What do printmakers do with their misprints?
What is a misprint?
Misprints can be removed from an edition of prints for a number of reasons. Sometimes layers don't line up properly, ink smudges or issues with the paper. Most of the print is still great but it’s not to the standard that artists want to present to their clients - printmakers pride themselves on the quality of their work.
I want to just define some terms here before moving on though..
Misprint - a print containing an error of some sort
Ghost Print - a print that has been deliberately printed using minimal ink to test the layout and qualities of a print block
Artist’s Proof - defined by printed-editions.com as ‘…a term used in printmaking to describe a limited number of prints that are made outside of the regular numbered edition of a print. Artist’s proofs are typically printed before the numbered edition and are used as a way for the artist to make final adjustments to the image or to experiment with different colour combinations.’
What I do with my misprints
The vast majority of my misprints are collected up and put aside for a time when I’m between projects. I combine them off cuts of paper covered in excess inks from a print run.
When it comes to a point in the year where I am between collections and needing some creative time, I get out the box and play. Sometimes something beautiful emerges and it becomes a one off piece of art that I sell, sometimes it’s just an opportunity for me to flex my creative muscles. It has been know for these sessions to spark off ideas for future collections too. Time spent collaging is never wasted time.
When I’m working in my sketchbook trying out ideas, I often reach for that same box for colour ideas, backgrounds and textures. It’s a fun process and really loosens my up.
