Etching
Printing etchings over text, patterns and other backgrounds can add interest and variety to your work
Etching is the process of printing produced by ‘etching’ patterns, shapes and designs into the surface of a metal or acrylic plastic plate.
- Scratch your image or design into the surface of the plate
- Apply colour by rolling ink onto the etched surface
- Wipe the surface so that only the ink collected in the in the scratched areas is left
- Carefully place paper on top of the inked sheet
- Use a printing press to apply pressure and lift the image onto your paper
Historically another technique was to use acid to erode the metal plate. The acid cuts into the unprotected parts of a metal surface to create a design in intaglio (incised) in the metal.
Uses
Etching is used for fine art prints and illustrations. It is used for small to medium ‘runs’ of prints.
The most successful etchings can be very complicated designs. They can be made using one colour or a number of different colours.
