In intaglio printmaking, what is a plate?

• A. Copper or zinc sheet of metal used for intaglio printing
• B. Screen used to transfer ink
• C. A wooden block with carved relief
• D. A sheet of paper used for pressing

Answer: (A)

In intaglio printmaking, the image is created by incising into a metal surface so that ink sits in the recessed lines and is then transferred to paper under high pressure. The thing that holds and carries that image is the plate, typically a sheet of metal like copper or zinc. The plate is the working surface you cut, bite, or etch to form the design, and it’s reused to pull multiple prints by filling the grooves with ink and pressing paper onto it.

This plate is distinct from other elements of printmaking: a screen used to transfer ink is part of screen printing, a wooden block with carved relief is used in relief printing (like woodcuts), and a sheet of paper is what’s pressed onto the plate to receive the ink, not the plate itself.