In the former, the fatty parts of the stone are not attacked by the etching fluid, while the rest of the stone is dissolved more or less. Therefore the fatty places are left in relief.
In the second method, the design is either engraved into the stone with a sharp steel instrument or etched-in with acid.
The relief method has the advantage of greater speed and, generally, a greater number of impressions. It is easy for the artist to apply, especially in crayon work. The intaglio, however, makes possible finer and more powerful work, and again, in many cases, is the easier of the two for the artist. Therefore it is impossible to say in a general way which is the better. It depends on the work to be done.
[CHAPTER I]
RELIEF METHOD
To this method belong principally: (a) Brush and pen designs; (b) the crayon method; (c) the transfer method; (d) the wood-cut method; (e) a sort of scraped style; and (f) spatter-work.
I
BRUSH AND PEN WORK
This is one of the best in lithography, and perhaps the best, because it touches daily needs most directly. It can be used not only for all kinds of writings, but also for illustration that does not demand the supreme perfection of copper plate. The ease of manipulation, the speed and the almost countless number of impressions recommend it especially. It may even be prophesied that in future, when true artists have become better acquainted with it, it will be used for high forms of art.
Much as this method has to recommend it, it has been used mainly for script and music, and it is difficult to gain adherents and followers for it. The reason is an apparently trivial thing, but it has made most artists averse to it. Since stone-printing exists I have found only two persons who could do anything with the steel pen at the first attempt. These were my brother Klemens, and a Herr Porner, who works now in the establishment of Herr Müller in Karlsruhe. All others have had to struggle more or less with this slight trouble, and yet it does not demand more than a few days of patience and study.
For pen work one must not be too particular in selecting stones, as the less perfect ones are more available for this than for any other method. However, the general rule holds good here, too, that the purest and hardest stones are best.
If they have been used previously, so that the fatty inks have penetrated pretty well, they still need not be ground too deeply, but it will suffice to grind them merely till all depressions and elevations of the previous design have vanished. They may be ground with sand or pumice, so long as they are made smooth so that no roughness can be perceived. The smoother and finer the surface is, the easier will it be to work on it with the pen.