Monoprint and monotype are closely related printmaking techniques that produce unique, or near-unique, impressions rather than identical editions. The two terms are often used interchangeably, but there is a meaningful difference between them, and understanding it helps make sense of how these one-of-a-kind prints are made and valued.
Both techniques bridge the gap between printmaking and painting, combining the processes of the print studio with the singularity of an original artwork.
A monotype is made by painting or drawing an image in ink onto a smooth, featureless plate, usually glass, metal or acrylic, and then transferring it to paper, either by hand or through a press. Because there is no fixed, repeatable matrix (no carved or etched image), each monotype is essentially unique.
A faint second impression, called a ‘ghost’, can sometimes be pulled from the ink remaining on the plate, but it will always be weaker and different from the first. The monotype is, in essence, a single painted image transferred to paper.
A monoprint, by contrast, begins with a fixed matrix, an etched, carved or otherwise repeatable base image, which the artist then varies with each impression. The underlying matrix stays the same, but the artist alters the inking, colour or hand-added marks on every pull, so that no two prints are identical.
In short: a monotype has no repeatable element and is wholly unique; a monoprint has a repeatable base that the artist deliberately varies. Both yield one-of-a-kind results, but by different routes.
Because each impression is unique, monoprints and monotypes occupy a special place between printmaking and painting. They offer the immediacy and singularity of an original work, often at a more accessible price than a unique painting of equivalent scale.
These prints are usually signed and may be marked ‘unique’ or ‘1/1’ rather than carrying an edition number. At Byard Art, our print collection includes unique monotypes and monoprints from contemporary artists, each an original in its own right.
