PREMISED ON THE CHALCOGRAPHIC ART The Copperplate engraving is an expression of generally the little considered graphical art;  it is appreciated from a minority of persons for the simple reason that these know the technique and they can some estimate the value more aware.  This premise would want highly summarizedly to illustrate who is not any to acquaintance, like comes true a copperplate engraving, in the hope to stimulate more interest towards a type of art that has roots in the Middle Ages.  Eventual small inaccuracies and approximations that the expert will be able to find, are attributable to the necessity to also condense an immense argument therefore rendering it easy comprehensible to the profane one The Copperplate engraving generally consists in engraving  a design on a metallic slab (branch or zinc), creating therefore a matrix that opportunely inked, concurs to print on a special paper, the design . The prints is carried out with chalcographic press.  The engraving  on the metallic slab can be made directly, with special steel tips or indirectly using  corrosive action of an acid.  The several techniques of engraving of the slabs take the name of - Tip sand bank - Etching - Acqua tinta - Wax motivating force - Black Way Tip Sand Bank The metallic slab, very smoothed using several types of paper emery, comes engraved based on the design with furrows parallels, intercrosses or curves to you, using steel tips of several dimensions. Such tips are inserted in an auction that comes using as a pen held in verticale. This method of direct engraving calls Tip Sand bank.  The direct engraving can be carried out also with bulino. This is a species of chisel with a large grip that comes wrapped from the palm of the hand. The furrow is obtained aiming the instrument at the slab and pushing in ahead.  This method is much difficult one because easy the tip that it engraving can escape creating furrows undesired. In both the methods we must keep in mind who furrows deeper will collect more ink in phase than inking and will give darker signs in phase of prints.  Analogous the traced lines many neighbors the one to the others will give to darker zones the parts of the engraved slab will not give on the press white zone. ETCHING - ACQUA TINTA WAX MOTIVATING FORCE - BLACK WAY The indirect engravin on metallic slab utilize the corrosive action of an acid on the metal, takes the name of Etching.  The metallic slab, very smoothed and taken the grease out of, comes covered on the two superficial and long chines, with a protecting varnish (antacid) that it comes made to crystallize with the aid of one flame;  therefore dealt, after the cooling, it is ready for the engraving.  In order better to explain this method we make an example:  We suppose that want  to realize a press consisting in two lines, one darker of the other.  We are  proceeded in this way:  with one one aims metallic trace at the slab line;  with this operation it comes removed along all the feature, the protecting varnish leaving therefore the below metal uncovered.  Dipping the slab in an acid bath (diluted nitric acid, percloruro of iron etc.)  five minute, this last one will only exercise its corrosive action (morsura) on the discovered part, that is along the line from we traced.  We will have therefore I furrow of a sure depth directly proportional to the time of morsura.   Removed the slab from the bath, rinsed and dried, we trace now the second line and we dip newly in acid for five minute.  The line traced now will endure its morsura and it will be created I furrow deep like in the previous case;  but at the same time front line will continue to being corroded (because it was remained discovered from the protecting varnish) and I furrow will always get a deeper knowledge more.  In conclusion front line that has been in acid for two times (ten total minute) will have furrows of double depth of the second one that has been in acid a single time (five minute) therefore in phase of ink front line will absorb more and be darker once printed publication.  From the made example it turns out obvious that making more morsure in variable times, it is possible to obtain all the dark clear tones of the design.  Also in this case, like written previously, lines many neighbors the one to the others traced, and intercrossed between of they will give to the press dark zones and the engraved parts will not give to white zone Taking advantage of the corrosive action of an acid it's possible to bring of varying to the results obtaining the other techniques which MOTIVATINGS FORCE, the BLACK WAY:  -  . ACQUATINTA : To spread on the slab worked in Etching the powder of Colofonia or Greek Pece in uniform way, then subsequently from the opposite part with flame to heat the same slab in order to obtain the adhesion of the powder to the interested surface, after that the parts that are wanted to be hidden from the morsura of acid must be protect from an antacid, in such way will obtain the merged: Acquaforte/Acquatinta;  ................................................. WAX MOTIVATINF FORCE  applies a particular wax on the slab, already heating with flame, is spread to seam or to pad and subsequently dealt with acid, hiding naturally the parts that are not wanted to be made to corrode.We will obtain therefore on the slab of the soft features similar to the pencil);  .................................................. BLACK WAY   On engraved slabs is not carried out the working of the Acquatinta after that to morsura carried out with a particular called instrument "Brunitoio" is gone to act with several pressures directly on the slab in order to obtain the wished work.  Once engraved the metallic slab, is passed to the phase of ink and prints. INK OF THE SLAB The ink operation demands remarkable experience.  The chalcographic ink (dense and visous), is spread on the slab with a small spatula it of leather or soft plastic (the spatula it does not have to scratch the slab), therefore it is pushed strongly in furrows of the engraving with a pad of tarlatana (gauze inamidated).  The excess of ink go then removed with an other pad of clean tarlatana and eventually with paper in order to avoid halos and spots on the parts not engraved that they must perfectly turn out in the press white zone.  E' necessary to perfectly clean up also the edges of the slab in order to avoid signs of contour.  The prepared slab therefore comes rested on the plan of the Chalcographic Press in perfect position (to registry).  (N.B. All the ink operation goes totally repeated for every single printed publication copy). PAPER On the ink slab, perfectly to registry, goes carefullied lay down the paper sheet on which the image will be printed publication.  The paper must heavy and valuable, little "collosa" and purposely be manufactured for the copperplate engraving.  Its surface must be such to make to stand out with absolute fidelity  also the tones and the more delicate shadings of the work.  Before the press the paper goes preventively damped and left to rest for some time in order to render it soft and able to penetrate in all it furrows of the engravig, once subordinate to the pressure of the chalcographic press. PRESS WITH CALCOGRAPHIC PRESS The chalcographic press is constituted from two steel cylinders mails one over the other, between which a rigid plan is interposed.  The distance between the two cylinders is variable and is relation to the thickness and the type of slab to print.  The advanced cylinder is what effectively it prints while that inferior, set in action by hand from a wheel to star, drags the plan between the two cylinders.  On this plan place comes the ink slab and the sheet to print.  Over the sheet a special felt is placed in order to render the pressure of the adjustable advanced cylinder with two screw placed to its sides soft and uniform.  Once carried out the press the sheet must be placed between two rigid and absorbent plans the humidity in order to avoid that deformed drying up itself. PRESS TO MORE COLORS The described operations over concur to print a engraving  using an only color;  wanting to use two colors example red and the green, will be necessary to engraving  two slabs of perfectly equal dimensions.  In before the part of the design that will turn out in red, in the second one will be recorded will be engraving the part that will turn out in green.  It is proceeded therefore to the press of the first engraving and subsequently in the same perfect position the second engraving will be printed publication.  The final work will be the outcome of the two overlapping press various colored.  Wanting to use three colors, it will be necessary to prepare three slabs.  The difficulty of this technique is in the just one and perfect position of the several press I stretch present who all the job is manual and without utilizing of precision instruments.  . THE ARTIST - THE ENGRAVER - THE PRESSER An artist who elaborates a design could not be able to engraving or however she could entrust the job of engraving and press to specialistic persons.  It can also happen that the artist elaborates the design and she engraving it same he entrusting to others the press job.  When but the artist engraving  its design and the same press he the work that of it turns out truly valuable because is completely devised and realized from if same without interferences of other persons.  It must also keep in mind who is in phase of engraving that of ink and he prints, the author can bring of the modifications that improve the final result. NUNBERING OF THE COPY In order to render its work more valuable, the author establishes to pull (to print) a limited exemplary number.  Before beginning the pulling it prints of the author tests (or tests of color) in order to choose the color adapted.  If as an example it decides to print 60 copies he will write under every copy, in the progressive order of press:  1/60, 2/60, 3/60....... 60/60.  He can happen that the author decides to print its work in an other color (chosen between the author tests);  in this case it will make a second pulling (printing) using this time the numbers roman.  If as an example the pulling is of 30 copies, it will write:  I/XXX, II/XXX.......,  XXX/XXX.  E' to keep in mind who more the pulling is low the many more works is valuable because the slab not taken advantage of to the maximum, maintains its originates conditions  The sign of the author is traced with a pencil  because it is relatively easy to reproduce to press a sing to ink, while pencil sign is not possible to imitate one artificially to. LITOGRAFIE Even if does not have nothing to that seeing with the copperplate engraving, a signal deserves the litografia because is a term that nearly all know.  The chemical principle on which it is based is that the water and the oil grease aren't compatible materials.  This effect comes therefore taken advantage of in the litografia:  it is designed with a pencil fat over to a smooth surface (the lithographic stone) that, after executed the design, soaks with one sponge.  The water will bathe all the surface but not the parts where it is the feature of the fat matita one.  Endured after with a seam strew all the surface with fat ink.  Although our tried to you ink will only join over the features at all designs and nothing to you on all the rest of the surface.  It can therefore be printed for pressure with lithographic press and the copy is made.  This would be the technique of the litografia, but more and more often we see today instead that many artists, even excellent painters, attempt in the litografia creating a design to moderate in order then to entrust it to the skillful "fotolitografo" that with its sophisticated electronic equipment will reproduce the work in a number whichever of copies that then the artist will sign.  A lithographic press is distinguished from a chalcographic press because before it turns out flat (like a photography) while the second one will introduce of the easy looking reliefs to eye or the tact and is advisable to make the verification with one adapt tools for zooming.