Which statement correctly contrasts relief printing with intaglio printing?

• A. Relief uses a raised surface; intaglio inks sit in incised lines
• B. Relief inks sit in incised lines; intaglio uses raised surface
• C. Both use ink on the same surface
• D. Intaglio is the same as relief

Answer: (A)

Relief and intaglio printing differ in how ink is held on the plate before transfer. In relief printing, the design sits on raised surfaces, so the ink rests on those raised areas and is transferred to paper when pressed; the recessed parts stay uninked, defining the image by the height of the surface. In intaglio printing, the image is incised into the plate, so ink sits in the grooves or recessed lines and is transferred to paper when pressure pulls ink out of those incised areas. This makes the statement true: relief uses a raised surface, while intaglio inks sit in incised lines. The other ideas mix up where the ink goes or equate the processes, which doesn’t reflect how each method actually works.