The back of the plate can be covered in brown tape to protect it from the acid. The plate is covered with an etching ground (tar, asphaltum, oil pastel, and sometimes even spray paint) to protect the surface from exposure to the acid, and parts of the ground are then removed to create a drawing. Innovations like the Edinburgh Etch are part of a growing concern for the environment among contemporary printmakers. The process of etching with ferric is very slow, but since the end of the 1990s, it has been perfected – the Edinburgh Etch, consisting of four parts ferric chloride solution and one part citric acid solution, works well on all types of metal plates and at greater speed. Ferric chloride is a type of mordant based on corrosive salt crystals, and it has long been valued by printmakers for its safety and accuracy. Most of these acids are very aggressive and give off toxic fumes, with the exception of ferric chloride. Depending on the type of metal (as with engraving, copper plates and zinc are most widespread), different acids are used, most commonly diluted nitric acid, hydrochloric acid, and iron chloride. It is a chemical process, in which the matrix is created by submerging a metal plate into an acid or mordant. Because the process of ‘drawing’ on the copper and zinc plates is much more precise than cutting into woodblocks, intaglio techniques are perfect for multiplying the finer qualities of ink and pencil drawings, cross-hatched surfaces, and the subtle nuances of aquarelle and ink wash (in the case of aquatint).Įtching is the most popular and most useful technique in printmaking, because it allows a lot of freedom for artistic expression. The deeper the incision or recess is, the darker the printed image. Ink is applied so that it fills the indentations, and excess ink is removed from the plate/matrix. The complete opposite of the much older process of relief printing ( woodblock printing was perfected in Ancient China during the Tang dynasty, 618-906AD), intaglio is based on creating incisions or indentations on metal plates – most commonly steel, zinc or copper, either by physical scratching or through chemical processes. Much like how the invention of the Gutenberg printing press helped democratise the written word and brought books to people’s houses, intaglio enabled the spreading of beautiful illuminated pages and intricate drawings across Europe.
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