Texes Art EC-12 Practice Exam

Which term best describes a print technique that uses a rubber roller?

1. Intaglio

2. Relief

3. Offset printing

4. Engraving

The correct answer is: Offset printing

The term that best describes a print technique using a rubber roller is offset printing. This method involves transferring an image from a metal plate to a rubber roller, which then rolls the image onto the printing surface, typically paper. The use of the rubber roller is a distinctive characteristic of offset printing, allowing for high-quality and consistent prints across various materials. In offset printing, the process begins with the creation of a plate that holds the image to be printed. The rubber roller facilitates smooth contact, which is essential for achieving fine details in the printed image. It is commonly used for large-scale commercial printing due to its efficiency and ability to produce sharp images. Intaglio, relief, and engraving are distinct printing methods that do not primarily rely on rubber rollers. Intaglio involves incising images into a surface, which are then filled with ink and pressed onto paper. Relief printing involves carving away parts of a surface so that the raised area can be inked and printed, and engraving is a precise technique where the design is cut into a hard surface, typically metal, requiring different tools and processes. These differences highlight why offset printing is the most fitting answer in this context.