IMPRESSION.
In printing terminology, an impression is any print taken from a particular block, plate, etc. The word may be qualified to indicate the type of impression, e.g. "natural" impression, pale impression, etc.

Types of impressions include:
1."Cloudy". If the ink is not applied evenly in screenprinting, a "cloudy" impression will result (from the French " nuage ").

2. Loose impression. A print on Indian or Japanese paper which has not been laid down on thicker paper (to strengthen it).

3. "Natural". From the French "epreuve nature": an impression taken from an intaglio plate after wiping it completely clean, as opposed to leaving a film of ink on its surface, or dragging some of the ink out of the lines to create special effects.

4. "Neigeuse". The French expression for an impression taken from a badly inked or misprinted plate which has caused white patches to appear where there ought to be lines.

5. Pale impression. One in which the design fails to show up sufficiently. This may be due to faulty printing; it also results from a plate with shallow incisions, such as one that has been well-used.

"IMPRESSIT" or "IMP".
Indicates the name of a printer. The artist has occasionally acted in this capacity as well as making the design.

IMPRINT.
The imprint obtained by making a mould of a relief block or an intaglio plate (in, respectively, intaglio and relief).

INCANDESCENT.
As used in lighting, refers to the type of lamp with a tungsten filament. The light produced is a continuous spectrum in the visible region, and is on the 'warm' side, i.e. about 2,500-3,0000 Kelvin.

INITIAL.
A large typographical letter appearing at the beginning of texts. It can be specially engraved and decorated with figures or various ornaments.

INK.
Colored liquid used for writing, drawing and printing. It can be thick in texture, or even solid, in which case it is dissolved. A large number of different types of ink are used in printmaking. Drawing inks are used for preparatory designs on blocks and plates. A particular type of ink is specially prepared for drawing on lithographic stone or on autographic paper. Printing inks can either be water or oil based. In screenprinting cellulose-based and plastic inks are also used. Other inks are specially prepared for certain procedures, e.g. for use as a mordant, or in transfer lithography.

INKING.
The process of putting the required amount of ink onto the necessary parts of the printing element (i.e. the relief areas of a block, the incised parts of an intaglio plate, the greased areas of a lithographic stone). It is applied with either a roller or a dabber; on an intaglio plate pieces of muslin or a brush are also used, or it can be applied & la poupee. In screenprinting the ink is scraped over the screen with a squeegee.

INPAINTING (RETOUCHING) .
Introduction of new paint into areas of loss in an original construction.

INTAGLIO. (See printmaking techniques) A printing process in which the image is incised or etched into a metal plate using a variety of techniques and tools.

"INVENIT" or "INV.".
Accompanies the name of the artist of the original design on a print.