What defines relief printing?

• A. Printing from recessed lines
• B. Printing through a screen
• C. Printing with wax resists
• D. Printing from a raised surface

Answer: (D)

Relief printing is defined by printing from a raised surface. The ink sits on the raised areas of the printing block and transfers to the paper when pressed, so only those raised parts print. Classic examples include woodcuts and linocuts. This is different from printing from recessed lines (intaglio), where ink sits in grooves; from printing through a screen (screen printing), which pushes ink through a mesh; and from wax resist techniques, which use masking to block ink in certain areas.