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The Treachery of Images: Why is Reversal So Difficult in Printmaking?

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With the exception of stenciling, the majority of fine art printmaking processes require reversal of the image meant for reproduction. The printmaking surface, or "matrix," that the artist creates must be a mirror image of the intended finished artwork. Direction of text, numbers, anatomical details on organs, and nonsymmetrical facial features must all be planned carefully so that  the resulting print will be accurate - or at least won't look too weird. Poor Planning for this Printed Pump Working with a mirror of your intended image can be difficult for anyone, beginner or master. In her book, Contact: Art and the Pull of Print , Jennifer L. Roberts reveals that one of the most well-recognized painters from the Dutch Golden Age got into trouble with reversal when etching a copper plate for a print.  In Rembrandt's Print  The Raising of Lazarus , the biblical character of Jesus can be seen lifting his left hand instead of right to raise the character Lazarus from the...
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How To: Trim, Tidy, and Sign Your Prints

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You've just finished printing your edition, good job!  Now it's time to get them ready for showing and selling. For an edition of more than one, your prints will need to all end up the same size. You'll probably have smudges, smears, and thumbprints to tidy up after the ink is dry. You'll also need to sign and edition each one, and come up with a nifty name for your print. I can't help with naming anything, but here's a pictorial guide to how I take care of the rest: Step 1: Trim First of all, this might seem like an overkill method for getting perfectly uniform margins, and yes- yes it is. But this method works great for oddly shaped images, or round ones. This method also works well for visually-oriented people who don't think in numbers, and it cuts down on the decision fatigue that plagues those of us that are not neurotypical. You only have to make decisions for the first one, then use it as a stencil for the rest.   Pick out your worst one to sacrifice...
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