Steel engraving
Encyclopedia
Steel engraving, is a commercial engraving
technique for printing illustration
s, based on steel instead of copper. It has been rarely used in artistic printmaking
, although was much used for reproductions in the 19th century. Steel engraving was introduced in 1792 by Jacob Perkins
(1766–1849), an American Inventor, for the use of banknote
printing. When Perkins moved to London in 1818, the technique in 1820 became adapted by Charles Warren
and especially by Charles Heath
(1785–1848) for Thomas Campbell's Pleasures of Hope with the first published plates engraved on steel. The new technique only partially replaced the other commercial techniques of that time as woodcut
, wood engraving
, copper engraving and later lithography
. All the illustrations of the Encyclopædia Britannica
of 1911 are steel engravings.
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During the 1820s steel began to replace copper as the preferred medium of commercial publishers for illustration, replacing etching
but rivalled still by wood engraving
and later lithography
. This produced plates with shaper, harder, more distinct lines. Also, the harder steel plates produced much longer wearing dies that could strike thousands of copies before they would need any repair or refurbishing engraving. The hardness of steel also allowed for much finer detail than would have been possible under copper which would have quickly deteriorated under the stress. As the nineteenth century began to close, devices such as the ruling machine made even greater detail possible allowing for more exact parallel lines in a very close proximity. Commercial etching
techniques also gradually replaced it.
Steel engraving is still done today but to a much lesser extent. Today, most printing is done using computerized stencils that transfer ink instead of a steel plate. The exception to this is currency which is still printed using steel dies. By using actual steel engraved dies, each bill has a character and feeling that is very difficult for counterfeiters to duplicate. An engraved plate allows the ink to be slightly raised and the paper to be slightly pressed that produces a different sensation that is felt with a stencil ink transfer.
Engraving
Engraving is the practice of incising a design on to a hard, usually flat surface, by cutting grooves into it. The result may be a decorated object in itself, as when silver, gold, steel, or glass are engraved, or may provide an intaglio printing plate, of copper or another metal, for printing...
technique for printing illustration
Illustration
An illustration is a displayed visualization form presented as a drawing, painting, photograph or other work of art that is created to elucidate or dictate sensual information by providing a visual representation graphically.- Early history :The earliest forms of illustration were prehistoric...
s, based on steel instead of copper. It has been rarely used in artistic printmaking
Printmaking
Printmaking is the process of making artworks by printing, normally on paper. Printmaking normally covers only the process of creating prints with an element of originality, rather than just being a photographic reproduction of a painting. Except in the case of monotyping, the process is capable...
, although was much used for reproductions in the 19th century. Steel engraving was introduced in 1792 by Jacob Perkins
Jacob Perkins
Jacob Perkins was an Anglo-American inventor, mechanical engineer and physicist. Born in Newburyport, Massachusetts, Perkins was apprenticed to a goldsmith...
(1766–1849), an American Inventor, for the use of banknote
Banknote
A banknote is a kind of negotiable instrument, a promissory note made by a bank payable to the bearer on demand, used as money, and in many jurisdictions is legal tender. In addition to coins, banknotes make up the cash or bearer forms of all modern fiat money...
printing. When Perkins moved to London in 1818, the technique in 1820 became adapted by Charles Warren
Charles Warren (engraver)
Charles Warren was an English line engraver.-Life and work:Warren was born in London, and of his early career the only facts recorded are that he married at the age of eighteen, and was at one time engaged in engraving on metal for calico printing...
and especially by Charles Heath
Charles Heath
Charles Theodosius Heath was an English engraver, currency and stamp printer, book publisher and illustrator.-Life and work:...
(1785–1848) for Thomas Campbell's Pleasures of Hope with the first published plates engraved on steel. The new technique only partially replaced the other commercial techniques of that time as woodcut
Woodcut
Woodcut—occasionally known as xylography—is a relief printing artistic technique in printmaking in which an image is carved into the surface of a block of wood, with the printing parts remaining level with the surface while the non-printing parts are removed, typically with gouges...
, wood engraving
Wood engraving
Wood engraving is a technique in printmaking where the "matrix" worked by the artist is a block of wood. It is a variety of woodcut and so a relief printing technique, where ink is applied to the face of the block and printed by using relatively low pressure. A normal engraving, like an etching,...
, copper engraving and later lithography
Lithography
Lithography is a method for printing using a stone or a metal plate with a completely smooth surface...
. All the illustrations of the Encyclopædia Britannica
Encyclopædia Britannica Eleventh Edition
The Encyclopædia Britannica Eleventh Edition is a 29-volume reference work, an edition of the Encyclopædia Britannica. It was developed during the encyclopaedia's transition from a British to an American publication. Some of its articles were written by the best-known scholars of the time...
of 1911 are steel engravings.
The Process of Steel Engraving
Most engraving is done by laying out the broad, general outline onto the plate first. This is commonly referred to simply as etching. After this step is complete the artist can move to strictly engraving the work. The tool most commonly used for engraving is the burin, which is a small bar of hardened steel with a sharp point. This is pushed along the plate to produce thin strips of waste metal and thin furrows. This is followed by a scraper which removes any burs as they will be an impediment to the ink. It is important to note that engraving must be done in the reverse or mirror image, so that the image faces the correct way when the die prints. One trick of the trade was for engravers to look at the object that they were engraving through a mirror so that the image was naturally reversed and they would be less likely to engrave the image incorrectly. Steel plates can be case hardened to ensure that they can print thousands of times with little wear. Copper plates cannot be case hardened but can be steel-faced or nickel-plated to increase their life expectancy.19th century Changes
Until around 1820 copper plates were the common medium used for engraving. Copper, being a soft metal, was easy to carve or engrave and would strike a few hundred copies before the image began to severely deteriorate from wear. Engravers would then rework a worn plate retracing the previous engraving to sharpen the image again. Another advantage to using copper is that it is a soft metal and can be corrected or updated with a reasonable degree of ease. For this very reason, copper plates were the preferred medium of printing for mapmakers who would have to change their maps with newly discovered, claimed land, or that which had changed hands.During the 1820s steel began to replace copper as the preferred medium of commercial publishers for illustration, replacing etching
Etching
Etching is the process of using strong acid or mordant to cut into the unprotected parts of a metal surface to create a design in intaglio in the metal...
but rivalled still by wood engraving
Wood engraving
Wood engraving is a technique in printmaking where the "matrix" worked by the artist is a block of wood. It is a variety of woodcut and so a relief printing technique, where ink is applied to the face of the block and printed by using relatively low pressure. A normal engraving, like an etching,...
and later lithography
Lithography
Lithography is a method for printing using a stone or a metal plate with a completely smooth surface...
. This produced plates with shaper, harder, more distinct lines. Also, the harder steel plates produced much longer wearing dies that could strike thousands of copies before they would need any repair or refurbishing engraving. The hardness of steel also allowed for much finer detail than would have been possible under copper which would have quickly deteriorated under the stress. As the nineteenth century began to close, devices such as the ruling machine made even greater detail possible allowing for more exact parallel lines in a very close proximity. Commercial etching
Etching
Etching is the process of using strong acid or mordant to cut into the unprotected parts of a metal surface to create a design in intaglio in the metal...
techniques also gradually replaced it.
Steel engraving is still done today but to a much lesser extent. Today, most printing is done using computerized stencils that transfer ink instead of a steel plate. The exception to this is currency which is still printed using steel dies. By using actual steel engraved dies, each bill has a character and feeling that is very difficult for counterfeiters to duplicate. An engraved plate allows the ink to be slightly raised and the paper to be slightly pressed that produces a different sensation that is felt with a stencil ink transfer.
The Late Age of Steel Engraving
By the beginning of the twentieth century, new tools made engraving much easier and more exact. One of these tools is the Geometrical Lathe. The Lathe is used to engrave images on plates, which are in turn engraved on rolls for the use of such methods as printing bank notes. The other of these tools is the Engraving Machine. This machine uses a master template to lightly engrave a duplicate image which can be then engraved by hand or by acid method. The machine also makes possible the reduction or enlargement of the letter for the duplicateExternal links
- Charles Heath portrait at walterscott.lib.ed.ac.uk
- Printing Methods at antiqueprints.com