Steel engraving is a printing technique that involves etching a design onto a steel plate, which is then inked and printed onto paper. Synonyms for steel engraving include intaglio printing, steel plate printing, steel impression, and line engraving. Intaglio printing refers to any printing technique where the image is sunk into the printing surface, and can be used to describe steel engraving as well as other similar techniques such as etching and aquatint. Steel plate printing is more of a general term that can also refer to printing techniques that use other materials besides steel as the printing surface. Steel impression and line engraving both emphasize the importance of the engraved lines or grooves that form the design on the steel plate.