Aquatint

Aquatint is an intaglio printmaking technique.

Printmaking generally works by establishing on the media (in the case of aquatint, a copper or zinc plate) grooves, lines, or any such indentations that are capable of holding ink. These indentations are impressed through the use of acid. The plate is then pressed together with a sheet of paper, resulting in a transfer of the ink; and the plates tend to be quite reusable, depending on the particular technique.

Aquatint printing differs from other forms of printmaking in that the tonal variation is controlled by the level of acid exposure over large areas, and thus the image is shaped by large sections at a time. In contrast, etchings are line-based images; mezzotints, as another example, begin with a surface rough enough to carry a fairly dark tone of ink. The mezzotint artist then creates his image by smoothing out those areas that he wishes to carry less ink, and thus be lighter in prints.

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