Monotype (art)

Monotype (art), in art, a form that combines painting and printmaking, so named because only one good impression can be obtained from a plate. To produce a monotype print, a picture is first painted in oils on a glass or metal plate. A sheet of dampened paper is laid over the plate, which is then run through an etching press. The colored print appears on the paper when it is peeled from the plate. The slightly roughened or sandy appearance of the texture of a print achieved by this process is its principal attraction.

The technique, dating from the 17th century, was used in later times by the English artist William Blake and the French painter Edgar Degas, among many others.