, becomes dusty and dirty and acquires a stained appearance.

LINE.
This refers to any line as it appears on an impression, whether taken from the inked or uninked parts of the printing element; as well as to the incisions made in a plate or block, and the marks on a lithographic stone.

SIMPLE LINE.
A single line, i.e. one that has not been strengthened by successive stages of cutting.

LINE ENGRAVING.
A term sometimes used to specify an engraving made with the burin.

LINING or RELINING.
The process of adhering a reinforcing fabric to the back of a canvas painting, giving it new strength and durability. There are two types of adhesives used: in glue lining, an aqueous glue composition is used; in the wax-resin process an adhesive composition based on beeswax is employed. In all cases, the infusion of the adhesive into voids in the paint layers serves also to consolidate weakened paint layers. Relining refers strictly to a second or subsequent lining, in which the old lining is removed and replaced.

LINOCUT.
An abbreviation of linoleum cut. The technique is a derivation of the woodcut but owing to the supple, relatively soft properties of the material, linocuts have different characteristics. The material takes all types of lines, but is most suited to large designs with contrasting dark and light flat tints. The material is cut with small pen-like tools which have a mushroom-shaped handle. The tools have a variety of forms: straight and rounded edge, double-pointed, as a chisel or a Vshaped chisel, etc. As on a woodcut, the relief parts of the block are inked. For printing a large number of important proofs, the lino is attached to a wooden block. Color printing is done with several lino blocks.

LITH.
Abbreviation of lithographer. In the nineteenth century it preceded the name of the printer at the base of numerous lithographs.

LITHOGRAPH. (See "Printmaking techniques" on Masterworks Fine Art website)
Along with woodcutting and intaglio engraving, this is one of the oldest methods of printmaking.

LITHOGRAPHIC ENGRAVING.
Engravings can be produced on a lithographic stone by a variety of preparations. The lines achieved slightly resemble those of a steel engraving. The technique lies half way between planographic and intaglio printing.

LITHOGRAPHIC ETCHING.
A polished lithographic stone can also be used for etching. The surface is covered with liquid ground such as is used for intaglio printing. After drying, the drawing is done with a blunt needle. A dilute acid is used as a mordant. N.B. This must not be confused with the etching used in lithography to fix the image to the stone.

LITHOGRAPHIC MEZZOTINT.
A method which is akin to mezzotint in metal engraving although it does not attain quite the same quality. Various methods of working the stone exist of which the aim is to create the white areas by scraping away parts of a specially prepared black background.

LITHOGRAPHIC WASH.
A process used in lithography for obtaining the effects of a wash drawing. It has also been known as a lithotint. It must not be confused with a lithographic aquatint in which the grain is more marked. The color is applied with a dabber.

LITHOGRAPHY.
With woodcutting and intaglio engraving, this is one of the oldest methods of printmaking. It dates from the end of the eighteenth century. It is based on the chemical fact that there is a natural antipathy between grease and water. The image is drawn on a stone with a greasy ink which is dark in color only to aid the draughtsman with his work, The stone is then thoroughly dampened; the water remains on the ungreased areas only. The printing ink is applied with a roller: it adheres only to the greased parts. Lightly dampened paper is then placed over the surface of the image, followed by a protective sheet. Stone and paper are passed through a flat-bed scraper press.

Lithographic printing is a delicate operation necessitating a careful preparation of the stone and a particular kind of inking. The prints are not marked by the effect of the press as in intaglio printing, although a slight mark indicating the edge of the stone is sometimes visible.

Transfer methods can be used to avoid the difficulties involved in moving heavy stones round a studio. The drawings are made on transfer paper which is grained, or on autographic paper which is smooth, and then transferred to the stone. Lithographic methods have also been adapted to metal plates (grained zinc and aluminium). Lithographic color printing is done with several stones (or metal plates), one for each color

MARGIN.
Unprinted parts surrounding the design. Generally the two lateral margins are of equal length; the upper and lower margins may be equal but the latter is sometimes larger in order to allow space for signature, numeration, title, etc.; at one time it may also have contained a cartouche. A larger lower margin may be kept simply to balance the print within the sheet of paper. The size of the margins also depends on the format of the paper. Margins were usually clipped until the eighteenth century, and from the beginning of the nineteenth their existence came to be regarded as an important factor in assessing the commercial value of a print. If clipped, the impression would be worth less, particularly if printed on fine quality paper. Restored margins are known as false margins.

MARK.
1. Particular sign serving as the artist's signature on a print. 2. A vignette, sometimes accompanied by a motto, that publishers used to place either on the title page or at the end of a book. 3. A stamp or collectors mark that identifies a prior owner of a work, usually placed on the back of the print or drawing.

MAT.
In the framing of works of art on paper, the mat is a cardboard with a cutout window placed over the work to keep it a distance away from the glass or other glazing material.

MEZZOTINT.
An intaglio printing process. The work is done in two stages. A metal plate is initially grained by working over it systematically with a spiked tool known as the rocker; this creates a multitude of fine dots all over its surface. If inked, the plate would print a rich black. The second stage of the process consists in smoothing away parts of the roughned surface with the aid of a scraper and a burnisher in order to create the white and highlighted parts of the resulting print. The scraping of the plate is a skillful job; delicate tonal transitions can be obtained if it is done well, but the flat appearance of some mezzotints is an indication of the difficulties involved. This flatness is also caused by the fact that mezzotint plates wear down very quickly. Color mezzotints can be printed with several plates, one for each color.

MIXOGRAPHY (MIXOGRAPH).
Casting a copper printing plate from a high-relief collage or maquette made up of various materials. The plate used is made up of a thick, resilent material that absorbs ink and creates a frescolike quality.

MONOGRAM.
A combination of letters, usually initials of a proper name, or an abbreviated signature. Many artists, and engravers in particular, have signed their work with a monogram; those whose names have remained unknown are called monogrammists.

MONTAGE.
The production of a composite image made from various elements as, for example, in the combination of photographic positives or negatives with drawn stencils in screenprinting.

MONOTYPE. (See "Printmaking techniques" on Masterworks Fine Art website)
A unique image printed from a polished plate, glass, metal, or other material painted with ink.

MOULD.
1. In manual papermaking, the mould is a kind of tray, consisting of crossed wires in a wooden frame, over which the paper pulp is spread. 2. A mould is made of a block or plate, in reverse to the original, when making a replica of it (stereotype). The mould used for casting type is known as a matrix.

MOULD, MILDEW.
A large group of small fungi, the vegetative structures of which invade many organic substances. Provided sufficient moisture is present, these structures or hyphae produce enzymes that dissolve or degrade the host material. This chemical action may leave wastes that stain the hosts, such as foxing marks on paper. On maturity, reproductive structures will appear on the surface of the host as visible and often colored, furry, or web-like clusters. Until mature, mould or mildew may not be detectable except by a characteristic musty odor. Because mould requires moisture for growth, such activity may usually be arrested by maintaining a dry environment, below 65-percent RH.

MOUNT.
A protective backing of cardboard or thick paper attached to a print or drawing.

MEZZOTINT. (See "Printmaking techniques" on Masterworks Fine Art website)
An intaglio method in which the surface of a metal plate is uniformly incised, roughened, or textured with a spurlike tool called a rocker.

NEEDLE.
Many different types of needles (or points) are used in printmaking. The drypoint is a small, fine needle, whose point can be sharpened at various angles, each producing a different type of line. Double-ended needles possess a differently sharpened point at either end. Etching needles vary in thickness and are more or less sharply pointed, according to need; choppes are broader than usual etching needles and are sharpened in an oval section: they can produce variations in the width of a line according to the angle at which the point is held. Diamond, ruby or sapphire points are used for making light incisions in a metal plate or in a ground laid over it. Points made of ivory or bone (with more rounded ends than those of an ordinary needle) are used for tracing (to transfer a design), and for making marks on a ground without penetrating the metal plate beneath.

NEGATIVE.
A " negative " impression produces white areas in place of the black, or vice versa, e.g. an impression taken from an intaglio plate which has been inked with a roller.

NIELLO.
A niello is the incrustation of an engraved silver or gold plate with a metallic black enamel (Latin: "niggled"). A niello print is an impression taken from such a plate before the enamel has been poured into the furrows, or an impression taken from a sulphur cast of such a plate.

NUMBERING OF PRINTS.
Impressions taken from a particular edition are sometimes numbered. The numbers are written at the base: the number of the impression within the edition is followed by the total number printed. There usually is NO correllation between print number and where in the edition the actual print falls (i.e. print 1/100 is probably NOT the first impression taken from a plate, it's the first numbered).