Print making is another media of art that is very popular in the southern markets.  The processes involved in making prints was a completely new concept to the Inuit not much more than 30 years ago (Gustavison 1994, 12).  Print making also came about from the need of more income after the decline of the fur trade.  However, unlike the soapstone, most of the materials needed for the process have been imported.

If you would like to see pictures of some prints please visit www.inuit.com

Inuit artists that were interested in making prints, had to learn a whole new skill.  They had to learn how to draw on paper and transfer it to a printing block and then transfer the image to paper again.  However, the whole process was not 100 percent new to the Inuit.  It still required some carving skills that they should all ready have.  The original drawing had to be etched into a printing block (Povungnituk, 7).  Inuit have been etching objects for thousands of years.

Print making was made possible by a few southern artists spending time in the Arctic. Most notably was James Houston and the Canadian Eskimo Arts Council (Lipton, 57).  Houston and the Council established cooperatives in the 1960s which housed the equipment and taught the Inuit how to use them (Lipton, 57).  The Council then showcased the art in the national museum tours.  From the exhibits, a market for the prints was born.

The process that was involved for making prints starts much like making a stamp.  An image is transferred to a printing block. The block then gets etched away.   Taking away any material from the block where no ink is wanted.  The block is then covered with ink and pressed onto paper(Povungnituk, 7).

Many of the images that are depicted in the prints, represent the Inuit relationship with the land.  They may include images of the hunt, or the elusive animal in which they seek.  Some images may be of specific aspects of the landscape to help others find their way.  However, some of the prominent images are of dreams, which may include mystical creatures or abstract shapes (National Museum of Man).

Both sculpting and print making have become very popular among the European and North American markets.  This has helped the Inuit remain sustainable and keep their cultural traditions and heritage.  Much of the art depicts how things were done in the past, which may cause misconceptions from southerners of who Inuit are.  But de facto, the Inuit do this to keep the cultural heritage alive.