The term mezzotint (from Italian mezza tinta, “halftone”) derives from the capability of the process to produce soft, subtle gradations of tone. Used alone, however, mezzotint designs are often indistinct and, consequently, engraved or etched lines are introduced to give the design greater definition.

Although the process of mezzotint was invented in Holland by the German-born Ludwig von Siegen (Siegen, Ludwig von) during the 17th century, it was soon practiced enthusiastically and almost exclusively in England. The technique is laborious and, consequently, unsuitable for original work. But its rich blacks, its subtle gradations of tone, and especially its adaptability to making colour prints made it ideal for the reproduction of paintings. During the 17th, 18th, and early 19th centuries, mezzotints were the only means most people had of becoming acquainted with the paintings of major artists. After the invention of photography in the 19th century, mezzotint was rarely used, although in the 20th century the French artist Georges Rouault and the English printmaker Stanley William Hayter each made several plates. Its most distinguished mid-20th-century advocate, Yozo Hamaguchi, a Japanese artist living in Paris, developed techniques for printing colour mezzotint, and other artists, such as Mario Avati of Great Britain and Merlyn Evans of France, have mastered it.