Drypoint

Drypoint is a printmaking technique of the intaglio family, in which an image is incised into a plate by scratching the surface with a hard, sharp metal (or diamond) point. Traditionally the plate was copper, but now acetate, zinc, or plexiglas are more commonly used. The deeper the scratch on the surface, the darker the ink will be at that point. This technique is different from engraving, in which the incisions are made by gouging, although the two can easily be combined, as Rembrandt often did. While engraved lines are very smooth and hard-edged, drypoint scratching leaves a rough burr at the edges of each line. This burr gives drypoint prints a characteristically soft, and sometimes blurry, line quality. Because the pressure of printing quickly destroys the burr, drypoint is useful only for very small editions; as few as ten or twenty impressions. To counter this, and allow for longer print runs, electroplating (here called steelfacing) can harden the surface of a plate.
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Synonyms and related words:
aquatint, cerography, chalcography, crayon engraving, cribbling, etching, intaglio, metal cut, mezzotint, photoengraving, plate engraving, pyrogravure, relief method, steel engraving, wood engraving, woodburning, woodcut, zincography,
  

INCISIONE A SECCO. INCIDERE A SECCO