Which printing technique typically uses stencils or photo emulsion to create images?

Screen printing is the correct answer because it is a printing technique that involves the use of a mesh screen, which is a stencil that allows ink to pass through in certain areas while blocking it in others. This technique can also utilize photo emulsion to create detailed designs. The photo emulsion is applied to the screen, then exposed to light with a negative of the desired image, hardening the emulsion in the areas that are not blocked by the design. When the unexposed emulsion is washed away, it leaves a stencil that ink can pass through, allowing the artist to create multiple copies of the image on various surfaces.

In contrast, gouging refers to a method more closely associated with carving into a surface rather than using a stencil. Intaglio involves incising a design into a surface, typically metal, allowing ink to fill the incisions while the surface remains clean, which is distinct from screen printing. Relief printing involves inking raised surfaces to create images, differing from the stencil-based aspect of screen printing. Thus, screen printing stands out as the technique that specifically harnesses stencils or phot emulsion for image creation.