Printmaking Series (7 of 21) - Computers in printmaking

By Nik Semenoff July 19, 2004

} Computers in printmaking Printmaking Series - Part 7 of 21 By Nik Semenoff Digital art can cause much discussion amongst dedicated printmakers who are absorbed in any of the four major print media. I have my own opinions, but it matters more about the image than the process. I am concerned with archival quality of today's inks - and somehow the look of inkjet prints leaves a lot to be desired. Maybe in the future this will be solved to everyone's satisfaction, but right now I prefer to see the print done on a printing press. I have no problem in having the image manipulated on a computer and printed out for exposure to plates. I am troubled with the excessive use of CMYK using Photoshop output for positive plates. Having spent much of my life connected with commercial printing, I feel that spot colors give a better product, especially when we are dealing with fine art prints. The halftone dot is disturbing as there are no delicate tints possible. It is the quality of the image and the printing that makes the product something to behold. I realize that CMYK is the easy approach to getting multiple colors on the print with the least effort. There is also the fact that pigments used in the four color process are not a permanent as others. Nik Semenoff So do I use a computer in my editions? Yes. I have found that the scanner and either Photoshop or Corel software will produce the line images that form the basis of my prints. The positive is exposed to litho plates for printing the key image, but all other colors are hand produced in a variety of techniques. I use positive plates when it is the best method, but also transfer from Mylar or newsprint. The image demands the process. Nik Semenoff I cannot tell the future of the computer in printmaking or replacing painting as some artists have promoted. The camera caused a stir amongst artist and collectors, but it took years before creative people found the secret to the photo image. The bad photographers are unknown today, but the geniuses are acknowledged by all. The same phenomenon happens with the computer. ________________________________________________ Copyright © 2004 Nik Semenoff Nik Semenoff Artist-in-residence University of Saskatchewan Visit Nik Semenoff's website at duke.usask.ca/~semenoff/ for more information.

• Posted: 2004-07-19