Engraving / Burin Engraving vs Wood Engraving
エングレーヴィング（彫刻凹版） / 木口木版
Engraving / Burin Engraving comes from Intaglio Printing and Wood Engraving from Relief Printing. They are reached for with some of the same intent, which is where they get confused.
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.
Wood Engraving
A relief technique cut into hard, smooth end-grain wood. Ink prints from the surface that remains, while fine cuts create white lines and small marks that build tone. It supports detail with little visible wood grain; its printing logic differs from metal engraving.
| Engraving / Burin Engraving | Wood Engraving | |
|---|---|---|
| Era | 15th century–present | late 18th century–present |
| Family | Intaglio Printing | Relief Printing |
| Kind | Technique | Technique |
| Cues | Clearly controlled incised lines / Parallel and crossed hatching / Dense line fields beside paper white / Bundles of lines follow the form | Fine white lines divide black areas / Tone from small cuts and dots / Detail with little visible wood grain / Illustrations sized for printed pages |
| Best used for | Exhibitions and teaching that compare Engraving / Burin Engraving with neighbouring print techniques · Publications studying lines, tones and paper through documented works | Exhibitions and teaching that compare Wood 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 | Run line bundles along the form and vary crossed-line density to separate shadows. | Establish black masses first, then divide them with fine white lines and dots. |
| 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 | Do not label every old printed illustration an engraving. Check the matrix, cutting method and whether it is a mixed print. | The word engraving does not make this intaglio. Distinguish end-grain blocks from plank woodcuts and metal plates. |