Having studied at the Royal College of Art, James Ayres is a printmaking artist who has explored the area of intaglio printing. Print is a process of creating multiple images. What makes intaglio printing special is the prints produced are limited in number. Above is a copper plate being inked up. The process involves wiping the plate’s surface so only ink hidden in the scratches and etch reveals as a print. 

The studio press here receives the metal plate, prepared soft damp paper topped with either swan skin or lambs’ wool blankets pass the inked plate through rollers under great pressure. Each individual print takes around 20 minutes or so to duplicate and these are then editioned (limited by the number of times this process is gone through. 

All of this process is completed by hand. The success of an image is determined by controlling the biting or marks made and the timing of the etch. Below are three copper plates each showing a different technique.