The Craft
How We Make an Etching
Photogravure is a slow, physical process. Here is how a photograph becomes a hand-pulled print.
Select the photograph
Everything begins with a single image — a moment worth keeping.
Prepare the image
The photograph is adjusted for tone and contrast so it will translate to the plate.
Create the photopolymer plate
The image is exposed onto a light-sensitive plate, hardening it into fine relief.
Ink the plate
Archival copperplate ink is worked into every recess of the plate by hand.
Wipe the plate by hand
The surface is wiped clean so ink remains only where the image lives.
Prepare damp fine-art paper
Cotton-rag paper is dampened so it can receive the finest detail.
Run through the press
Plate and paper meet under great pressure, transferring the image.
Lift the finished print
The paper is peeled back to reveal the image — the first look, every time a small event.
Dry, inspect, sign & number
Each print is dried flat, examined, then signed and numbered by the artist.
Ready to make your own?
Turn a photograph that matters to you into a hand-pulled etching.
Create an Etching