A technical dictionary of printmaking, André Béguin.
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grain
Both in French and in English the term grain has come to mean the spotted aspect both on the plate and on the impression. As this is at times confusing the author proposes to make a distinction which in French in solved more elegantly by calling grené the grain on the impression, grenure the grain on the plate, and grainage the act of graining. In English this is not quite as easy and therefore we have chosen a rather cumbersome rendition of these distinctions rather than glossing over them. The reader will find that we have adopted the word grain to denote the result on the impression, granulated plate surface for the grain on the plate, and graining for the process itself. However, since this distinction is not current in English the reader will find that grain equals granulated plate surface even though the various techniques used in producing this granulated surface are to be found under granulated plate surface.
- All of the particles (resin, asphaltum , salt, sand, etc.) deposited on the surface of the plate whose purpose is to obtain a granulated surface of the plate as in aquatint or grain photogravure. The depositing of such a grain is called graining a plate [dust box, graining].
- The effect produced on the plate once the grain has been deposited and the plate has been etched. In other words the grain can both designate the general aspect of the plate as well as the holes of varying depth and regularity in the tone or half-tone areas. In this way grain is a synonym of granulated plate surface used in aquatint work and grain photogravure. The purpose of the grain (or granulated plate surface) is to retain ink even after the plate is wiped and thus print in varying tones [aquatint shading, lines].
- The more or less rough and irregular surface of a stone, zinc, aluminium, or paper transfer in lithographic work. The purpose of this grain is to retain and differenciate the greasy -crayon strokes, as does grainy paper, so that the impression will bear a grain. The grain is achieved by graining with a graining machine for stones, with a ball grainer, sand blast, or chemical graining on metal plates. Transfer paper is grained mechanically with an engraved cylinder. Usually the grain is quite fine but distinct and in such cases the French call it piquant (prickly). On stone a grain is used when drawing with lithographic crayons. A grain is almost always necessary on metal (above and beyond the drawing) in order to retain ink and water during printing [lithography].
- The word grain is also used to designate the more or less regular surface of
paper which lightens the pencil strokes. In fact the grain of drawing paper is
such that it cannot compare with the dry precision of smooth paper. Smooth paper
often being used with ink for technical drawing. Grainy paper is also used for
painting with ink and brushes for much the same reason as for pencil drawing. A
quick brush stroke with half-dry ink is called half-covering as it uses the
grain of the paper as a kind of screen. The ink will catch only on the relief areas
while the hollows of the paper will be left as a dotted white. The grain of paper is
made by the felts of a paper machine or then by calendering with engraved
cylinders, the latter creating a very precise grain that resembles a kind
of embossing. Paper that has a great deal
of grain is called grainy paper.
One must not confuse the grain of a sheet of paper, which is on the recto side, with the hollows created by the wire marks which are on the verso side of laid paper. These "intaglio" marks on the verso side appear on the recto side as a kind of relief pattern.
The grain of a sheet of paper can be removed by calendering or by glazing [paper].
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