When working with
Ferric Chloride printmakers use copper plates. Sheets of metal are
shipped from the maufacturer or supply store in protective boxes. By
using a metal guillotine the artist can cut the large sheets into more
manageable sizes. The plates are first polished and the edges are filed
down to a 45 degree angle. The metal is then placed on a hot plate ( I
simply use an apartment hot plate that is used to keep food warm )
which warms the material. A lump of hard ground ( tarry substance ) is
placed on the warm metal and as it melts it is rolled over the surface
with a brayer. Once the ground cools the artist draws through the tar
with a metal scribe to expose the metal beneath.
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For years we worked
with Nitric Acid solutions in the studio at Cabrillo College when we
etched our zinc plates. When I moved into my own studio I wanted to
work with safer material that did not create as many fumes as the
Nitric. Ferric Chloride is a happy solution - it is a corrosive salt
that can be used to etch on copper plates.
Once the plate has
been polished, beveled, rolled up with hard ground and had the image
drawn on it is placed in a plastic tray with the Ferric Chloride
solution. At twenty-minute intervals the plate is removed and run under
cold water to remove any particulate matter that may have collected in
the etched lines and is then returned to the etching solution. The
longer the plate sits in the solution, the deeper the line is etched.
The deeper the line, the more ink it holds.
When the artist is
happy with the etching depth the plate is removed and the hard ground
is washed off with paint thinner. The plate is then ready to print.
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Using oil-based inks
directly from the tube or pot is easy since there are so many color
choices. Alternatively, the printmaker can mix her own colors by
combining inks to get a unique tone. The ink is applied in a thin layer
over the entire plate - I use cut down plastic epoxy spreaders for this
job. Using a white, stiff cheescloth called tarltan the ink is then
rubbed into the etched lines. A final hand rubbing helps remove most of
the residual ink on the plate. The beveled edges are wiped down and the
plate is ready to print.
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