Chine-collé

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Chine-collé is a special technique in printmaking in which the image is transferred to a surface that is bonded to a heavier support in the printing process. The purpose is to allow the printmaker to print on a much more delicate surface, such as Japanese paper or linen, which pulls finer details off the plate. During printing, a glue is applied to the back of the paper (a paste made of wheat or rice starch and water being traditional), and then the heavier support (typically, the heavyweight paper normally found in printmaking) is placed on top. In the pressure of the press, the lighter surface is glued to the support simultaneously with the image printing on it.

Chine-collé roughly translates from French to chine = tissue and collé meaning glue or paste. This is due to the fact that thin tissue paper, originally imported from China, India and Japan was used in the process. These delicate materials were very weak; however, and printers bonded them to the stronger Western plate paper to increase integrity. The method of fusing the two surfaces together varies among printmakers. Some use a paste, this method being popular among English printers, or a dusting of flour right before pressing. French printmakers preferred to use dry, pre-pasted tissue, moistening it just prior to pressing by laying it atop damp plate paper. Other times printers used no adhesive at all, simply relying on the high pressures of the printing press to fuse the papers together.