What was the purpose of the steel engraving?
Steel engraving is a technique for printing illustrations based on steel instead of copper. It has been rarely used in artistic printmaking, although it was much used for reproductions in the 19th century. Steel engraving was introduced in 1792 by Jacob Perkins (1766–1849), an American inventor, for banknote printing.
What kind of plates are used for engraving?
Steel plates are very hard for this technique, which is normally used on softer copper plates. So steel engraving also used etching, where acid creates the lines in the plates in the pattern made by selectively removing a thin coating of acid-resistant ground by tools.
When did they start engraving on copper plates?
From about 1860 the steel-facing of copper plates became widely used, and such prints tend also to be called steel engravings. It can be very difficult to distinguish between engravings on steel and steel-faced copper, other than by date.
How is an engraved plate different from a stencil?
An engraved plate causes the ink to be slightly raised and the paper to be slightly depressed, which produces a different haptic sensation than does paper printed by a stencil ink transfer process. From the beginning of the nineteenth century, new tools made engraving much easier and more exact.
Steel engraving is a technique for printing illustrations based on steel instead of copper. It has been rarely used in artistic printmaking, although it was much used for reproductions in the 19th century. Steel engraving was introduced in 1792 by Jacob Perkins (1766–1849), an American inventor, for banknote printing.
How can you tell if an engraving is copper or steel?
Look at the date of publication (if shown), if it’s before 1821 it will be copper, if after 1830 almost certainly steel, or steel-faced copper. If it is undated, or between these dates, one can still usually tell from the style of engraving.
What is the meaning of the term engraving?
Engraving is also a term used to describe printed materials that are etched and not cut and the relief process wood engraving. Etch: an intaglio process in which acid is used to produce the “cut” otherwise performed manually with a sharp and very hard-bladed steel tool known as a graver or burin.
What was the process of engraving copper plates?
Later in the nineteenth century the technique was developed to deposit a very thin coating of steel on a copper plate. This process is called steel facing (a form of electroplating), and made it even easier to produce ‘steel’ engravings from relatively soft copper plates.
Is the Encyclopædia Britannica still made of steel?
All the illustrations in the Encyclopædia Britannica of 1911 are steel engravings. Steel engraving is still done today, but to a much lesser extent. Today, most printing is done using computerized stencils instead of a steel plate to transfer ink.
From about 1860 the steel-facing of copper plates became widely used, and such prints tend also to be called steel engravings. It can be very difficult to distinguish between engravings on steel and steel-faced copper, other than by date.
Steel plates are very hard for this technique, which is normally used on softer copper plates. So steel engraving also used etching, where acid creates the lines in the plates in the pattern made by selectively removing a thin coating of acid-resistant ground by tools.
What kind of engraving was used at Trinity College?
Trinity College, Cambridge; View from St John’s College Old Bridge, c. 1840. steel engraving was much used for decorative topographical prints such as this, by John Le Keux. Until around 1820 copper plates were the common medium used for engraving.
