Intaglio Printing

Intaglio includes printing and printmaking methods where the image is engraved or etched into a surface, and the incised areas retain the ink.

Intaglio is a broad term encompassing various metal-plate printmaking techniques, such as etching, drypoint, engraving, aquatint, and mezzotint. Derived from the Italian word ‘intagliare’ (to incise or carve), intaglio printing involves incising lines or areas below the plate's surface. Printing relies on a press's pressure to push damp paper into these incised lines or areas to pick up ink.