With intaglio printing, the image to be printed is depressed into the printing surface (substrate), which is filled with an oily ink. After, the surface is carefully cleaned, with the only remaining ink being left in the sunken/etched design. The stamping process involved in pressing the substrate results in a plate mark being left around the perimeter of the uncompressed paper/material.
There are various forms of intaglio printing. All are very similar in their underlying method. The only difference is how the design/image pressed in to the substrate.
Below are a two of the more common types of intaglio printing methods:
Engraving
With this method, the print image is scribed into a firm substrate. The substrate material is most often metal based and the scribing is performed with a sharp instrument known as a burin. Afterwards, the plate is polished and washed, leaving being only the ink in the recessed portions of the print plate.
Drypoint
Here, the artist draws right on to the plate (usually copper) with a sharpened tool, which leaves two raised edges in the metal, each side of the etched line. The deepness of this line is dependent on the control exercised by the artist and their ability. The plate is then inked and then used as a traditional printing plate. The impression left on the substrate, during printing, is that from the shape of the burrs, since that is where the ink collects. This form of printing is not suitable for large print jobs as the burrs have a very limited lifespan.
Other intaglio printing methods exist, including drypoint and aquatint.
There are various forms of intaglio printing. All are very similar in their underlying method. The only difference is how the design/image pressed in to the substrate.
Below are a two of the more common types of intaglio printing methods:
Engraving
With this method, the print image is scribed into a firm substrate. The substrate material is most often metal based and the scribing is performed with a sharp instrument known as a burin. Afterwards, the plate is polished and washed, leaving being only the ink in the recessed portions of the print plate.
Drypoint
Here, the artist draws right on to the plate (usually copper) with a sharpened tool, which leaves two raised edges in the metal, each side of the etched line. The deepness of this line is dependent on the control exercised by the artist and their ability. The plate is then inked and then used as a traditional printing plate. The impression left on the substrate, during printing, is that from the shape of the burrs, since that is where the ink collects. This form of printing is not suitable for large print jobs as the burrs have a very limited lifespan.
Other intaglio printing methods exist, including drypoint and aquatint.