engraver

An engraver is a craftsworker who creates designs by incising a hard surface. The term covers a range of techniques that remove material to form lines or decorative marks on metal, wood, stone, or glass. Historically, hand engraving has decorated jewelry and wares, sign manuscripts, and embellish firearms; in printmaking, engravers cut lines into metal plates to hold ink for prints.

Metal engraving is the principal traditional form. The main tool is the burin or graver, a hardened steel implement used to push away metal and form recessed lines. Engraved metal plates can serve as decorative objects themselves or be inked for intaglio printmaking, where the ink resides in the grooves and is transferred to paper. The process requires careful design, transfer to the plate, and precise control of pressure and line width.

Wood engraving represents a related but distinct technique. It employs sharp tools to cut into the end grain of hardwoods, producing images with white lines on a printed black or inked surface. Stone engraving and inscribing are common in monuments, architecture, and commemorative monuments, where letters and scenes are carved directly into stone surfaces.

In modern practice, engraving also includes laser engraving and other automated methods that mark metals, plastics, glass, and ceramics with high precision. Engravers may work in jewelry studios, trophy shops, manufacturing plants, or in fine art and print shops. Training typically involves apprenticeships or formal programs in metalwork or graphic arts, emphasizing hand skills, material knowledge, and design sensitivity.