Copper plates have a number of uses in visual art, most commonly as a matrix for printmaking. They are used as the basis of all types of intaglio printmaking, including drypoint, etching, aquatint, and engraving. Many of these techniques rely on copper’s chemical reaction with ferric chloride. When immersed in a diluted solution of the chemical, copper will dissolve at a predictable rate, allowing the artist to control the depth and tone of the etched lines. Historically, engraved copper plates were used to print patterns on textiles in the seventeenth century, in addition to their use to create prints on paper. Part of the appeal of copper is its resilience; a single plate may be printed many times before the image begins to degrade. Furthermore, depending on the thickness of the plate, the image may be scraped off and the plate burnished to be used again. Although zinc plates may also be used for etchings, copper is higher quality and more commonly employed, by artists like Chris Burden, Brice Marden, and Richard Artschwager.

Copper plates may also serve as supports for paintings. The practice of painting with oil paint on a copper surface was popular in the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries and was practiced by such artists as Rembrandt, Jan van Kessel, and Ludovico Carracci. Such paintings are typically small due to the expense of the copper plate. The smooth copper surface gives the paintings a luminosity, and the artist can achieve a tremendous level of detail with fine brushwork.