About Intaglio

What's Intaglio?

• Intaglio [in-tal-yoh] is a special way of making prints. Instead of putting ink on the surface of the matrix, like in other printing methods, intaglio involves putting ink into little grooves in the plate.

• People usually use plates made of iron, copper, or zinc for intaglio. They create an image on the plate in one of two ways: either directly by hand—like in engraving, drypoint, or mezzotint—or by using chemicals like acid and a special material that's resistant to acid—like in etching or aquatint. The reversed images are always established on the plate so the correct image will be printed onto the paper.

• The technique we're using is drypoint, which means we are establishing the image onto the matrix directly by hand using a needle or scribe. 

• After the image is established on the plate, ink is spread all over it. Then, the extra ink on the surface is wiped away. The ink that's left in the grooves gets transferred onto a flexible material, like damp paper, using a press that applies a lot of pressure.

A Brief History

• In the 15th century, German metalworkers created the first intaglio prints. The process was popularized by Martin Schongauer (c. 1450–1491) and then Albrecht Dürer (1471–1528), who used their knowledge of engraving from their backgrounds in goldsmithing to create metal plates to hold ink. As time went on, this method improved and, by the 16th century, it became a popular way to make prints of famous artworks.

• Artists have found intaglio to be a valuable addition to their artistic toolbox. It adds unique visual effects to their work through the embossed plate mark and the unique textures created by the incised or etched images. 

Examples of intaglio prints: 

• 1. Melencolia I, by Albrecht Dürer (1514)

  2. And There is No Remedy, by Francisco José de Goya y Lucientes & printed by Calcografía Nacional, Madrid (1863)

  3. Still Life with a Bottle of Marc, by Pablo Picasso & printed by Eugène Delâtre (1912)

  4. Kleine Welten IX, by Vasily Kandinsky (1922)

  5. The Awakening of the Giant, by Joan Miró & printed by Atelier Lacouriere et Frelaut, Paris (1938)

  6. Untitled, by Jackson Pollock & printed by Emiliano Sorini (1967)

  7. Scrap Metal Drypoint #2, by Michael Heizer (1978)

  8. Ocean Surface, by Vija Celmins (1985)

Adaptations for the Classroom

• Traditionally, the metal plates for intaglio have been made with iron, copper, and zinc. Instead, we're using a plastic plate. When using metal, images can be established using acid and acid resistant materials or directly by hand. The acid won't work with plastic, so we're scratching directly into a plastic plate with a needle or sharp point—a process called drypoint.

• An etching press can be expensive, heavy, and take up a lot of space. Instead, we're using a pasta maker to apply pressure.

Teacher Resources

Links to Check Out

• [video] Flattening Intaglio Prints, by Mad Deer Press

• [video] Pasta Maker Prints, by Creativebug Studios

• [video] How to Make a Drypoint Etching Print from Recycled Plastic with No Press, by Belinda Del Pesco

• [video] Tutorial Drypoint Print using Tetra Pak (waste material) as a Matrix, by Syida Zainal

• [video] Intaglio printing with a pasta maker (modifying press to print horizontally), by Janet Ballweg

  • Step 1: Modifying the pasta maker

  • Step 2: Setting up the press

• [video] Printing with a Pasta Press (modifying press to print horizontally), by Snake Artist Prints

• [video] INTAGLIO Printmaking: Inking & Wiping Techniques, by Art Prof: Create & Critique 

• [video] Drypoint Technique, by Crown Point Press