Facts about hand pulled prints

A hand-pulled print is any work of art produced in limited multiple iterations and created through a hand printed transfer process. There are four varieties of printmaking that are commonly employed by artists, and these techniques are; etching, in all of the different forms, such as a drypoint, a mezzotint, an aquatint and combinations thereof; silkscreen printing; linocut and woodcut block relief printing; and lithography, which is a flat plane printmaking process, that relies on the property that water will not mix with oil.

All of these processes are considered 'hand-pulled' methods of producing a fine art print. Hand-pulled, simply refers to the fact that each print is produced one at a time, by hand, and that no mechanized processes other than the printers press are used in the making of any of the following types of prints.

What is 'pulling a print' in the printmaking process? That's when the pressman operating the hand printing press has to pull hard on an extended press lever in order to force a heavy, even impression of ink onto the sheet of paper. Each impression was therefore called a 'pull'. Pull is also used in combination with many other terms when speaking of the letterpress printing process. Unfortunately for some collectors, your mass produced 1990's Robert Bateman print #569 of 9500 copies printed, is absolutely not in the same league as an 'artist hand-pulled' print.

This type of print is created using an etching needle, where an artist scratches an image onto a metal plate covered with wax or resin. This plate, when the design is completed, is then submerged in acid, which eats into the metal exposed by the scratched lines. The longer it is left in the acid, the deeper and darker the line will be in the final print.

A drypoint etching is created by directly cutting lines with a diamond point needle onto a copper plate without the use of chemicals. The plate is then cleaned, inked, and cleaned again, leaving only the incised lines filled with ink. A dampened paper and a protective pressure cloth are placed over the plate, which is then squeezed through an etching press by means of a roller. The pressure roller forces the paper into the etched lines to pick up the ink. The resulting image is printed in the reverse of how it was created, and an indentation, known as the ‘plate mark’, is left by the plate’s edges.

Since the the early 1600's etching has been used to achieve extremely delicate black and white images from the Old Master period through to modern times. Rembrandt famously used this technique to achieve atmospheric effects, and Americans James McNeill Whistler and Martin Lewis continued and advanced the etching tradition well into the 20th century.

Aquatint is an intaglio printmaking technique, a variant of etching that produces areas of tone rather than lines. For this reason it has mostly been used in conjunction with etching, to give both lines and shaded tone. It has also been used historically to print in colour, both by printing with multiple plates in different colours, and by making monochrome prints that were then hand-coloured with watercolour. It has been in regular use since the later 18th century, and was most widely used between about 1770 and 1830, when it was used both for artistic prints and decorative ones.

After about 1830 it lost ground to lithography and other techniques. There have been periodic revivals among artists since then. An aquatint plate wears out relatively quickly, and is less easily reworked than other intaglio plates.. Among some of the most famous prints using the aquatint technique are the major series of etchings by Francisco de Goya, produced by using several plates. Unfortunately, many of Goya's plates were reprinted too often posthumously, eventually giving very poor final impressions

The late 19th century Impressionist Mary Cassatt printed aquatints by employing the 'À la poupée' technique. This is a time consuming, historic intaglio method for making colour prints by applying different ink colours to one single printing plate. The coloured plate would then make just one run through the press to create the final aquatint print. After each impression was printed the plate would be cleaned and the colouring process would begin once again. Each subsequent print that was produced would often contain noticable colour variations and tonal nuances. The term à la poupée means "with the doll" in French, the "doll" being a wad of cloth, shaped like a ball.

Silkscreen prints, also known as serigraphs, begin with an image being cut into a sheet of paper or into a plastic film using a sharp pointed knife, which creates a stencil. This stencil is then tightly fitted or bonded onto a frame which has a layer of fine mesh stretched across it, forming a 'screen' often referred to as a 'silkscreen'.

Today, silk is no longer in use and has been replaced with a polyester fabric mesh and the hand cutting of the plastic film has also been replaced with a photo transfer emulsion process. When ready for printing, a sheet of clean print paper is then placed below the pre-processed screen, and ink is then pushed or squeezed through the stencil from above, using a rubber blade known as a squeegee. Only the 'cut out' portions of the stencil will print onto the paper below.

In addition to this hand-cut stenciling process, a photographic image can be reproduced onto the screen using a light-sensitive gelatin process. Andy Warhol and other members of the 'Pop' generation used this hugely important innovation, which often involved appropriating commercial photographs and popular images and applying them in the creation of their art.

Group of Seven member A.J. Casson was an active proponent of this form of printmaking and he employed this technique for a number of series of prints he created over a twenty plus year period in his career at the Sampson & Matthews art production company in Toronto, where he was also the artistic director of the firm.

In this form of planographic art the artist draws onto flat plate of stone using a grease-based medium, these are normally specially prepared lithographic crayons, or in a liquid form as greasy paintable ink known as tusche. After completion of the artwork, the stone is then treated with a chemical solution that ensures the image is etched into the stone and will attract printing ink, and that the blank areas repel ink and attract water. A solvent is used to ‘fix’ the image, and the surface is then dampened with water.

Oil-based ink is then applied to the stone with a roller and adheres only to the image created on the stone surface. When ready to create the 'litho-print' the stone is placed on a lithographic press and covered with a sheet of damp 'print paper' and flat pressure board, then a pressure bar ensures the force is evenly applied across the image. The resulting image is printed in reverse, with separate stones used for more complex images or for the addition of multiple colours.

In this type of print creation an image is sketched on to a block of wood or a section of linoleum before the surface is carved into with gouging tools and knives. The resulting raised portions of the woodblock or mounted linoleum block are then evenly coated in oil based printers ink using a roller. A sheet of paper is placed on top and then an even amount of pressure is applied, leaving an impression of the block’s raised areas in reverse.

A woodcut print can be considered the earliest form of the printmaking process. It was of particular interest to the artists and printmakers throughout time and it continues to be relevant by numerous 'artist printmakers' to the present day. No matter what country an artist comes from, you will find the woodcut or linocut print making process to be a vital part of the arts culture form that region.

As awareness and appreciation of artists' hand-pulled prints from the twentieth century and earlier continues to grow, the collecting public is now keenly focusing their attention on where there is good sound value to be found in vintage fine art. And, this could be an area that has been somewhat overlooked in the recent past. It's a known fact that areas of fine art that may have been overlooked in the past soon find a way of blossoming into a whole new realm of interest for upcoming serious collectors. Aficionados have been known to comment, "that once you acquire a taste and a stronger sense of fondness for fine art hand-pulled prints, your appreciation and preference will certainly continue to grow".

Although printmaking involves reproducing an artistic image, a fine art hand-pulled print is considered to be more than just a copy of a work of art and, in fact, should absolutely be treated as an original work of art on its own. Fine art prints are something entirely different when compared to mass produced prints, due to the fact that the artist produced print is created through a hands-on process which does not involve any form of mechanized production and each and every pulled print is unique.

Not every artist produces their very own print copies. Printers, also known as print making studios, are the people who work with the artist to produce a final print edition. These people are highly skilled technicians, and are often artists in their own right. Some artists who do produce their own prints are often referred to as 'artist-printmakers', such as the popular Canadian artist Frederick B. Taylor, RCA, and others 20th century artist-printmakers of note.

Artist's fine art prints are not made in large production runs intended for mass commercial consumption. They are instead produced in a modest limited number, referred to as an edition, usually with intended routes for sale and distribution, either through the artist's own studio, a commercial fine art gallery or a through a fine art publisher. As a result they are considered true works of art, and as important and valuable as an artist's direct drawings or sketches or other works of art on paper.

In the early to mid 20th century, in order to maintain respectability as an artist printmaker, an edition run of anywhere from 20 to 75 prints was considered the norm and editions larger than this were often frowned upon by artist-printmaking associations with exceptions for certain situations as needed. But as time passed, edition numbers have gradually increased and today, an edition run of 150 to 250 prints by an artist printmaker is considered quite acceptable and within respectable bounds for the size of a modern print run edition.

The late 20th century school of 'limited edition printmaking' fostered mass production print runs of anywhere from 3,000 to 20,000 and more copies of photolitho artists reproductions. But, realistically, these 'signed' art prints are NOT considered, by any means to belong in the category of fine art prints. Mass produced commercial 'limited edition' prints are directed, promoted and controlled by 'big business'. They are now referred to, as 'decor' prints, sadly, they have little if any collector value.

Many modern artists choose this method of print manufacturing to popularize their paintings because it is very cost effective. But one has to ask, isn't purchasing this variety of framed limited edition print just a money grab from people who know or care very little about fine art. Try not to get caught up in this foolish and expensive 'art scam''. It's 'ink on paper' masquerading as 'fine art'.

This is all very well and good for big business, but it's also an excellent reason why one should shun 'mass production art' and delve into what fine art is and what it represents. Consider an investment in an original 20th century painting or hand-pulled print, and maybe not foolishly spending on a piece of mass produced 'décor wall art'. For years now, respectable fine art sellers have been known, when discussing mass produced prints, to poignantly whisper under one's breath the phrase... 'The Emporer has no clothes'. This topic certainly provides lots of food for thought in the art world.

Artists produce prints for a whole variety of reasons. They might be drawn to the collaborative nature of the print studio or enticed by a fellow artist, or possibly for the potential of innovation that the print medium offers as a whole. Prints can offer a completely different creative outlet to the artist’s primary modus operandi, and it also offers the artist a chance to think outside the box and develop different artistic means to portray an idea, a concept or a notion.

Lucian Freud, for example, would create etchings only in black and white following his days in the painting studio. Some artists consistently make prints for their entire artistic career. Pablo Picasso and Jasper Johns are famously prolific examples of lifelong artist printmakers, while others may come to printmaking in bursts of activity in order for a change of pace or a new temporary creative outlet.

No matter the reason an artist comes to the printmaking realm, collectors should never consider a print to be just a copy of an original work of art, neither should they underestimate the true artistic and monetary value of a hand-pulled fine art print.

An 'original' print is technically a unique fine art work and is generally produced as a limited number of impressions, collectively known as an edition. Each hand-pulled print is usually given an edition number, typically written as a fraction, and for example is often stated as 12/50. The number to the right of the slash indicates the edition size, in this example it is 50, while the figure to the left, 12, is the individual number for that print. An artist may also produce a limited number of artist’s proofs, often marked A/P, 1/10, that are also identical in nature to the standard edition.

Other proofs may be made at an earlier stage, as the artist and printer develop an image or test different compositions. These are known as state proofs. These can be unique, with differences in colour combinations, paper types or size and they can, and do vary in value.

Andy Warhol started to sell his trial proofs as unique 'colour combinations' separate from his standard editions, and they’re now some of the most coveted of his prints. But, it's also a misconception that the lower the print number in an edition means it is worth more in value. This is not the case for any modern hand-pulled print. The overall condition of the print in question is often the most important factor when it comes to value and not the individual number of the print in that edition.

Keep in mind that, for varied reasons, there were a number of 20th century artist-printmakers who chose to not individually number there hand-pulled prints. But it's safe to say that these artists always kept thier produced numbers within proper respectable limits of a edition run.

How you frame your print, the condition it is in and the material used when it is encased within a frame can be the most important long-term decision you make when it comes to caring for a particular work of art. Be sure to use the services of a knowledgeable fine art framer who is practiced in framing valuable vintage prints and works of art on paper.

A common 'garden variety' of picture framer might be less expensive, but in this case it's the quality of materials and a proper framing method that you desire, not the quantity of discount. It’s worth paying for a print to be professionally mounted using proper acid-free, museum quality materials. In the end it is often not as expensive as you might think to get the job done correctly.

First, If a print has bright or strong colours, never hang the framed print in direct sunlight or even indirect sunlight. Because daily sunlight can reflect and move across a room constantly throughout the day, every day, and irreparably fade your print. Once faded, it cannot be restored.

Secondly, ensure that your print is kept away from any source of prolonged or constant moisture. Because moisture will increase the chances of your print developing fungal growth, mold spores and brown foxing dots, thankfully, all of which can be removed through a professional print cleaning and conservation process. A combination of high moisture and high light levels can indeed be indicative of the potential future damage to your fine art prints.

The atmospheric aerosols that cause damage to the surface of paintings, to some extent, also affect framed and glass covered prints. Except in the case of hand-pulled prints, the damage most often tends to originate from within. Being covered in glass will protect the print initially from exterior contaminants, but what's often more important in reference to preservation is the use of proper materials employed in the matting and backing of the print itself.

Many older, vintage hand-pulled prints, be it an etching or aquatint, woodcut or lithograph, are often mounted-on or matted with wood-pulp based materials. Wood based materials emit acidic vapours, that over time can cause orange or brown coloured staining on the print; this staining is referred to as 'acid-burn'. To best protect your valuable print, it should be matted and backed with archival 'rag content' acid-free materials.

Foxing, mould and water staining are other problems that can develop on framed hand-pulled prints. Mould is quite understandable but the causes of foxing are not so well understood. One theory is that foxing dots are caused by a fungal growth on the paper. Another theory is that foxing is caused by the effect of oxidation of iron, copper or other substances within the pulp or rag, from which the paper was made.

It is possible that multiple factors are involved, plus humidity will almost always contribute in some way to foxing, discolouring and staining. The results of these detrimental factors though are all reversible through a cleaning, bleaching and deacidification process by a qualified fine art technician.

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