Year 8 - Art and design
The printing of the plates: reduction printing
Being curious about printing
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This pupil-friendly study guide includes a unit summary, clear notes, common mistakes, and quick questions with answers.
Unit Summary
Pupils will develop essential print making skills, explore connections between media and materials. They will learn to control various printmaking tools and be aware of the sustainability of their materials. They will recycle tetrapak and card to make their print blocks.
Lesson Summary
You will learn to create a reduction printing plate and print with ink.
Key Notes
- Printing a plate requires a thick layer of ink. If it is too wet the design will be lost.
- The process for printing a plate is add ink, apply pressure and reveal.
- The print process is trial and error. Several prints need to be taken to refine the process.
Vocabulary To Learn
- reduction print: a printmaking technique where the plate is carved between each layer, reducing the printing surface with each stage
- opaque: being impenetrable to light, the opposite of transparent; in printmaking, it describes inks that completely cover underlying layers without allowing previous colours to show through
Common Mistakes To Avoid
- Once ink is applied to the plate, the design is fixed and cannot be changed.
3 Quick Questions (With Answers)
1. Explain the lesson in two key points.
Printing a plate requires a thick layer of ink. If it is too wet the design will be lost. The process for printing a plate is add ink, apply pressure and reveal.
2. What does this key word mean in this lesson? 'reduction print'
a printmaking technique where the plate is carved between each layer, reducing the printing surface with each stage.
3. Correct this common mistake.
Mistake: Once ink is applied to the plate, the design is fixed and cannot be changed. Correction: The printing process is about trying and adjusting. Artists can refine their design through trial and error, removing layers of ink or adding new ones to adjust their composition. It's important to approach the process with flexibility and patience.
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