Engravers' Tools

Unlike later printing methods, line-engraved intaglio requires a specialized craftsman—an engraver—to transform finished artwork into what will become a printed stamp. Engravers follow a stamp design very closely, but do not simply copy it, often making small adjustments to lines and curves. The tools shown here, once used by master engraver Elie Timothee Loizeaux, suggest the complexity of the task. The metal die and its printed image show the desired result.

All of the objects on this page are from the Smithsonian National Postal Museum.

Short-focus magnifying lens	Wide-angle lens	Engraver’s loupe
Leather strip	Graver	Hand-made scraper
Etching point and protective cork	Muller	Burnisher
Chinese brush for acid	Vignette stones	Tintype point