Printmaking: Etching Plates
There are many different metals that can be used as printing plates/surfaces.
Which materials you use depends largely on your own preferences, price and what effects you want.
The roughest ones are steel, but you can also choose between zinc and copper plates.
Steel is also the cheapest plates to buy and also the easiest to get hold of.
The surface is rougher than zink or copper, but it can can be polished down to a very smooth surface using a metal polisher or wet sandpaper.
Different acids needs to be prepared for the different types of metal and the etching time and results will vary from metal to metal,
but the use of hard and softground, stopout and aquatint will be the same for all the plates.
The edges of the plate must always be filed down to about 45 degrees to avoid damaging the
paper and the press. This can be done using a metal file.
The filed edges should be polished afterwards as they are normally very sharp and can damage the paper when printing.
The plate must also be cleaned properly to remove all grease and dirt before any grounds or aquatint resin can be applied.
A grease removing liquid or soap should be sufficient together with an old toothbrush or nail brush under running water.
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