Transferring a Photograph to Metal Etching
If you are looking for a creative way to display a photograph, try an art technique known as photo-etching. Photo-etching is the process of transferring a photograph onto a piece of metal, such as copper, to imprint the metal with the image. This art process works by using an acid bath that eats away at the metal to produce the image. Since acid is involved, transferring a photograph to metal etching should be handled by adults and performed with special attention and care to avoid injuries and accidents.
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Things You'll Need
- Transfer paper
- Printer
- 20-gauge metal, to correspond with size of photograph
- Denatured alcohol
- Cotton balls
- 2 sheets paper towel
- Electric griddle
- Hot iron
- Tweezer
- 4 10-by-5-inch plastic tubs
- 3 cups ferric chloride
- 6 cups water
- 1 cup baking soda
- 1/4 cup ammonia
- Packing tape
- Duct tape
- Scissors
Instructions
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Photo Transfer Process
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1
Print the photographed image onto transfer paper. Check the darkness of the toner so you can clearly see the image on the paper.
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2
Prepare the transfer paper photograph and the 20-gauge sheet of metal, such as copper, by rubbing the toner side of the photograph and one side of the metal sheet with denatured alcohol. Pour the alcohol on cotton balls and wipe the appropriate sides with the cotton.
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3
Press the image, toner side down, onto the wet side of the metal sheet. Keep a firm connection so that the two pieces stay affixed. Place one paper towel sheet on top of an electric griddle set on high. Set the metal side down onto the paper towel. Place the second paper towel sheet onto the transfer paper and press a hot iron down onto the paper towel. This process seals the image onto the metal. Keep the iron in place for one minute.
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4
Carefully peel back the transfer paper with tweezers to see if it copied onto the metal. The toner should be left behind on the metal, so you can peel the transfer paper away completely. If parts of the image did not come out as dark, freshen them up with a permanent marker. Allow the metal to cool for 30 minutes.
The Etching Process
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5
Prepare the four tubs. Fill the first tub with 3 cups of ferric chloride. Fill the second tub with 3 cups of water and 1 cup of baking soda. Pour 3 cups of water and 1/4 cup of ammonia into the third tub and leave the fourth tub empty. The fourth tub will be used for rinsing.
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6
Wrap 1 inch of the four sides of the metal sheet with packing tape. Packing tape protects the metal sides from being eaten away by the acid during the transferring process. Leaving 1 inch of the sides intact allows the image being transferred to have a border around the edges.
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7
Cut a 5-inch piece of duct tape, using scissors. Stick one end of the duct tape securely to the back of the metal sheet that is going into the acid bath. Stick the other end of the duct tape over the side of the plastic tub. Use the duct tape as a mechanism to hold the metal in place in the acid.
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8
Submerge the metal, image side down, into the acid bath in the first tub. Do not force the metal down to the bottom of the tub, but instead let the bottom side of the metal just touch the surface of the acid. Leave the metal in the acid bath for one hour, and check on it. Photo-etching can take several hours to complete, based on how acidic the bath is, so wait until the image etches into the metal.
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9
Remove the metal from the acid bath and stick it into the second bath. Leave the metal in the second tub for one minute and transfer it to the third tub. Leave the metal in the third tub for one minute. Place the metal into the fourth tub, which is empty, and use this to air-dry the metal.
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Tips & Warnings
Wear rubber gloves throughout the entire photo-etching process.
