Final answer:
The fickle type refers to the mechanical printing process developed during the Gutenberg era, using individually cast metal letters and a printing press to produce multiple impressions. Specific printmaking techniques include Relief, Intaglio, and Planar, as well as specialized methods like Aquatint and woodblock prints.
Step-by-step explanation:
The general printmaking process used to make the fickle type was initially dependent on the innovation of the printing press and specifically on mechanical printing techniques that stayed largely unchanged for centuries after their introduction. Printmaking involves creating multiple original images or 'impressions' from a single original template or matrix, such as the ones developed by Johannes Gutenberg, who used individually cast metal letters for each print. Among the specific printmaking processes, Aquatint was fully exploited in the Caprichos by Goya, while the ukiyo-e woodblock prints in Japan represented a multi-process collaboration between artist, carver, and printer. The key technical approaches in printmaking are Relief, Intaglio, and Planar (Lithography), each yielding images reversed from the original template.