In engraving the the lines or grooves are directly cut into a metal plate with a burin. The simplest form of etching is drypoint. With a sharp steel etchning needle scratches are made in ametal plate. No acid is used. In etching on a copper or zincplate lines are incised with acid

for printing in an intagliotecnique. I this media several types can be distinguised such as:

- the simple line-etch or hardground etching

- the mezzotint which was invented for reproducing rich tonal aereas as in paintings

- the vernis-mou or softground etching; the most sensitive way of this intaglio media

- the aquatint which is often applied when the etcher wants to use more colours or shades

In printing the plate is covered with moistened paper and printed under highpressure in the etchingpress. In this media the number of prints is usually rather limited unless the copper or zincplate is prepared in a special way. Sometimes the etched lines are hardened with a thin layer of metal which allows a greater edition.

2. Relief print in wood, rubber, linoleum etc.

In a reliefprint only the higher parts of the printingblock are covered with and then printed. All that need not be visible on the print, must be cut away with gauges or chisels. Wood is a material with a fine texture, but linoleum with its flat and smooth structure can easily be cut. For every colour a different block has to be cut or the artist applies the reductionmethod with with the same block is used again and again.

In printing the paper is put on the image and printed by hand or with a rollerpress. Prints are also made with small blocks, letters and other combinations, with or without ink. Such a printing media is called blindprint. Many prints are possible in this tecnique, with the exception of linoleumcut.

3. Planographic print

Lithography is as a planigraphic printtecnique and is much younger than relief- or intaglioprinting. It has been in use now for two hundred years. In lithography there no higher or deeper parts but all parts to be printed are on the same level on the stone (or metalplate). The image is designed with chalk and when finished, it is fixed on the surface with resinpowder, a little bit of acid and gum. The stone is chemically treated sothat ink only adheres to the image. The print is made in a lithographic press. If more colours are used the artist need several stones/plates.

4. Silk screen/serigraphy

The image is usually cut out of the film, drawn in chalk or reproduced in a photographic way and put on a special screen in such a way that the parts which may not be printed are covered. Than the ink is drawn over the image with a squeegee and the ink is pushed through the little whole in the screen. In the afore mentioned tecniques every printed image was a mirrorimage; in this tecnique that is not the case. Moreover it is a excellent printingtecnique to make prints on different materials then just paper. For every colour is other screen is needed.

5. pochoir