printmaker

A printmaker is an artist or craftsman who creates prints—images produced by transferring ink from a prepared matrix to paper or another substrate. The term can describe both the creator of the image and, in the case of professional workshops, the printer who collaborates with artists to realize prints. Original prints are considered works of art in their own right and may be produced in limited editions or as unique impressions.

Printmaking encompasses several technical families. Relief printing includes woodcut and linocut, where ink is applied to the raised surface. Intaglio comprises engraving, etching, aquatint, and mezzotint, where ink sits in incised lines. Planographic methods include lithography, in which ink is rolled on a flat stone or metal plate, and screen printing (serigraphy), where ink is forced through a stencil on a fabric screen. Many artists combine techniques within a single print.

Printmaking has a long history, with early woodblock prints in Asia and later developments in Europe during the Renaissance and beyond. Artists such as Albrecht Dürer, Rembrandt, Francisco Goya, Pablo Picasso, and Andy Warhol are associated with important printmaking traditions. In the 20th century, master printers and studios specialized in producing high-quality prints, enabling collaboration between artists and skilled technicians.

Prints are typically created in editions, with each impression numbered, signed, and sometimes dated by the artist or printer. The matrix, paper, ink, and edition size influence value and provenance. Collectors and curators study prints for technique, provenance, and condition.