What is the most basic form of printmaking?

Relief printing is considered the most basic form of printmaking because it involves the straightforward technique of carving into a surface to create an image. In relief printing, the raised surfaces of the carved material—such as wood or linoleum—are inked and pressed onto paper or another substrate, transferring the image. This method requires fewer tools and simpler processes compared to other printmaking techniques.

For instance, screen printing involves a stencil method that can be more complex, lithography relies on chemical processes to create images on a flat surface, and etching requires the use of acids to carve into a metal plate. The fundamental nature of relief printing, with its direct approach and ancient roots, makes it the foundational technique in the realm of printmaking.