Intaglio Prints
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Intaglio Prints
Intaglio prints are printed from below the surface of incised or etched metal plates. Drypoint lines are scratched into the plate, while engraved lines are cut with a sharp burin. Mezzotint plates are roughened to print completely black except where burnished smooth. Etchings are made by drawing with a needle through the protective ground on a metal plate; when the plate is put into acid, the exposed metal is eaten away. An aquatint ground does not completely protect the plate from acid; when printed, the light and dark areas look like washes. For all intaglio prints, the recessed areas of the plate are filled with ink and the surface is wiped clean. The paper is dampened so that the printing press will force it into the depressions to pick up the ink.
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| Joe Wallace |
