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Engravings
Engraving is a term that covers all methods of producing hand produced prints. Excluded are colour offset prints (virtually all modern prints and limited editions).
There are two main types of plates, which are relief and intaglio. The relief process is usually on hard wood blocks and involves the design being cut away to leave the raised design to be inked and pressed on to the paper. The intaglio process involves indentations in the surface of a smooth metal plate to retain ink and is then printed on slightly damp paper under pressure.
Old Farm Gate 6½”x5” steel eng William Collins 1860
There are many ways the indentations can be made into a plate. The two main methods are engraving and etching. Engraving involves using a graving tool to remove a thin sliver of metal to create a line in the plate. Etching is totally different, as the plate surface has been sealed with shellac before the design is then scratched into the shellac, then the plate is immersed into an acid bath to create the indentation. In both cases the density of the line depends on the width of the indentation.
Canterbury Perspective 11¼"x6½" copper eng c1775
The metal being used for the plate effects the final look of the intaglio prints. Until about 1825 copper was the main metal, but it is fairly soft and wore quickly, so it was unsuitable for long printing runs. A revolution occurred when steel was used, it was harder wearing, but the engraved lines were also finer. More intricate designs were possible and makes steel plate engravings highly sought after.
The Victorians were very innovative and their quest for knowledge created an almost insatiable demand for illustrations. Although the steel engravings are best, the vast majority of images are wood block prints. They were extensively used in books and from illustrated newspapers like the Illustrated London News (ILN).
Charlton House stone lithograph c1843