Engraving and etching are in the Intaglio print category; printing results from forced ink on the cut lines and not from the plate surface. Engraving was originally used to decorate metal. These decorations used to be filled with pigment, which, with the right pressure, was copied onto paper or fabric to produce an impression. The little finger differs from the engraving, as the acid replaces the physical effort to provoke the plaque, allowing a much clearer range and free of marks and textures. The depth of the line can also be more easily controlled and used to create richer and more diverse tones. The most common metals used for small plates are copper and zinc; Beginners usually use zinc, but etching copper is highly recommended to produce finer and thick lines which are more detailed.
- When etching copper, the plate is covered with earth, or “resists”, which protects the plate from acid and is then fixed with a needle. The Earth can be hard – for excellent, precise or smooth lines – the wax does not fit; any pressed textured object will remove the wax when removed; exposing the dish. Placing the paper on the soft floor and drawing it will create marks similar to a hard pencil.
- Hard earth is not much darker than metal. therefore, it is quite common to darken the plate carefully, keeping it upside down and allowing the carbon from the burnt wax layers to be absorbed by the soil. This is called smoking the dish. The plate can now be tapped with a needle – strong enough just to scrape the floor without scraping the metal. In this way, you can paint errors with liquid soil. Also remember that anything projected will be printed as a mirror image, this is trhe easiest ay to etch copper!
- The plate is then placed in acid and the exposed areas are bitten. I usually use Dutch Bite, a mixture of hydrochloric acid, potassium chloride and slow and easily controllable bite water that uses light blue / green handling.
- The soil is removed and the drawn image will be “engraved” on the plate. This is covered with paint, the surface is cleaned, leaving only the filled lines.
- A sheet of damp paper is placed on the inserted plate and both are rolled through a press under high pressure. The resulting print will have slightly elevated wavy lines and a distinct “flat mark”