Drypoint vs Engraving / Burin Engraving
ドライポイント / エングレーヴィング（彫刻凹版）
Both sit in Intaglio Printing, so the question is not what they belong to but how they behave. They are reached for with different intent, which is the fastest way to tell them apart.
Drypoint
An intaglio method that scratches the plate directly. Ink held by the groove and its raised burr gives the line a soft fringe, ranging from dense black to a faint trace. Unlike etched lines, these marks need no acid; the burr wears during printing, so impressions can differ.
Engraving / Burin Engraving
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An intaglio print made by cutting a metal plate directly with a burin or similar tool. Controlled changes in line width and dense parallel or crossed lines describe form and tone. It differs from acid etching, relief wood engraving and inscriptions cut into objects.
| Drypoint | Engraving / Burin Engraving | |
|---|---|---|
| Era | 15th century–present | 15th century–present |
| Family | Intaglio Printing | Intaglio Printing |
| Kind | Technique | Technique |
| Cues | Small irregularities in scratched lines / Soft fringes from the raised burr / Dense black beside faint marks / Line character changes between impressions | Clearly controlled incised lines / Parallel and crossed hatching / Dense line fields beside paper white / Bundles of lines follow the form |
| Best used for | Exhibitions and teaching that compare Drypoint with neighbouring print techniques · Publications studying lines, tones and paper through documented works | Exhibitions and teaching that compare Engraving / Burin Engraving with neighbouring print techniques · Publications studying lines, tones and paper through documented works |
| Type | Keep lettering in the work separate from added labels; place medium, artist and date outside the image. | Keep lettering in the work separate from added labels; place medium, artist and date outside the image. |
| Composition | Compare line density and softness in both details and whole impressions. | Run line bundles along the form and vary crossed-line density to separate shadows. |
| Material | Check the collection medium record and the paper and ink; do not infer materials from screen colour alone. | Check the collection medium record and the paper and ink; do not infer materials from screen colour alone. |
| Caution | A fuzzy digital line does not identify drypoint. Check the plate process and mixed techniques; later impressions may have less burr. | Do not label every old printed illustration an engraving. Check the matrix, cutting method and whether it is a mixed print. |