The effect of using soft and hard plates on printmaking

The artistic print has multiple effects, but due to rising prices, the need to search for alternatives to embossed and especially recessed printing plates has increased. Among the alternatives, the research resorted to using gypsum and clay molds as substitutes for embossed and recessed printing due to their lower cost, abundance, and ease of shaping.

The printing textures can be placed during the preparation of the mold according to the area defined by the artist, whether it is circular, oval, or free-form, and any area according to the artist's perspective. After that, printing plates made from worn-out items such as leaves or old fabrics with a printed texture are placed, transforming them from worn-out objects into a work of art. This emphasizes the idea of recycling.

Printing methods can also be manual or use a printing press, and the printing plate can break during printing, resulting in a different artistic shape.

The search for alternatives is considered important for artists in the field of fine arts, especially university students, due to rising prices and the spread of modern programs such as artificial intelligence, which is strongly influencing the world. The researcher began to look for alternatives that enrich the beauty of fine arts and also promote environmental conservation through recycling and its development to keep pace with the modern technological era.

The research conducted practical experiments with clay molds using earthenware clay, as well as with solid molds like gypsum. The research also aimed to minimize the harmful effects of hazardous materials to protect both the environment and the artist.

Keywords

Clay printing - Gypsum printing - Soft molds - Decoupage printing - Hard printing - AI programs