A technical dictionary of printmaking, André Béguin.
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Burst through
A biting accident most often encountered in etching. A burst-through, also called a crevé, comes about when two parallel lines or crossed lines join up and widen out when the plate is bitten. The result is then a single but irregular hollow instead of the individual lines. When printed such a hollow will become a spot instead of a set of lines since the ink cannot be retained by the plate. The causes of this accident can be any of the following: the lines are too close together, the biting is too long or too strong, the ground has not been well laid. [etching, biting, line, laying the ground].
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