There are two different meanings for the term reduction print. In

cinema Cinema may refer to: Film * Cinematography, the art of motion-picture photography * Film or movie, a series of still images that create the illusion of a moving image ** Film industry, the technological and commercial institutions of filmmaking ...

it is a film print reduced in size, typically for showing in smaller cinemas. In printmaking it is a (rather uncommon) form of

colour printing Color printing or colour printing is the reproduction of an image or text in color (as opposed to simpler black and white or monochrome printing). Any natural scene or color photograph can be optically and physiologically dissected into three ...

by working the same block (so "reducing" it) in a series of print runs, each just printing one colour.

Cinema film

A reduction print is a print of a large-size format film converted to a smaller size format (for example, a 70mm print converted to 35mm). Often this is necessary because not all theatres have a screen of the size required to show a film in large format, or indeed the projection equipment. This is especially true of some screens in

multiplex Multiplex may refer to: * Multiplex (automobile), a former American car make * Multiplex (comics), a DC comic book supervillain * Multiplex (company), a global contracting and development company * Multiplex (assay), a biological assay which measu ...

theatres. In former days, it was true of the

neighbourhood theatre Predating multiplex movie theatres, neighborhood theatres were the colloquial name given to smaller movie theatres located in local neighborhoods, as opposed to the large movie palaces located in downtown areas. Neighborhood theatres were most ...

s located outside of downtown areas. Conversely, a "blow-up print" is a regular format film converted to larger size (i.e., 35mm to 70mm). This was once often done so that "regular-sized" film would seem even more impressive on screens such as the ones in

Cinerama Cinerama is a widescreen process that originally projected images simultaneously from three synchronized 35mm projectors onto a huge, deeply curved screen, subtending 146° of arc. The trademarked process was marketed by the Cinerama corporati ...

theatres.

Relief printing

woodcut Woodcut is a relief printing technique in printmaking. An artist carves an image into the surface of a block of wood—typically with gouges—leaving the printing parts level with the surface while removing the non-printing parts. Areas tha ...

and other forms of

relief print Relief printing is a family of printing methods where a printing block, plate or matrix, which has had ink applied to its non-recessed surface, is brought into contact with paper. The non-recessed surface will leave ink on the paper, whereas t ...

ing, a reduction print is a multicolour print in which the separate colours are printed from the same image at different stages. Usually, the lightest colour of the design is printed first, then the block is "reduced" by carving to the areas which the artist wants to print the second colour from, and so forth. The disadvantage of reduction printing as opposed to printing from multiple blocks is that once the first colour is printed, the matrix for it is destroyed in the creation of the printing matrix for the second colour. It is impossible to undo mistakes.

References

Film and video technology Printmaking Relief printing {{Printmaking-stub