Monoprint

Surface worked in
reverse, with print
being removed.

 

A Monoprint is a one-off print technique in which an image, produced on a metal plate, sheet of glass or any other flat surface, is transferred to paper.

The approaches are many and the only limitations are the ingenuity and imagination of the artist. There are however two basic methods of working, using the subtractive and additive techniques.

In the subtractive approach, a metal plate or sheet of glass is inked-up by means of a roller, the image is produced by selectively wiping away the ink with rags, brushes, scrapers etc. Paper is laid directly over the plate (at this stage a drawing can be worked onto the back of the paper lying on the inked plate).

The print can be taken by either running it through a press or by hand rubbing/burnishing the back of the sheet of paper.

In the additive approach, ink, paint or water based mediums can be painted directly onto the plate, with the printing process being the same as for the subtractive approach.

These basic methods can be used in combination with other print techniques, such as the use of stencils and masks; opaque or transparent colours with over-printing.