mezzotint
OAB Definition
intaglio process, and the resulting print, in which a printing plate is treated uniformly with a curved, serrated tool called a rocker to create burred pits to hold ink. The plate is then burnished selectively to create various tones—the most heavily burnished or smoothed areas will hold the least ink and produce the lightest areas of the print. Prints are characterized by rich, velvety darks and soft gradations between values. Only a small number of consistent impressions can be made because the burrs deteriorate under the pressure of the press.