How to Do Etching on a Zinc, Steel or Copper Plate

Colored etching from zinc plate

There are many forms of using the printmaking media as an art. Etching onto metal plates of zinc, copper or steel has been an art form for hundreds of years. Here are some of the basics about how to do etching on metal plates.

Things You'll Need

• Metal plates in the size you want to work
• Resists and grounds
• Brushes and rollers
• Acid baths and available water

Instructions

1. 

   Buy your plates cut to size and prepare the edges by beveling them at an angle with a metal file so the edges slope and will not tear the paper when it is run through an etching press. You will also want to burnish the beveled edges smooth so they don't catch ink.

2. 

   Coat your plate with resists called 'grounds'. The basic concept is that a metal plate is covered with a waxy substance that is resistant to acid. Images can be scratched through the coating that will then be eaten away by immersing the exposed lines in acid. The exposed lines and areas will be incised deeper than the rest of the plate that has been protected. Once the coating is removed and ink is rubbed into the lines, the image is then impressed into a soft, damp paper by rolling it through a press.

3. 

   Interesting lines and textures can be created by pressing different materials into the waxy coating or applying the coating with brushes or other implements that will create interesting line or textural effects.

4. 

   Acid baths must be used and disposed of properly. Different acids will eat into different metals leaving a variety of textural lines and effects.

5. 

   Etching is a fascinating way to create art work. You can take courses, often given at local colleges or specialized art studios or you can experiment on your own.

6. 

   For more information on metal plate etching and sites of a few schools with etching courses, please check the Additional Resources below.

Resources

• Exploring Etching
• About Printmaking
• Cornell printing classes
• CSU Long Beach printmaking
• Chicago printmaking