monotype is a single print created by transferring to paper an image that has been painted on a plate made of metal, glass, or another material. Transfer is accomplished either by hand rubbing or on an etching or lithography press, resulting in painterly textures and surface effects that cannot be obtained by working directly on paper. When a monotype includes the matrix of another printmaking process (intaglio, relief, or lithography) it is called a monoprint.

— Julia Ayres, Monotype Mediums and Methods for Painterly Printmaking