Line block

Description

Any relief etch block or print made from a chemically or mechanically produced printing surface. One line block example, gillotage, is a zinc printing plate made using a lithographic transfer. One photo-relief etching method involved developing a negative directly on a zinc plate coated with bichromated gelatin. After the image is developed, the soluble gelatin is washed away and the remaining gelatin is coated with powdered asphaltum to produce an acid-resistant negative image. Other variations include stereotype line block, electrotype line block, and transfer line block.

Synonyms and Related Terms

relief etching; zinc etching; gillotage; stereotype line block; electrotype line block; transfer line block; Strich-Druckstock (Deut.); Druckplatte (Deut.)

Authority

• Luis Nadeau, Encyclopedia of Printing, Photographic, and Photomechanical Processes, Atelier, New Brunswick, 1997

• B. Gascoigne, How to Identify Prints, Thames & Hudson, London, 2004