Coating a plate

You have come into the etcher's studio after lines have been engraved with the burin. The artist decided the engraved lines are fine for one part of the image, but etched lines will be better for the next part.

Etching is a three-step process: Coating, needling and biting. The three steps are interdependent. In other words, biting (or etching) the plate--the last step--requires the first step be done correctly. Coating the plate has to be done with the needling in mind. The artist's style for the image and even his or her way of working influences all three of these interdependent steps.

In the two photos below you can see the plate being prepared first for the coating. Only half the plate in this example, is actually going to be needled, or drawn, upon, so the rest is covered with a clear, self-adhesive plastic. It is sold as "shelf paper" in stores. It is totally resistent to the mordants used in etching, which often are strong acids.

Where the plastic is cut away this artist brushes a double-protective layer of asphaltum, another mordant-resist. After it dried he cleaned the plate with vinegar and soda, followed with kitchen cleanser and water. This removes oils and grease spots that might interfere with the even coating of the etching ground that will coat the plate.

In the second picture he poured liquid hard ground over the area, with the plate tilted at an angle so the liquid would flow evenly over the plate. Then it dried.

This artist wants to etch lines only in one part of the plate, so the other parts are covered with clear plastic. Also the edges are sealed with plastic tape. Where the plastic ends, he coats the seam with acid resist as a precaution.

Using a tiny cup (a 35mm film cannister) of liquid hard ground, he pours the dark, thick fluid over the portion where he plans to do his needling, or drawing in the ground with an etching needle.

The photos above were taken to illustrate the first of the three steps of plate making using the etching technique. Coating the plate is, in this instance, done for line work. The ground is a popular, off-the-shelf liquid form made mostly of asphaltum in a solvent. These acid resists come in a wide variety.

Are you a first time visitor?

You may have come into the artist's studio part-way into this process, and came across this page that has been made ready for visitors. It takes time to make a plate by etching, and time to reflect this in the Living Prints series. You can skip to another step.

	Artist's Diary	The artist provides the vision and imagery of the living print, laboring after the compelling image.
	Curator's Log	The curator is seldom seen but is always seeing to it that the living prints' records are correct and rules followed.
	Printer's Notes	The printer performs many tasks to keep prints alive, crafting and designing solutions to problems the artist, curator and publisher propose.
	Publisher's Journal	The publisher produces the bases for living prints by supporting all the players and keeping communications clear and on course.
	Professor's Papers	The professor explains the living print, the history of printmaking, and keeps the academic community informed.

©1999 Bill H. Ritchie, Jr. ritchie@seanet.com