Engraved plates

Engraving onto metal plates was first used in printing in Germany in the mid fifteenth century. The plates were usually made of copper, but later zinc and other metals were also used. The image is incised onto the metal printing plate with a hard metal engraving tool. The whole plate is then inked. The plate is wiped, leaving ink behind in the incised lines. The paper page is pressed firmly onto the metal plate. The pressure forces the ink out of the grooves of the plate, creating a printed image. Creating an image from the incised lines is called intaglio printing. This is the opposite of relief printing (like woodcuts) where the image is created by inking the high parts of the block. Engravings can often be recognised by the plate mark left behind on the paper. The printing plate is usually slightly smaller than the paper page and the pressure of the metal plate against the paper leaves a rectangular impression around the image.

Another form of metal engraving is acid etching. In this method, a protective chemical is rubbed over the metal plate and a needle is used to etch through the protective coating. An acid wash is then applied to the plate which eats into the exposed metal parts, creating the incised lines. The plate is then inked and printed as before. Engraving by acid etching is not common in botanical printing.

The images below are examples of botanical engraving from works in the Library’s collection from the first decades of the 19th century.

 > View further plates from Labillardiere's Atlas in the Library's catalogue

 > View further plates from Labillardiere's Novae Hollandiae plantarum specimen in the Library's catalogue

 > View further plates from Bauer's Illustrationes in the Library's catalogue

 > View further plates from Redoute's Roses in the Library's catalogue