1.
In etching, tracesgrooves are drawn on a clean plate which is then inked. The rest of the surface is wiped clean, and the grooves, which remain filled with ink, printed on a lightly dampened paper under pressure exerted by passing the paper and plate through a press. Different techniques exist for creating these traces.

1.1
Drypoint is the most simple, direct technique. A drawing is scratched directly onto a plate with a sharp-pointed object that creates a rough-edged line with burrs, or raised edges, which produce the charm of the resulting prints.

1.2
The specific needle shape of the burin creates deep hollows. This tool may be square or lozenge-shaped (the latter allowing a deeper trace). The "burinists" form a race separate from engravers, because of their great respect and loyalty to their technique, and of the tenacity necessary for making extremely delicate works of large dimensions.

1.3
"L'eau forte" is the traditional name for drawing on a hard ground that covers the entire plate surface. The uncovered areas are bitten in an acid bath; the duration of immersion determines the lines' depth. The technique offers great freedom in drawing, since it is unnecessary to break the metal surface. It is recognizable in the lines on the print by the absence of burrs.

1.4
Soft ground covers a plate onto which paper is laid. The light pressure of pencil drawing is sufficient to lift off the ground, and this drawing of exposed lines can then be etched in an acid bath.

1.5
In aquatint, a coat of powdered rosin is applied to desired areas, then fuses with the plate when it is warmed. The uncovered parts are etched in the acid (more or less deeply, according to the duration of the bath). Note that a protective ground should be applied where the image is to be untouched by ink.

1.6
The "sugartechnique" consists of using a paintbrush dipped in a sugar solution, as concentrated as possible, made of sugar and water colored with Chinese ink (which helps to visualize the working process). Once dried, the drawing is covered with a protective stop-out ground, which must dry before the plate is plunged into a hot-water bath. The ground dissolves, lifting off where the sugar was painted, then allowing the drawing to be etched in an acid bath.

1.7
In maniere noire, or mezzotint, the entire surface of a metal plate is covered by means of a rocker (a curved tool with a finely textured edge). With a burnisher the artist flattens out the areas that must not be inked. The resulting work is distinguished by magnificent shading on a black ground.