Etching vs. Aquatint — What's the Difference?

Etching is traditionally the process of using strong acid or mordant to cut into the unprotected parts of a metal surface to create a design in intaglio (incised) in the metal. In modern manufacturing, other chemicals may be used on other types of material.

Aquatint is an intaglio printmaking technique, a variant of etching that produces areas of tone rather than lines. For this reason it has mostly been used in conjunction with etching, to give both lines and shaded tone.

The art of preparing etched plates, especially metal plates, from which designs and pictures are printed.

A process of etching capable of producing several tones by varying the etching time of different areas of a copper plate so that the resulting print resembles the flat tints of an ink or wash drawing.

A design etched on a plate.

An etching made by this process.

An impression made from an etched plate.

A form of etching with acid on a plate partially covered with varnish that produces a print somewhat resembling a watercolour.

(uncountable) The art of producing an image from a metal plate into which an image or text has been etched with acid.

An etching or print made using this method.

(countable) The image created by this process.

To make such etchings.

Present participle of etch

A kind of etching in which spaces are bitten by the use of aqua fortis, by which an effect is produced resembling a drawing in water colors or India ink; also, the engraving produced by this method.

A design carried out by means of the above process; a pattern on metal, glass, etc., produced by etching.

To etch in aquatint.

An impression on paper, parchment, or other material, taken in ink from an etched plate.

An etching made by a process that makes it resemble a water color

An impression made from an etched plate

A method of etching that imitates the broad washes of a water color

An etched plate made with the use of acid

Etch in aquatint

Making engraved or etched plates and printing designs from them