The characteristic of this method is that no two prints are alike; although images can be similar, editioning is not possible.
 The monoprint is the most basic type of print which can be as simple as a footprint or handprint. |
The appeal of the monotype lies in the unique translucency that
creates a quality of light very different from a painting on paper or a
print, and the beauty of this media is also in its spontaneity and its
combination of printmaking, painting and drawing mediums.
Also known as the most painterly method among the printmaking
techniques, monoprints and monotypes are essentially printed
paintings.
A: It would certainly seem pointless to make that image as a unique print. But monotypes combine the spontaneity of printed inks and paper, creating a surface that is unlike any other art.
Q: Is there a difference between a monotype and a monoprint?
A: Although these two terms are used interchangeably, there is a big difference between one and the other. The process of monoprinting and monotype printing is the same: the artist applies colour directly onto a surface and then prints it running it under a press. Monoprints though have a pattern or part of an image which is constantly repeated in each print. Artists may use etched plates or some kind of pattern such as lace, leaves, fabric or even rubber gaskets, to add texture. Monotype prints instead are in ONE copy only. A clean and unetched plate is used and images are created with nothing that can be reproduced.
