Printmaker as Alchemist

Notes from the Printshop

Sunbury Shores Arts and Nature Centre
written by:
Robert A. Van de Peer
Master Printmaker
© 2005

INTRODUCTION

This paper focuses on my research over the past five years into non toxic techniques in printmaking, in particular, the medium of etching. The results of this research offer the possibility of developing new types of imagery. The techniques I have developed offer increased accessibility to spontaneous expression, which will enlighten and encourage the inquisitive nature of the creative mind.

Artists who choose printmaking as a medium can and should work in an environment that is safe and non hazardous. They should be able to choose from and work with media which encourage new exploration within this constantly evolving artistic world while at the same time utilize commonplace materials towards a much safer and more creative end.

The advent of non toxic techniques in the printmaking studio is seen as a revelation by most artists; a complete renewal, as though discovering this medium for the first time. It has renewed and rejuvenated my creative interests in the medium. It is a long overdue, environmentally safer, voyage towards future creative initiatives.

BACKGROUND

To convert a typical print shop that uses hazardous substances into a non toxic and safe environment, it is essential to first adopt an acid that does not produce toxic fumes. One must use an acid that is relatively harmless to most things organic.

The information that follows is for the use of copper plates only and includes types of acid resists and how they work.

Lewis acid, more commonly known as ferric chloride, has been widely adopted by the most discerning and up to date print shops and print makers world wide. There are no fumes produced from using copper with this acid, unlike using zinc which produces hydrogen. Just as the advantages of this acid are known, the main problem associated with the use of this acid is also known. As the plate is etched, a sedimentary build up of copper oxide occurs in the image area of the plate. This slows the etching ability of the acid, resulting in etch times increased to forty minutes or more. This obviously makes this acid less desirable to use. So while the advantages and disadvantages of ferric chloride are known, knowing how to use this acid more effectively, especially regarding time, is new.

The obvious solution of etching a plate in a vertical tank, or face down in a standard way, does not prevent the sediment from bonding to the plate. Some printmakers employ the use of an aquarium aerator to agitate the acid in hopes of dislodging the copper oxide sediment. This does not work, and creates in turn a new problem. Chloride is a salt of hydrochloric and when oxygen is pumped into ferric chloride, hydrogen gas is released. The technique which I have developed reduces the etch time to eight minutes of actual etch time.

To understand this, it is necessary to understand how this acid works. What follows is a simplified explanation of the chemical process.

The molecular structure of ferric chloride is that of three atoms of chlorine combined with one atom of iron. Each atom of chlorine bears two electrons, which form a bond between the iron and the chlorine atoms. Iron requires eight electrons to form a steady state. Since there are only six electrons in the ferric chloride molecule, the missing two electrons are taken from the copper with which it comes into contact.

Because there is no assimilation in this action, copper oxides form sediments which attach to the plate. This prevents the plate from etching cleanly. The method I have developed, which is called the Three Bath Process, eliminates this buildup and is therefore more expedient. This process requires one bath of ferric chloride, one bath of water, continuously flowing, and one bath of a salt and vinegar solution. In particular, this bath is made of four litres of vinegar plus two thirds of a cup of table salt.

THREE BATH ETCH PROCESS

Plate Preparation

The simplest method for degreasing a plate is to rub the plate surface with a clean cloth and whiting followed by a second cleaning with a mixture of whiting and Windex. Thoroughly rinse and dry the plate. As usual, do not touch the plate surface. When the plate is coated and worked with the resist needed to create an image, proceed to Step 1. Each step is followed by a water rinse. Use masking tape handles to place and lift the plate into the baths. Protect the back of the plate using an adhesive plastic, such as MacTac.

The Three Bath Etch Process

Step 1: Etch the plate for one minute in ferric chloride.

Step 2: Rinse the face and back of plate thoroughly with water.

Step 3: Place plate into vinegar solution. Look for grayish red stain, which is the sediment that inhibits the etch. Remove this by gently using a brush to dislodge the sediment.

Step 4: Rinse thoroughly with water, front and back.

Repeat this sequence to complete the remaining seven minutes of etch time. This will allow you to achieve blacks as desired, as in aquatint, or to stop out certain areas between each consecutive etch. Stopping out is the application of an acid resist that prevents certain areas of an image from etching further, and allows lighter areas to be sustained.

The water bath prevents pollution of both the ferric chloride and vinegar baths. The vinegar bath releases the sediment from the plate, ensuring a clean image for the acid to continue performing its etch. This results in a plate etched in eight minutes as opposed to the usual forty minutes.

ACID RESISTS

Wax and India Ink

For common hard ground and aquatint grounds, I use a simple solution of Future floor wax and India ink. The ratio is one part India ink to two parts floor wax. Stir it well before each usage, as the two components tend to separate. It is best to apply this resist with an airbrush, either for a solid coating or for aquatint. Dry this particular ground immediately. Use a hairdryer set at a high heat, slow speed, taking care not to blow the mixture off the plate.

Photocopier Toner as an Acid Resist

Spectacular results can be achieved by mixing toner with either water or isopropyl alcohol which is then applied to the plate in varying densities to achieve different tonal wash effects. The results yield washes with tonal qualities similar to watercolour, with nuances and detail equal to photogravure and more detailed than most photo generated imagery. The reticulated washes generated using this resist are reminiscent of those achieved with lithography.

When etching toner washes, do not etch beyond seven minutes, as the inherent tones will be lost. Direct application of this resist eliminates the excess of photomechanical equipment which can eat up valuable work space and financial resources and increase the costs of running a printshop.

Toner is being used, with commendable results, to create positives on clear mylar for photographic exposure, as in photo etching. However, the photographic medium is not enough to allow for the development of detailed tonal washes.

The case I present here moves beyond that. The toner has one unusual ingredient which reacts with ferric chloride when used directly as an acid resist.

Technical Notes

Toner Powder, Ferrite and Ferric Chloride

Toner is a powder which consists of styrene acrylate copolymer, carbon black, organic pigment, polyolefin wax, and ferrite. Toner can be made into a type of ink by adding either water or isopropyl alcohol and then painting it directly onto the copper plate.

When evaporation has occurred, an extremely fine powder is left behind. This powder is so fine, that aquatinting the plate is unnecessary. The plate should then be heated to fifty degrees Celsius to activate the styrene acrylate copolymer and the polyolefin wax, and in so doing, bonds the powder compound to the plate.

At first, the toner washes appear to be a negative working acid resist, though this is not the complete story. Ferrite is the mysterious agent here. It consists of either an iron compound that is a salt of ferric hydroxide acting in its capacity of an acid or a solid solution in which alpha iron is the solvent.

What is important here is the iron content, which is what ferric chloride is seeking as it works its chemical wonders. This is the ingredient or action that is missing in the photographic techniques. The results are quite peculiar in that the acid is capable of searching through the toner resist. In this capacity, the toner works both positively and negatively as an acid resist. This technique yields the most surprising results in both tonality and detail, especially when the stopping out technique is employed during the etching process.

Open Plate Areas

When using toner, leave open, exposed areas of the plate alone as they will open bite and not be able to hold ink.

Laying an Aquatint

I prefer to lay down a light aquatint spray at first, then, add a subsequent light spray between each of the one minute etches. This allows the aquatinted areas of the plate to etch on a more random basis and provides for more even light and dark tones, as well as solid blacks without texture.

Non Toxic Resist Removal

To remove ink, or wax/oil based resists, use inexpensive cooking oil, followed by a citrus cleaner. Rinse with water. To remove a floor wax/India ink combination and toner, use a water based paint stripper.

CONCLUSION

Exploration and development of the techniques explained here does not exclude the use of alternative materials which are harmless acid resists. Anything that is oil or wax based can be used, including oil pastel, china marker, crayons, or perhaps, even waterproof mascara.

By switching to non toxic materials, new pathways have revealed infinite possibilities and avenues in image making, particularly for etching. Imagery that would have been impossible in the past, using traditional acid resists, is now possible and waiting for innovation by the artist. Whatever the non toxic resist employed, the technique is ripe for experimentation and new developments.

I wrote this paper in the solitude and tranquility of a small printshop in a Loyalist town located in the north western part of Passamaquoddy Bay, New Brunswick. We are adjacent to the Bay of Fundy and in the lap of the Maritimes. Looking out from the printshop I can see St. Andrews Harbour, Navy Island, and the coast of Maine, where St. Croix River meets the Bay.

The printshop was established in 1998 as a professional facility with its own chop mark, a fish. Since that time I have been the Master Printmaker in residence. This has given me a rare and priceless opportunity to do my own art and research, and to update all aspects of the printshop while printing the highest quality editions for artists. To date, we have eighty nine editions in our archives.

The print shop is open year round for both rental and workshops. We accommodate the entire spectrum in levels of expertise, from beginner to advanced. Above all, we delight in introducing artists to environmentally safe, non toxic techniques of which I have had the greatest pleasure of developing while here.

The development of non toxic techniques must be seen as a printmaker's renaissance; a portal of opportunity to transform the malignant to the benign. It is an advancement towards a much healthier level and a better platform from which artists can progress, and therefore, grow.

We cannot transmute base metals into gold but we have transmuted hazardous chemicals into completely harmless substances. I perceive this as being a precious endeavour especially if you place high value on health and vitality as an important part of the process.

Written by: Robert A. Van de Peer, Master Printmaker, © 2005

Also See:

• Sunbury Shores Print Shop