Engraved printing is an intaglio process that was first practiced in the middle ages. Artists in Italy and Germany would engrave into metal an image that would be printed on paper. In fact, the Gutenberg Bible, famous for its beauty and innovation was printed from engraved plates. Metal dies are still used today and in some instances an artist will etch by hand an image that will be printed on paper. The etching is done by only a few craftsmen who work on one image for months. However, most engraved plates today are rarely hand engraved as they were in the past. A sheet of copper or steel is photo etched transferring a digital image to create a plate. After the plate is made, ink is rolled into the engraved lines and a die stamping press transfers the ink to the paper using 2,000 pounds per square inch of pressure.
Engraved printing is an intaglio process that was first practiced in the middle ages. Artists in Italy and Germany would engrave into metal an image that would be printed on paper. In fact, the Gutenberg Bible, famous for its beauty and innovation was printed from engraved plates. Metal dies are still used today and in some instances an artist will etch by hand an image that will be printed on paper. The etching is done by only a few craftsmen who work on one image for months.
However, most engraved plates today are rarely hand engraved as they were in the past. A sheet of copper or steel is photo etched transferring a digital image to create a plate. After the plate is made, ink is rolled into the engraved lines and a die stamping press transfers the ink to the paper using 2,000 pounds per square inch of pressure.
Other qualities of engraving include the ability to transfer a metallic ink with a sheen and texture that other types of printing cannot produce. The fine line that engraving is capable of producing coupled the opacity of the water-based ink make it particularly unique in printing fine detail. Also, the uniqueness of the chemical make-up of the engraving ink makes the engraved process stand-out when printing on a colored paper stock.
Engraving is still seen as the highest level of quality when it comes to stationery items such as business cards, letterheads, envelopes, announcements, and invitations. At Wheeler -Sonoma we produce engraved stationery for law firms, private banks, wealth management firms, architects, and wineries.