Good Question
Intaglio- comes from the Italian for Itagliare, meaning to engrave.
Strangely, it is pronounced "in tal'yo". It is a process that is time
consuming but rewarding. There are three basic steps in creating
an intaglio piece
#1 creating the image
#2 inking & wiping the plate
#3 printing the image
#1
To create an image, you first have to set up the plate. Traditionally
copper is used, but today we commonly use the cheaper zinc plate
and sometimes even plexi glass. After buffing the plate to make sure
it has no imperfections, it is important to file and buff the edges to a
45 degree angle so the sharp edge doesn't hurt the press bed. This
also creates a nice border for the piece that does not hold ink. There
are many ways to create the image. The easiest method is drypoint.
Drypoint is achieved by scratching the metal plate with a scribe. A
scribe is a sharp metal pick-like tool that you literally draw into the
metal with. This is all done in reverse of course as the printing process
mirrors the image. Another method is to etch the surface with acid, called
aquatint. This is the broadest method in intaglio. There are numerous
ways to get an image all depending on the type of mask you use to resist
the acid. The most common resists are:
hard ground
a liquidy mixture of wax and tar that is painted onto the plate where no etching is desired
soft ground
a more solid wax which requires heating to apply. it goes on thicker for imbedding objects
into such as feathers or cheesecloth for unique textures.
rosin powder
a stinky yellow powder that is applied with up to 50% coverage by dusting the plate and
then baking it to melt the rosin. creates a pointalistic effect.
white ground
a soapy substance that is painted on the plate and repells the acid. doesn't last too long
in the tub as the ground never completely dries and tends to get washed away.
sugar lift
a unique process in which a mixture of ink and sugar are painted on the plate commonly after
a coat of rosin is applied in areas where the plate is to be etched. it is then entirely coated in
hard ground and rocked in a warm water bath to dissolve the sugary substance, leaving a pattern
in the hard ground ready to be etched.
Another method commonly used to create images on a plate is called
monotyping. It is the practice of simply painting ink onto a plate and
creating a one of a kind image. A ghost image is a monotype(or any
print)that is run through the press an additional time to create another
lighter image.
#2
The next step is to ink and wipe the plate. This process is just as crucial
as creating the image. Usually the ink is spread on the plate and then
ideally worked into the image using the fingers. However this is not best
for your health as many pigments are toxic and absorb into the skin.
The other way to do this is stamping the ink with a leather blotter or rolling
it on with a brayer. Wiping a plate can be an art form in itself. It involves
lightly swiping a wadded up piece of cheescloth across the plate to pick up
the extra ink. This is done until the image is clearly visible. The next step
is to buff the excess ink off so that the unetched areas are shiny. Then the
plate is inspected to assure that no ink is on the edges before it is carefully
placed on the pressbed.
#3
Printing the plate involves precise calculations and accuracy. All of the
paper should be torn to exactly the same size and soaked for the proper
amount of time depending on the type chosen. A template is made to lie under
the plate so that the image always lies in the same place when the paper is
set atop it. The press has to be immaculate with the right number of
blankets in the right order and the rollers set to the correct pressure. To
achieve a good edition all has to be exact and the same for each and every
print. This is difficult, especially when printing multiple plate images.