Etching

A print produced by the method of drawing on to a metal plate, covered in a waxy, acid-resistant substance, using a metal tool, thus exposing the plate wherever a line should be printed. The etched plate is placed in acid, which eats into the plate where it has been exposed. Ink is then applied and a print taken after plate has been wiped to leave ink in the etched lines only. The tones of black or grey and the darkness of the lines that will appear in the final print can be varied by stopping out part of the design with varnish. The softness of the ground used means that it can be drawn onto freely and easily giving greater spontaneity than the engraving method (see also intaglio).

Watch printmaker Amy-Jane Blackhall and artist Tristan Reid make an etching and aquatint, demonstrating the tools and techniques involved in this type of printmaking.

An audio-described version of this film is available.