The Fine Art Of Intaglios….
“Intaglio” is a word derived from the Italian word for “cut in” or “engrave.” It stands for any of several print making methods – engraving, etching, drypoint, aquatint, soft-ground etching or mezzotint – which all have this in common. The area which print on the paper has been cut, scratched, or chemically bitten into the printing plate. Printing line or areas go below the surface of the printing plate. They’re cut in – hence, intaglio.
Aquatint is an intaglio method in which areas of color are made by dusting powdered resin on a metal plate and then letting acid eat the plate surface away from around it.
Etching is an intaglio process in which an image is scratched through an acid-resistant coating on a metal plate. The plate is then dipped in acid which eats into the exposed surface.