Etching is an intaglio method of printmaking in which the image is incised into the surface of a metal plate using an acid. The acid eats the metal, leaving behind roughened areas, or if the surface exposed to the acid is very narrow, burning a line into the plate. The process is believed to have been invented by Daniel Hopfer (circa 1470-1536) of Augsburg, Germany, who decorated armour in this way, and applied the method to printmaking. Etching is also used in the manufacturing of printed circuit boards and semiconductor devices. Intaglio is a printmaking technique in which the image is incised into a surface. ... Printmaking is a process for producing multiple original pieces of artwork; painting, on the other hand, is a process for producing a single original piece of artwork. ... Hot metal work from a blacksmith In chemistry, a metal (Greek: Metallon) is an element that readily forms ions (cations) and has metallic bonds, and metals are sometimes described as a lattice of positive ions (cations) in a cloud of electrons. ... An acid (from Arabic Azait meaning oil, often represented by the generic formula AH) is typically a water-soluble, sour-tasting chemical compound. ... Events May 15 - Charles VIII of Sweden who had served three terms as King of Sweden dies. ... Events February 2 - Spaniard Pedro de Mendoza founds Buenos Aires, Argentina. ... Close-up photo of one side of a motherboard PCB, showing conductive traces, vias and solder points for through-hole components on the opposite side. ... Semiconductor devices are electronic components that exploit the electronic properties of semiconductor materials, principally silicon, germanium, and gallium arsenide. ...

Examples of etching techniques
drypoint
etching
aquatint
Vernis-Mous or soft ground

There are many ways for the printmaker to control the acid's effects. Most typically, the surface of the plate is covered in a hard, waxy ground that resists acid. The printmaker then scratches through the ground with a sharp point, exposing lines of metal that are attacked by the acid. Once the drawing in the ground is finished, the plate is submerged in acid for a period of time; longer submersion means that deeper lines are etched. The ground may be removed, or the artist may continue drawing in it, etching it again in acid to deepen existing lines while adding new lines. The ground may also be reapplied to protect existing lines while adding new ones. The ground may be removed and the plate printed to see its current printing state, to be followed by more work (or other techniques, such as aquatint, drypoint, or engraving); thus, many of Rembrandt's etchings exist in several distinct forms, with the final, "accepted" version apparently preceded by many artist's proofs. drypoint by Wolfram Gothe; 1995 source: http://www. ... drypoint by Wolfram Gothe; 1995 source: http://www. ... Drypoint is a printmaking technique of the intaglio family, in which an image is incised into a plate (typically copper, zinc, or plexiglas) by scratching the surface with a hard, sharp metal point. ... etching by Wolfram Gothe; 1989 source: http://www. ... etching by Wolfram Gothe; 1989 source: http://www. ... aquatint by Wolfram Gothe; 1989 source: http://www. ... aquatint by Wolfram Gothe; 1989 source: http://www. ... Aquatint is a printmaking technique of the intaglio family. ... vernis mous by Wolfram Gothe; 1990 source: http://www. ... vernis mous by Wolfram Gothe; 1990 source: http://www. ... Wax has traditionally referred to a substance that is secreted by bees (beeswax) and used by them in constructing their honeycombs. ... Aquatint is a printmaking technique of the intaglio family. ... Drypoint is a printmaking technique of the intaglio family, in which an image is incised into a plate (typically copper, zinc, or plexiglas) by scratching the surface with a hard, sharp metal point. ... Engraving is the practice of incising a design onto a hard, flat surface, by cutting grooves into it. ... Rembrandt Harmenszoon van Rijn (July 15, 1606 – October 4, 1669) is generally considered one of the greatest painters in European art history and the most important in Dutch history. ... An artists proof is a single print taken in the printmaking process to see the current printing state of a plate while the plate (or stone, or woodblock. ...

A "soft" ground may also be used--a ground that is sensitive to pressure. The soft ground is applied to the plate, and the artist removes it by putting paper on top and drawing on the paper. The varying pressure of the pencil on the paper lifts the soft ground in a likewise varying amount, in a particulate way--rather than removing the ground, its density is decreased, allowing more or less acid through. The effect is much like that of particulate media like chalk, charcoal, or pencil: the image burned into the plate is composed of greater and lesser densities of minuscule pitting, rather than sharp, continuous lines. Minor variations involve putting a soft ground on a plate along with some textured surface (such as fabric or crumpled plastic wrap or paper), and then running the combination through a press, transferring the texture to the plate. To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ...

Aquatint is a variation in which particulate resin is evenly distributed on the plate, then heated to form a screen ground of uniform but less than perfect density. After etching, the result is a uniformly roughened (i.e., darkened) plate that may then be drawn on by smoothing it, creating the image from dark-to-light rather than the reverse. Aquatint is a printmaking technique of the intaglio family. ...

Printing the plate is done by covering the surface with ink, then rubbing the ink off the surface with tarlatan cloth or newsprint, leaving ink in the roughened areas and lines. Damp paper is placed on the plate, and both are run through a printing press; the pressure forces the paper into contact with the ink, transferring the image (c.f., chine-collé). Unfortunately, the pressure also subtly degrades the image in the plate, smoothing the roughened areas and closing the lines; a copper plate is good for, at most, a few hundred printings of a strongly etched imaged before the degradation is considered too great by the artist. At that point, the artist can manually restore the plate by re-etching it, essentially putting ground back on and retracing her lines; alternately, plates can be electro-plated before printing with a harder metal to preserve the surface. Zinc is also used, because as a softer metal, etching times are shorter; however, that softness also leads to faster degradation of the image in the press. An ink is a liquid containing various pigments and/or dyes used for colouring a surface to render an image or text. ... Tarlatan is a starched, open-weave fabric, much like cheese cloth. ... The printing press is a mechanical device for printing many copies of a text on rectangular sheets of paper. ... Chine-collé is a special technique in printmaking in which the image is transferred to a surface that is bonded to a heavier support in the printing process. ... General Name, Symbol, Number copper, Cu, 29 Chemical series transition metals Group, Period, Block 11, 4, d Appearance metallic brown Atomic mass 63. ... Electroplating is the coating of an electrically conductive item with a layer of metal using electrical current. ... General Name, Symbol, Number zinc, Zn, 30 Chemical series transition metals Group, Period, Block 12, 4, d Appearance bluish pale gray Atomic mass 65. ...

Faux-bite is common in etching, and is the effect of minuscule amounts of acid leaking through the ground to create minor pitting and burning on the surface. This incidental roughening may be removed by smoothing and polishing the surface, but artists often leave faux-bite, or deliberately court it by handling the plate roughly, because it's viewed as a desirable mark of the process.

The phrase "Want to come up and see my etchings?" is a romantic cliché in which a man entices a woman to come back to his place with an offer to look at something artistic. The erotic etchings of Félicien Rops were some of the first to inspire this phrase. The connotation is that the person inviting is a suave aesthete with class and charm, unconcerned with petty matters like mere fornication; an evening with this man will be a banquet of lovemaking, if one is so inclined. A mandolin player may also be in attendance. Satan Sowing Seeds, by Félicien Rops Félicien Rops (July 7, 1833 - August 23, 1898) was a Belgian artist and engraver. ... Fornication refers disapprovingly to any sexual activity outside of the confines of marriage. ... The examples and perspective in this article may not represent a worldwide view. ...

External links

• Museum of Modern Art information on printing techniques and examples of prints