Where can I buy a copper plate for etching?
Copper plates (and other etching plates such as zinc) can also be purchased pre-prepared for etching from art shops. This saves you having to prepare your own plates and you can get straight into the image making.
Who was the first person to make copperplate engraving?
As is the case with many woodcutters and wood engravers, most early copperplate engravers were not identified. The prints were frequently described in the literature as being “after” the artist who drew or painted the original work from which the engraving was made.
Why was a copper plate put in a printing press?
Unlike the ‘relief’ method of printing, which required very little pressure, the copper plate needed the weight of a printing press so that the finest of engraved detail could materialise. It was placed in the press with a piece of slightly dampened paper over it, followed by a felt blanket.
Are there any copper plates from the 15th century?
Though very few original plates remain from the 15th and 16th centuries, it is the material most often referred to in historical literature from which large print runs could be pulled, giving hundreds of impressions before wear to the plate became visible and it needed to be re-engraved. The skill required to engrave a plate cannot be overstated.
What was used to etch a copper plate?
However, there was another common practice. The copper plate could first be coated with a film of wax, allowing the engraver to trace the outline onto it using a drypoint, an etching needle or stylus of sorts.
As is the case with many woodcutters and wood engravers, most early copperplate engravers were not identified. The prints were frequently described in the literature as being “after” the artist who drew or painted the original work from which the engraving was made.
Though very few original plates remain from the 15th and 16th centuries, it is the material most often referred to in historical literature from which large print runs could be pulled, giving hundreds of impressions before wear to the plate became visible and it needed to be re-engraved. The skill required to engrave a plate cannot be overstated.
Unlike the ‘relief’ method of printing, which required very little pressure, the copper plate needed the weight of a printing press so that the finest of engraved detail could materialise. It was placed in the press with a piece of slightly dampened paper over it, followed by a felt blanket.
