Sunday, 24 November 2013

How to make an Etching Print


Health and safety

  • Use apron to protect clothes
  • Rubber gloves or barrier cream to be worn
  • Long hair and scarves must be tucked away
  • Clean all equipment and slabs with vegetable oil or turps using a rag
  • Leave workshop clean and tidy
Preparation

  • File and burnish edges of the zinc plate 
  • De-grease the plate 
  • put it on a hot tale 
  • Apply hard ground - a waxy brown acid resistant coating - with a roller
  • Transfer your image onto the plate, using tracing paper, or draw free hand 
  • Remember to reverse your image
  • Using a sharp point (etching needle) repeat your image by scratching back the ground
  • Protect the other side of the plate with a duck or parcel tape
  • Put plate into nitric aid for approx. 5 minutes 
  • Polish plate with Brasso then rinse with hot water and dry
Printing

  • Prepare and dampen paper in wather, roll it between layers of blotting paper
  • Ink your plate. Rough paint brushes can be used to push ink into the grooves
  • Use a rag or newspaper to wipe of excess ink and slightly polish the plate
  • Place your plate onto clean newsprint on the center of printing bed 
  • Cover with the damp paper, sheet of newsprint and blanket on top 
  • Wind through the printing bed without stopping  
  • Allow print to air-dry by placing it on the drying rack.  

No comments:

Post a Comment