Which term describes printing that uses a raised surface to create the image?

• A. Relief Printing
• B. Lithography
• C. Intaglio
• D. Screen printing

Answer: (A)

Relief printing is defined by ink sitting on raised areas of the printing surface. The image areas project above the surrounding non-image areas, so when the surface is inked and pressed onto paper, only those raised parts transfer ink to create the image.

Other methods rely on different surfaces: lithography uses a flat, planographic surface and relies on oil and water interactions rather than raised relief; intaglio prints from recessed grooves or etched lines that hold ink; screen printing pushes ink through a stencil on a mesh screen, not from raised surfaces. Because of this raised-surface mechanism, the term best describing this process is relief printing. Common examples include woodcuts and linocuts.