Collection: Antique Aquatints

Aquatint is an intaglio printing technique, and is used to create tonal variations rather than lines. It is, in essence, a variety of etching. Intaglio refers to printing and printmaking techniques in which the image is carved into a surface, and the engraved line or sunken area holds the ink. During the 17th Century, there were many attempts made to produce what later became known as aquatint. Eventually in 1768 French printmaker Jean-Baptiste Le Prince found that granulated resin gave the best results. Aquatint grew steadily in popularity, and by the end of the 18th Century it had become the most popular method of producing toned prints. The powdered resin is attached to the printing plate by heating. As in the etching process, the plate is then put in an acid bath, and the acid creates tiny rings around each resin grain, and these hold the ink which gives the effect of a wash when printed. The printed areas are controlled by varnishing the areas the printer wishes to appear white. Graduation in tone is achieved by varying the time in the acid bath.