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The etching process
Once I establish a concept and size for my etching,
I prepare the plate, usually copper, which needs to be carefully polished
and then degreased. [1]
A very thin coating of an acid resistant substance known as "ground" is applied to the surface of the plate and left to dry.
[2]
The image is then drawn directly on the plate with an etching needle. [3]
At this point the plate is immersed in an acid mixture
which will "bite" the exposed copper, preserving the detail. [4]
Varying the length of biting time creates tonal effects in the etching ranging from dark to light -
the longer the plate remains in the acid the darker the printed work will be.
How long the plate should remain in the acid is determined only by how dark the image should print.
When the plate is sufficiently bitten,
the ground is removed from the plate which can then be inked.
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1. Degreasing
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2. Applying hard ground (wax)
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3. Drawing
on the plate
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4. Etching
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5. Applying the ink
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6. Wiping the ink off
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| 7. Final touches
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First, the ink is spread over the entire plate [5] and the surface is then hand wiped until it is thoroughly cleaned,
leaving the ink in the etched grooves only. [6] [7]
Finally, the wiped plate is placed on the bed of the etching press
and covered with a sheet of heavy 100% archival paper previously soaked in water and blotted beforehand.
The heavy pressure of the press forces the paper into the grooves and picks up the ink from the grooves.
The transferred image
© Colleen Corradi
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