A technical dictionary of printmaking, André Béguin.
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Lithoffset-Offsetgraphie
The French artist and printer Jack Penaud has named his original and reproductive prints this way.
For the past ten years he has tried to adapt the offset technique ( a technique in which large runs are possible ) to the printing of artist's prints. In particular he has tried to adapt this technique so as to be able to print original prints which are printed by the artists themselves in a limited quantity.
Offset can be considered the logical end product of lithography much as photogravure is the logical end product of aquatint.
At the beginning of the 20th century (as early as 1910) a very clear distinction began to appear between the time-honoured lithographic tradition which was used both artistically and commercially and the new photomechanical technique called offset. Lithographic workshops, which were often equiped with manual presses, began to close shop one after the other since they could not compete with the speed and price of offset. Only a few lithographic workshops, specialized in art work (as opposed to commercial work), have managed - but just barely - to last until the present day.
Since the beginning of the 20th century the offset technique has been perfected. At the beginning it was used for printing texts and black and white images but since then it has been adapted for printing colour and all sorts of images. At present offset reproductions are just as good as those achieved in techniques using conventional printing presses.
As was mentioned above, a distinction was made between lithography and offset. The first maintained its status as a technique used for printmaking. The latter, on the other hand, has taken over an ever increasing role in the industrial market of image reproduction.
The lithoffset-offsetgraphie process therefore constituted a kind of reaction to this which is, after all, only a fictitious distinction. In fact, both the offset technique and lithography can be used by artists, especially if the artist draws directly on the offset plate.
From a practical point of view the impression of a lithoffset print is done in the following manner:
First of all the artist draws directly on the zinc plate or on transfer paper which will then be transferred onto the zinc plate.
Secondly the zinc plate is prepared according to the usual metallographic method: a slight etching is followed by a reinforcing of the image.
The next step is the printing which is done on an offset press. If the print comprises several colours each colour must be printed separately. The artist can correct or rework his image while it is still on the press after one or several states have been printed.
The number of impressions will be chosen by the artist who will sign and number each print. Usually the runs do not exceed 150 impressions. Each impression will be accompanied by a descriptive certificate of authenticity signed by both the printer and the artist.
This process allows the artist to attain a high degree of sensitivity and expression. The much perfected offset technique also allows for all the nuances achieved in brush etching.
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