What is an Engraving? A Guide to Intaglio Printmaking Techniques

When perusing antique prints, the curious observer is likely to notice several different types of prints such as etchings, engravings, aquatints, and mezzotints, among many others. But what do these different printmaking techniques mean and how can we differentiate between them? 

• Engraving
• Identifying an Engraving
• Etching
• Aquatint
• Mezzotint
• Stipple Engraving

Housed under the umbrella category of intaglio printing and often used together in the production of the same print, engraving, etching, aquatint, and mezzotint are all printing processes in which the image is cut into a surface. This article will examine the intaglio printmaking processes of engraving, etching, and their subsidiaries in relation to image production.

With roots in early 15th-century gold smithery, engraving was one of the first printmaking techniques developed to allow for the replication of images in the West. Pioneered by German and Italian metalworkers, engraving was driven by the demand for playing cards and devotional images, leading to advances in the field to inexpensively produce these objects at scale. Along with the establishment of early paper mills and Gutenberg’s press, the 15th century welcomed the possibility of mass image and word dissemination.

Etching

Etching is a close cousin of engraving and the two are sometimes referred to interchangeably despite their distinctions. In the process of etching, acid, rather than manual force, is used to etch lines into the surface of the metal plate. The process begins with applying an acid-resistant ground, often wax or varnish, to a clean metal plate. Once the ground is dry, the artist draws with a pointed tool onto the ground-coated plate, revealing select areas of the metal beneath. Next, the plate is submerged in acid which eats away at the exposed portions of the metal plate, causing grooves to form on its surface where the artist has drawn.

From there, the plate is cleaned to remove the ground, inked, and printed in much the same manner as an engraved plate. Etchings closely resemble engravings except that, upon close inspection, etched lines have a coarser quality than engraved lines which tend to be more continuous and smooth. Similarly, the etched line typically has a more blunt end while the engraved line tapers to a point.

Etched and inked copper plate

Printed etching on paper

Printed etching with aquatint on paper

Due to its granular appearance, aquatint is frequently used in conjunction with etching or engraving to add shading and tonality, as can be seen in John James Audubon’s Black Vulture which was engraved and printed by Robert Havell. In addition to line etching, Havell uses aquatint to capture the tonal variation of the bird’s plumage and to achieve a greater range of values which enhances the form and solidity of the composition. 

Robert Havell’s etched copperplate of Audubon’s Black Vulture

Yale Peabody Museum of Natural History

Audubon Havell edition Pl. 106, Black Vulture

Hand-colored aquatint etching on Whatman paper

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Mezzotint

Similar in appearance to aquatint, mezzotint is a manual engraving technique used to create tonal values. Using a serrated tool called a rocker, the artist systematically inscribes the metal plate surface with small, uniform indentations. Then, working from darkest to lightest values, the artist burnishes select areas of the plate to lighten them by smoothing out to indentations. This technique is highly effective in producing dark and rich tones as well as subtle tonal gradation as can be seen in this artwork by Dr. Robert Thornton.