Intaglio

Intaglio is a one of the four major classes of printing techniques, distinguished from the other three methods (relief printing, stenciling, and lithography) by the fact that the ink forming the design is printed only from recessed areas of the plate. Derived from the Italian "intagliare", or to cut into, the technique involves a metal plate, generally composed of copper, iron, steel or zinc, which is then covered in ink and pressed down onto paper. Emerging well after woodcut printing, intaglio printmaking is first recorded as being used in the late 1430s. By the 1500s it was used by artists such as Albert Dürer, who has since become known as one of the most famous intaglio artists. Aside from being used in art, intaglio printing has also been used for mass-printed materials, including banknotes, newspapers, books, maps, magazines, fabrics and wallpapers.

Techniques which fall under the umbrella of intaglio include etching, engraving, aquatint, photogravure, mezzotint, and drypoint. When these techniques are used in combination they can produce a wide range of effects and variations, in terms of tone and contrast, making it the most versatile of the printing techniques. A technique that had been used by artists since the Middle Ages, it is still popular today due to its excellent mutability.

Notable artists who often used intaglio include Picasso, Rembrandt and Dali, just to name a few. Discover the wide range of art produced from intaglio available on Artsper.