How To Use Etching Ink

Use metallic card to create an etching plate. Use an empty ballpoint pen to draw a design into the surface of the metallic card. Apply ink to the surface and wipe it off so that ink collects in

Etching is an intaglio printmaking process in which lines or areas are incised using acid into a metal plate in order to hold the ink. In etching, the plate can be made of iron, copper, or zinc. To prepare the plate for etching, it is first polished to remove all scratches and imperfections from the surface.

Now, your plate is ready for ink! First, use a cloth ball to spread and cover the ink until the etched lines fill. Next, remove the excess ink and clean the plate with a tarlatan, crinoline, or durable wiping cloth. However, if you want to create a variety of tones, don't wipe the plate clean. Instead, leave a trace amount of ink behind on

Press firmly to make sure the ink goes into all the lines. Drink wine, save the corks. 5. Make sure you cover the entire plate. The ink will cause the paper to color a little. If you only ink a lone subject in the center, the print may show a dirty halo. 6. I use stiff tarlatan to make the first wipes to take the excess ink off the plate.

Many artists use both forms together and create one individual piece of artwork, which produces a larger range of visual effects. On many occasions, the engraving method is used in completing a certain design, by adding more detail to the etching design, creating a better image.

Ink the plate After cleaning and drying the plate, I apply etching ink, working it into the grooves I've created with the etching process. Print the final product With my plate ready, I can now print my final product using a printing press. Placing a sheet of dampened paper over the inked plate, I apply pressure to transfer the ink

The ink sticks to the groves of etched lines and areas. Wiping the Ink. Wipe the surface of the plate to remove excess ink, leaving ink only in the etched lines and textures. Typically, artists use a net cloth or tarlatan fabric to wipe the plate. Printing. Place the etched-inked plate on a printing press along with dampened paper.

Etching ink is pushed into the grooves or marks and the surface is wiped before printing. Etching is a five hundred year old printmaking technique with a rich history. The use of acids to create a chemical reaction and etch a design into a plate makes the process quite magical. There is an element of surprise in the printing process, and

Only the drawn lines will etch, and the ground will protect the rest of the plate. The ground is removed, and the plate is printed by applying ink and wiping back, to leave ink only the etched areas. The plate is run through an etching press with damp paper on top at a high pressure, and the paper is then peeled back to reveal the printed image.

Printing Now, after all that prep, we are ready to print a proof. You can use pre-prepared etching inks or create your own using pigment and copper plate oil. We also need to soak the paper we are printing on for about 10 minutes. For etching we would recommend Somerset, BFK Rives, Hahnemuhle, Fabriano Rosaspina or Arches printmaking papers.