Printmaking is the process of creating artworks by printing images or text from a specially prepared surface (the matrix) onto another surface, most often paper. The same inked image can be reproduced many times, forming a set of impressions that are considered original prints rather than simple copies. Two main categories are typically highlighted as the primary ways ink is transferred: relief and intaglio. Two main types of printmaking

• Relief printing: The image is carved or cut away from the surrounding surface so that the raised areas remain to receive ink and transfer it to the printing surface. Common methods include woodcut and linocut.
• Intaglio printing: Ink is held in recessed lines or areas cut into a metal plate; the plate is inked and then wiped so that ink remains only in the grooves, which are pressed onto the printing surface to create the image.

Additional context

• Planography (for example lithography) and stencil-based methods (for example screenprinting) are also widely recognized as major printmaking categories, though they are often presented as distinct groups alongside relief and intaglio depending on the taxonomy used.
• Printmaking allows multiple impressions from the same matrix, typically forming an edition, with each impression considered an original work of art rather than a mere reproduction. The practice has deep historical roots across cultures, evolving from traditional hand-printed works to modern and contemporary techniques.