Bulgarian term (edited): �����

Това е най-общият термин за гравюрите върху метал с ръчно изработена печатна форма за дълбок печат. Иначе по-специфичните техники и разликите между тях са следните:

ETCHING (на бълг. офорт, най-общо): a metal plate is coated with an acid-resistant wax-base substance called a ground. A fine-point etching needle is used to draw the image on the plate, removing the surface ground as it makes contact. The plate is immersed in a tray containing an acid bath, and the acid bites into the plate in the etched lines.

AQUATINT (на бълг. акватинта): a process similar to etching, large segments of the plate are exposed to the acid bath, creating tonal areas rather than lines. To create an aquatint, certain areas of the plate are sprinkled with resin, then heated to make the resin adhere to the plate surface. The plate is then immersed in a mild acid, which bites the areas not covered with resin. To make some areas darker than others, those areas are exposed to the acid somewhat longer.

DRYPOINT (на бълг. суха игла): a pencil-like tool is used to draw an image on an untreated copper or zinc plate. The tool makes a furrow with a soft metal ridge on either side called a burr, pushed up from the plate by the tool. The artist tries to retain the fragile burr throughout printing, because the burr holds the ink and results in a print with rich, velvety lines. As in the aquatint process, the drypoint print is produced by inking the plate, wiping it clean, placing dampened paper over the plate, and putting the plate through the press.

Френският термин, доколкото ми е известно, не се употребява на английски. Произведенията на Албрехт Дюрер, един от най-прочутите офортисти, почти навсякъде са наречени най-простичко etchings.