Engraving on copper or steel involves the use of a set of tempered steel hand tools called gravers. The primary tool of traditional engravers is the burin, a hardened steel chisel-like cutting tool. The burin has a rounded handle designed to fit the palm of the hand. It produces a steady, clean-cut line. Other tools include needles, burnishers and rockers used to roughen the metal's surface. Scrapers are for cleaning and removing burrs. The points of the tools come in a variety of shapes.
Intaglio is a blanket term used to describe the printmaking techniques of engraving and etching. Burins are used to cut and gouge lines into copper or steel plates. The softness and easy workability of copper allows more freedom and facility to the line cutting process. Steel is harder to cut and restricts the movement of the burin. Different values are produced by varying the depth and width of the engraved lines. Wider and deeper lines hold more ink and print in darker tones.
The bank note style of engraving gets its name from the fact that early steel engravings were used to print dollar bills and stamps. The method employs engraving many individual lines of varying length and width to suggest shading and values by the use of hatching and cross hatching. Thousands of lines are systematically organized and arranged to produce highly detailed designs. Bulino is a pointillist technique of engraving dots or very short lines to suggest the effects of light and shadow.
Decorative engraving refers to the practice of decorating and embellishing the surface of copper and steel goods. Knives, guns, serving trays, musical instruments and trophies are personalized with engraved designs and ornamentation. Methods of decorative hand engraving employ push gravers, a small hammer with a chisel engraver or air-compressor driven pneumatic graver tools. The gravers travel forward, curling the metal while leaving a furrow behind. The dimensions and curvature of the furrow is controlled by the angle and shape of the burin graver's tip.