Printmaking process of engraving using plates of steel or steel-faced copper; replaced the use of less durable copper plates in the early 19th century. Steel engraving was introduced in 1792 by Jacob Perkins, an American inventor, originally for banknote printing. The process is often distinguished by the use of engraving, etching, and the roulette. For the engraving of steel plates for the production of documents requiring long runs with precise replication, use "siderography."
