Intaglio (pronounced in-tal-yo) means to cut or engrave.  A copper, zinc, or plastic plate can be cut or drawn into with acid, which would be an etching, or engraved with knives of various shapes, or with a needle, which is called dry point.  Thea used plastic plates for these intaglios.

When a plate on which a drawing is made is ready to print, ink is scraped onto the plate so the ink sinks into all the etched or cut areas.  Then the ink is wiped off with a starched cheesecloth called "tarlatan", so ink remains only in the cut or etched areas.  The plate is placed on the bed of the etching press, covered with damp paper and run through the rollers.  This can be repeated over and over making multiple prints from one plate until the desired number are printed. 

The first few prints are called "Artists Proofs"  for the artist to keep. Those printed subsequently are numbered in pencil on the front of the print.  They are called an "edition".  If you print 50, each print will be numbered from 1 to 50, plus the number that were printed.  For instance the 5th print would be numbered 5/50, the final one would be numbered 50/50.    (Information courtesy of Joan Suits)