Etching is a printmaking technique that uses acid to cut into metal. The artist coats a metal plate with a waxy ground. The artist draws through the ground with a needle. The plate is dipped in acid. The acid bites into the exposed lines. The ground is removed. The plate is inked. The plate is printed. The etching is the print. The etching is the same.

Etching comes in several forms. Hard-ground etching uses a hard wax. Soft-ground etching uses a soft wax. Aquatint uses a powdered resin. Each has its own texture. Each has its own craft. The etching is the type. The type is the etching. The etching is the same.

Etching is used by artists. Rembrandt etched. Goya etched. Whistler etched. The etching is the artwork. The artwork is the etching. The etching is the same. The same is the acid. The acid is the etching. The etching is the acid. The etching is the same. The same is the plate. The plate is the etching. The etching is the plate. The etching is the same.