An etching is form of Intaglio printing in which an image is bitten or corroded into a metal plate using a form of acid or corrosive salt. The most popular metal is zinc or copper, both for their inexpensiveness and because they etch extremely well; but iron or steal can also be used.

The most common way to make an etching is using materials called soft, liquid or hard ground. These materials are acid resistant, thus where they are on the plate, the acid won’t bite into the metal and a mark for ink will not be made. A hard, liquid or soft ground is painted or rolled onto the metal, and an image is drawn into the ground. The plate is then put into acid, and the image will be bitten.

Etchings are often well known for their beautiful, detailed line work, but also for the range of tones. Tones can be made using a technique called aquatint – a process of spraying or flicking an acid resistant liquid – like soft ground or plain spray paint - onto the plate. The spray lands on the plate in tiny small droplets and when put in the acid, the acid will pool around each one of these drops. The thickness of the spray directly relates to the tone – to get a nice dark tone you need to spray around 50:50. It is a very touchy technique which requires a lot of practice and trials before it can be mastered.

Another method in etching is a process in which a liquid, which is ground resistant and water soluble, is painted directly onto the metal plate. A ground is applied, and then the plate is washed. The liquid will wash off, taking the acid resistant ground, leaving an image that the acid can bite. A common liquid used in this process is called sugar lift – a saturated sugar solution. Gouache paint or liquid syrup can also be used. This technique is popular with painters as it allows lovely brush strokes to be seen in an etching.

As with all Intaglio prints, once the image has been created, ink is first rolled onto the plate then pushed into the lines, the excess is wiped off and the plate is put through a press – a machine that rolls paper and plate together creating an original print.