FAQ
THE BASICS
EDITION
Edition refers to the numbers you may find on the edge of a print that read something like “14/20,” this means that the print was made in an edition of 20. The second number is the number of prints produced, excluding "artist’s proofs" that the artist keeps for him or herself. While the first number refers to the print which you hold, in this example, the 14th print that the artist signed.
MATRIX
Matrix refers to the plate or block used for producing a print. Once inked, the matrix is used to produce a desired image.
PRESS
The press is the machine, typically hand-powered, that impresses the matrix onto the the paper or whatever material is being used to capture the image.
MONOTYPE
The monotype is the result of the process and only produces one unique print.
INTAGLIO
The intaglio is the process by which an image is carved into a matrix, the incisions are then filled with ink to leave the impression.
The print if the final result of a process and allows for multiples of the same image to then be created.
THE EDITIONS
C-PRINTS
The term C print stands for Chromogenic color prints. These are full color photographic prints made using traditional chemicals and processes. The color negative or slide is exposed to Chromogenic photographic paper (wet process paper) that contains three emulsion layers, each of which is sensitized to a different primary color. After the image has been exposed it is submerged in a chemical bath, where each layer reacts to the chemicals to create a full-color image. Because the chemicals are so complex, the image continues to react even after the process is completed. The chemicals are also extremely sensitive to water, light, and heat, making it difficult to protect C-prints from deterioration. For Digital C prints, the material is exposed using lasers or LED lights.
ETCHING
The process of creating an etching begins by covering a metal plate with a wax layer, known as a ground. The artist then scratches through the ground layer using a needle to create a drawing. The plate is then dipped in acid, which proceeds to eat away the exposed metal. Artist can ultimately achieve different shades of color when the etching is pressed depending on how long the plate is left in the acid.
LINOCUTS
Linocuts were first used by the German Expressionists in the early 20th century and are a type of relief printing involving a chiseled a design into a linoleum surface that is then inked with a brayer to produce an image. One of the most notable artists to work with linocuts is Henri Matisse whose work can be seen in our editions.
LITHOGRAPHS
A lithograph is the result of a complex process involving the use of oil, fat, water, and acid to transfer — or "offset" — an image from a limestone sheet onto a metal plate and then eventually onto a piece of paper or other material. This intricate process produces breathtaking results that can be seen throughout the myriad of products offered through Mourlot Editions.
SILKSCREENS
Silkscreens are used for the production of many multiples. This type of print involves the pressing of ink through a stencil that is placed directly onto a screen. Pop artists obsessed with the effects of mass reproduction on pop culture, favored screen printing examples of which can be seen most notably in the work of Andy Warhol and our very own artist, M. Schorr.