In traditional printmaking, which process involves incising lines into a metal plate with a burin?

In traditional printmaking, which process involves incising lines into a metal plate with a burin?

• A. Etching.
• B. Woodcut.
• C. Lithography.
• D. Engraving.

Answer: (D)

Engraving is the process that uses a burin to incise lines directly into a metal plate. A burin is a chisel-like tool with a sharp, V-shaped blade that cuts grooves into copper or zinc. The ink sits in those etched grooves, and when the plate is inked, wiped, and pressed onto paper, the grooves transfer the ink to create the printed line. This direct mechanical cutting yields precise, crisp lines and can produce subtle variations in line weight through depth and angle.

This approach contrasts with etched lines, which are made by applying a resist and using acid to bite the metal, or with lithography, which relies on a flat planographic surface and chemical properties rather than incising grooves. Woodcut, meanwhile, is a relief process where the image is carved from a wood surface, not incised on a metal plate. So the description—incising lines into a metal plate with a burin—fits engraving.