What is a monotype?

Monotype is a printmaking technique where an image is painted or drawn on a nonabsorbent, smooth surface, traditionally an etching plate of copper, but now also acrylic, zinc, or glass. The image is then transferred to paper using a printing press, creating a unique print. The first pressing removes most of the ink, making it difficult to produce additional prints with the same richness, resulting in a one-of-a-kind artwork.