How did William Blake use relief etching for his illustrated poems?

William Blake was a pioneer in the use of relief etching, a process he employed to integrate his handwritten poetry with his illustrations. To create his works, Blake drew both the text and the surrounding designs directly onto copper plates using a liquid that was impervious to acid.12

Once the design was drawn, he etched the plates, which allowed the text and images to stand out in relief. This method enabled him to print the poems and illustrations together, after which he and his wife would color the prints by hand and assemble them into volumes. By using this technique, which he referred to as "Illuminated Printing," Blake was able to publish his own creative works—such as Songs of Innocence and The Marriage of Heaven and Hell—without relying on traditional publishing methods.12