salt-etch

Tutor: Penny Brewill                                     

Saturday and Sunday (eight places)

23th and 24th October 2010: 10am-4pm both days

Master printer Penny Brewill will cover this accessible technique for etching aluminium including acrylic hard and soft ground resists using this safer process.

Image: 'Salt Cube' 1/1 Salt-etch Robert Peters

the technique

For many centuries the traditional process used for etching a plate for printing was to use acid, either nitric, hydrochloric, and more recently ferric chloride, which is weaker but still relatively dangerous to use. Copper Sulphate with the addition of salt becomes a safe solution in which to etch aluminium and steel. The aluminium has a natural aquatint and through the use of a range of household products allows for a diverse range of marks from very precise lines to splashes and washes.