In intaglio printing, where does the ink reside?

• A. On the surface of the plate
• B. Ink sits in incised lines
• C. On the back of the plate
• D. In the negative space

Answer: (B)

In intaglio printing, the image is built from ink that sits in recessed lines and grooves cut into the plate. After the plate is inked, the surface is wiped clean so that ink remains only in those incised lines. When paper is pressed onto the plate, the ink from those grooves transfers to the paper, creating the image. So the ink resides in incised lines.

If ink were on the surface, that would describe relief printing, where the raised areas hold ink. The back of the plate doesn’t contribute ink to the print, and the uninked areas around the lines—the negative space—don’t hold ink for the image in intaglio.