History of Text Technologies

Engraving is an intaglio printmaking process in which an artist cuts lines into a metal plate using a tool called a burin. The incised lines in the plate hold the ink and the plate is pressed into paper, forming an illustration. 

Like engraving, etching is also an intaglio process in which the incised lines hold the ink before the image is pressed onto paper. In etching, the metal plate is covered with a layer of acid-resistant varnish or wax. The artist then uses a stylus to scratch away the wax for the design. The plate is then dipped in acid which eats away at the exposed areas of the plate, forming the lines of the illustration. The plate can then be inked and used to produce an etching.