Printmaking Series (2 of 21) - Electro-etching for intaglio
Posted: June 14, 2004
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Electro-etching for intaglio
Printmaking Series - Part 2 of 21
By Nik Semenoff
Electric current has been used for both depositing and removing metal. Plating is a common industrial procedure used on household and many other articles we use daily. By reversing the polarity of the metal on the power output, it can be etched without the use of acids, requiring only safe salts such as sodium chloride. To produce intaglio plates, one can use
zinc, copper, aluminium, stainless steel and any metal one wishes to use. The voltages
needed are under 5 volts for best results, while the amperage depends on the size of opened
area on a plate. There is no chance of electrical shock from a well design power supply.
Donna Redl
One of the more interesting aspect of this method is the way the metal is removed. Unlike
Electro Power Unit
acids that attack in all directions, electrons tend to move in a direct line towards the
opposite pole. This eliminates the undercutting that give problems in heavy textured areas
with mordants. If one was to examine the shape of a line for its' profile, it would look
more like a "V" than an "O". The action on the plate can be fast, depending on the power
supply used, but slow delicate removal of metal produces the better image.
It is not necessary to purchase expensive power supplies designed for electro-etching, as
there are cheap surplus materials available that anyone with basic electronic knowledge,
can assemble into a descent unit. I recommend this technique only for a studio where not
many printers are etching many plates, since only one can be processed at one time. While
great plates can be made with electro-etching, there are special needs that one must
address. These are not difficult and the elimination of dangerous acids makes this a safer
method to produce etching plates.
Nik Semenoff
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Copyright © 2004 Nik Semenoff
Nik Semenoff
Artist-in-residence
University of Saskatchewan
Visit Nik Semenoff's website at
duke.usask.ca/~semenoff/ for more information.