About usPresentation of activities
Since 1960, Stamperia d’Arte Caprini collaborates with the best Italian and international artists in the design and creation of graphic art with the aim of reaching the highest possible level in each work. Our presses have produced the graphic works of many artists. Here are some to name a few:
Accardi, Acerbi, Afro, Annigoni, Attardi, Benaglia, Berto, Bertossi,Borghese, Brindisi, Cagli, Calabria, Cantatore, Coni, Cano, Carroll, Caruso, Cascella, Clerici, Conte, Colagrossi, De Chirico, Dalì, Fazzini, Ferroni G., Tommasi Ferroni, Fieschi, Fiume, Fortunato, Francalancia, Gentilini, Greco, Gruccione, Guida, Guerreschi, Guttuso, Lancia, Lee Hyun, Levi, Maccari, Manzù, Maselli, Matta, Messina, Ossi, Parmeggiani, Riso, Sassu, Segato, Tamburi, Tornabuoni, Tot, Treccani, Trebbiani, Turchiaro, Valentini, Vespignani.
For us it is always important to respect the work of art, regardless of the fame and popularity of its author. Its creation, the research for the right colours, of the paper that absorbs colour or a particular mark best, are all the result of a technique developed over time.
Our experience is the result of an important graphics school, such as the Istituto d’Arte e del Libro (Art and Book Institute) in Urbino, which has fully trained us in engraving techniques, at first used to illustrate books, but that have become true forms of art thanks to the artists who have used and developed them. All this has allowed us to give advice on the techniques to use for creating customised graphics that are easily identified. Our starting point is the document approved during the International Vienna Conference in 1960, confirmed by the following ones in New York in 1961 and Milan in 1994, which states: "Original engravings, prints and lithographs are black and white or colour works and copies made with one or more plates, produced directly and wholly executed by the artist, without any photomechanical process, whatever the technique used. Only prints that meet these requirements can be defined as << original prints >>.
Our printing workshop has always been based on this privilege. The printing matrices of any work must be made by the artist, who can fully express him/herself in the creation of a work of art.
We briefly remind that there are three main engraving techniques: the most ancient technique is xylography (from the Greek xilo – wood) where ink is applied onto the relief part of a wooden matrix, where the artist has removed the "white" part of the drawing using various tools (gouges, burins, etc.) before printing.
Intaglio printing or chalcography (from the Greek calcos - copper) includes various techniques that make use of various tools and are open to many artistic interpretations. The common factor is that they are all hollow prints and the ink is applied in the mark produced and is then transferred to paper by applying pressure. This technique is divided into two main groups, matrices made without acid where a burr is made on the metal by means of a suitable tool (burin, points), and matrices made with acid, where the artist scratches a thin layer of wax applied onto the matrix that will then be dipped in acid.
Lithography (litos –stone) is a flat print with no thickness. The drawing is made on stones, plates or transfer paper with any type of wax, while the undrawn part is prepared with acid and gum arabic. Ink is applied step by step and it is finally printed with the special press. This "instinctive" and artistic technique has excellent colour yield, since colours are very bright in the various overlaps.
