Stipple Engraving

a type of incised engraving on metal, mainly copper. The image is created by tiny indentations in the form of dots of various size and depth. The indentations are produced with special tools, such as punches, mattoirs, roulettes, and stipples. They are made directly on the surface of the plate or on an acid-resistant etching ground. Stipple engravings are characterized by subtle chiaroscuro effects. The medium, known since the end of the 15th century, was widely used in the 18th century by F. Bartolozzi, T. Burke, and W. Ryland in England and by G. I. Skorodumov in Russia. It was used mainly to make color or black-and-white reproductions of paintings.