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

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