Acid-Free: In preservation framing, acid-free
refers to papers and mat boards that are PH
neutral and are made so that active acids are not included or
are eliminated. PH neutral generally means having a PH of 6.5
to 7.5 at time of manufacture.
Anti-reflective glass: Glass that is etched
on one side, eliminating the reflection problem
with only a subtle softening of clarity. It is available with
a without a protective UV coating. When clarity and detail are
essential to the enjoyment of the artwork, clear glazing is recommended
rather than anti-reflective.
Artist Proof's: Frequently, a limited edition
will include a number of prints that are designated
as Artist's Proofs, or AP's. These proofs are normally printed
as the time of the initial printing of the edition and are "outside" of
the numbered series.
Canvas Transfer: A reproduction that is first
printed on paper and then adhered to canvas.
The surface is quite durable and can be treated
like an original painting on canvas, no longer needing to be
framed under glass.
To create a canvas reproduction using the canvas
tranfer method, the image is first printed
on paper using offset lithography.
The paper is then put through a process which
softens it, allowing the image to be removed
and applied to canvas.
A final sealing coat of acrylic is then applied
to protect the image, and the final coating
contains UV inhibitors to prevent fading.
The result is
a canvas that becomes highly durable. Each
image is then usually signed and numbered by
the artist.
The canvas is then fitted onto a wood stretcher
and ready for the outer frame.
Conservation Framing: Hand-torn, carefully
pasted Japanese paper hinges affixed with cooked
wheat-starch or rice-starch paste are the traditional
method of mounting fine paper-born artwork.
The artwork is mounted to acid-free, or 100%
rag backing. Top mats should also be acid-free. Glazing
should never be placed directly against the
artwork, and should be separated by a rag mat (or mats) or a
commercial plastic strip may be placed under the rabbet of the
frame to prevent undesirable contact between the art and glazing.
Edition: In the art world, the term edition
is generally used when referring to published
prints. It refers to the number of pieces produced
in a print run and is frequently expressed as "Limited
Edition" or "Edition
Size." Limited
edition prints are usually pencil signed and
numbered by the artist.
Engravng: The design is incised in the plate
with a tool called a burin. Furrows are cut
in the plate as the artist pushes the diamond-shaped
end of the burin into the metal. The plate is inked and printed
like an etched plate.
Etching: A metal plate is coated by a material
which resists acid, which is called a ground.
The artist then draws his design on the ground
with a sharp needle which removes the ground where it touches
it, thus exposing the plate.
When the plate is put in an acid bath, these
exposed parts will be etched or eaten away. This produces
the recessed line which will hold the ink
once the plate is inked and wiped. A damp piece of piece of paper
is laid on the plate and passed through a press forcing the paper
into the recessed area to receive the ink.
Giclee: French word describing a "spray
of ink." Giclee is a common term for fine art digital prints,
especially those created on an Iris (TM), or
similar inkjet printers. Often described as having a soft or "painterly" quality.
Glazing: Glass or an acrylic product, such
as Plexiglass, usually required for framing
paper-born artwork.
Graphic: A print, or piece of art created
on, or printed on paper.
Hinge: Primarily tabs made of Japanese tissue
used in conjunction with a vegetable starch
paste for the purpose of securing paper borne art to a backing
within a frame.
Iris Print: A print created on an Iris (TM)
inkjet printer, sometimes referred to as an
Iris giclee, or simply giclee.
Lithograph: This term can refer to both an
original lithograph or an "offset" lithograph. The
original lithographic process was discovered
in Germany in 1798, and it is thought that
Goya was probably the first to make truly memorable use of it.
The principle of lithography is that when a greasy image is drawn
on a prepared surface which is subsequently dampened, greasy
inks will be picked up by greasy areas and repelled by the damp
areas.
The artist draws on the prepared surface with
pencil or crayon, or paints with a brush, to create infinitely
varied effects of color, transparency and
texture. In the early days, a limestone slab
was used, but contemporary artists work on a matix such as an
aluminum plate or mylar. This is followed by a succession of
chemical processes, bonding the greasy areas to the surface,
making them highly receptive to oil and fully resistant to water.
Upon
printing, the surface is first dampened with
water, which adheres to the non-image water-receptive areas.
The image is transferred to paper through a flatbed press. The
image must be drawn in reverse so that it becomes right reading
on the paper.
The final lithograph is a result of printing
from a number of stones or plates drawn separately by the
artist, one for each color.
In the offset
lithographic process, four (or more) colors are applied in layers
using an offset press. Offset lithography is usually used to
create a reproduction of an original, such as a painting.
Margin: The border surrounding the printed
image on paper. Many prints are signed and
numbered on the lower margin. Sometimes there is also a title
and/or a remarque in the margin.
Mat: A border which frames a piece of art
within the frame. Archival mats (neutral PH)
protect the artwork from pollutants entering the frame along
the glazing edge, as well as from acids released by wood mouldings.
Ordinary pulp-based matboard contains acids and lignins which,
over a period of time, damage artwork with which they come in
contact.
Media: The materials used to create an artwork,
or the material on which the art is created
such as paper, board, or canvas.
Monoprint: Monoprints (or monotypes) are unique,
original pieces. Altough the making of a monotype
is a printmaking process, it usually produces only one print.
Remarque: A small drawing, painting, or sketch
added in the border (usually the bottom) or
sometimes in the image area of a print.
Reproduction: A photo-mechanical copy of an
original artwork.
Serigraph: A serigraph is also known as a
silkscreen. The artist prepares a tightly-stretched
screen, sometimes make of silk, and blocks out areas not to be
printed by filling up the mesh of the screen with a varnish-like
substance. Paper is placed under the screen and ink forced through
the still-open mesh onto the paper.
