The Crown Point Press studio is where artists come to work with our printers. In this section of the website you can learn about etching processes that we use here at Crown Point and watch videos of our master printers explaining different intaglio techniques. If you are a printmaker, you can find updated technical information.
Crown Point Press specializes in intaglio printing. To make an intaglio print, the artist makes indentations in the surface of a metal plate. The printer then fills these grooves with ink, wipes the plate surface first with a cloth then with the palm of the hand, and finally covers the plate with a moist sheet of paper and runs it through a printing press. The press molds the paper into the grooves of the plate, and that’s what creates the image in the print.
Read introductions to the processes we use at Crown Point Press.
Find instructions for building and using studio equipment developed at Crown Point.
- The Aquatint Box
- The Steel Facing Tank
- The Forced Air Print Dryer
- The Ventilated Downdraft Table
- The Aquatint Oven
FEATURED PRINTMAKING SUPPLY: 3-Inch Bent Burnisher
A burnishing tool has a cylindrical stem, ending in a smooth curve that comes to a point. Use it to smooth out the marks made by the scraper, or other light drypoint marks. Begin by putting a small amount of oil on the spot you want to smooth. Use the bottom of the curve to burnish. Press firmly down, with your finger, in the crook of the tool, and make tight, circular or back-and-forth motions.
Browse more printmaking supplies in our online store.
