You'd be surprised how often I get asked this...
And I totally get it. I was also confused about printmaking at first. Right when you think you know what it is, something else gets added to your definition.
The most important things you need to know about printmaking here is what intaglio, woodblock, and mono printing are.
Printmaking is the art of hand-printing artwork. Think about how your printer at the office works and then imagine doing that by hand.
Intaglio is the first type of printmaking I learned. Metal engravings began as early as 5,000 B.C. It's an art form seen all over the world throughout human history. Using those engravings to make prints started in Germany in the 1430s.
Intaglio starts with a metal plate. An image is engraved into the plate with a variety of techniques. Then ink is wiped across the plate so the ink can seep into the cuts and scratches that make up the image. With either cloth or paper, the excess ink is then carefully and evenly wiped off the plate in a way that doesn't remove the ink from the scratches on the plate. Then a damp piece of paper is placed on the plate and it is run through a press.
Here's an example of what the plates look like, and how satisfying it is to take the paper off when it's gone through inking and the press.
