Vernon Street - Copper-plate etching induction

We made a trip down to Vernon street again, this time to learn more about copper plate embossing, we saw one of the 3rd years had done it and we learned of it so we wen't to acquire about it down at Vernon street.

 It turned out however we had a induction for it in 3 weeks time but I might be useful before that comes about now, so the guy there worked a session for us out so we could learn about the process, pro's and con's and what other alternatives there is to embossing.

First thing was, if we want to create an emboss we need to make it so whatever is raised is black when printed and not to flip the image as the image is flipped during the process.

It's possible to emboss with MDF by laser cutting as well as mount board but it doesn't carry the same fidelity the copper plate etch carries. It'd be interesting looking into alternatives to see if this is possible however through different mediums. Laser cut reversed when embossed.

Thick stuff is detrimental, It doesn't really work too well small scale nor large. It's best having thin wood instead of thick ply. If laser cut, works but only big type and images.

It's possible to create patterns from the etching too it's pretty flexible but the lengthy process is one of the cons of it.

4000 pounds psi (top) vs 6000 pounds psi (bottom)

Best for book covers. (example above) - This is where it's really effective, different amounts of pressure create different effects, seen here the more the better.

If you ink the corners it will only show in the corners, If you wanted to create a inked emboss it isn't really feasible because if you were to put ink into the gaps the ink collects into the corners and doesn't evenly spread.

• You can't ink over a emboss, yet.
• It's abusing etching for a different purpose.
• Too clumsy to ink and emboss

• Sans serif is best, script and delicates are too fine and don't transfer.

It's important to know the longer the etch is in the solution the deeper the etch gets, but however if it's in too long the solution will eat through the copper entirely and destroy all the fine parts due to them been thinner

.

12pt+ (14pt is strongly recommended) type is best, below 10pt is risky due been so small and the details not thoroughly transferring.

You can't get foil to emboss. (At Vernon)

Embossing is bastardisation of photo-etching.

Screen printing,

Lino cuts.

Colour graph. - manipulating card. Adding textures then inked and printed. Both r and in. ( 2 steps)

Bookbinding.

Woodcut.

Relief - mini print, woodblock, mono printing. Lino.

Intaglio - grooves printing. Dry point, etching

Foil blocking is in its infancy, too hard for what it's worth, brass type stamped down. Too much work for something so clumsy and painstaking.

No tonal. Only really good at binary black and whites.

You get fluffy blurry lines, from the burr. (Dp) soldering iron, texturing for ink.

Etching (copperplate) - context of dry point but further, crisper lines.

Chemical etches the lines, not scraping. - photo etching, photo polymer to expose onto copper. Laser, gray.

STEP - BY - STEP: Photo-Etching

Choose a side with least amount of scratches, then sand it with a palm sander.

Then degrease.

Pour in solution and wash off.

Dry with paper. Don't touch if your doing a photo etch.
Needs to be immaculate, for embossing it doesn't matter.

Blue film. Light sensitive Frosted on back clear on top.

3 layers to film.

Take the layer of that is on the inside of the curl.

Use a box cutter knife.

Then later it onto and put over the sheet of acetate.

Don't touch the plate. Don't touch it!!!

Cover with blanket. Tighten press.

Steadily move it through the press.

Once it's through rotate it 90 degrees.

If there's air bubbles when it comes back through you will have a void when it comes to etching it.

Remove the acetate, then trim the excess. It should be laminated, put it face down to stop it exposing.

You can expose it to an imagine and print from it, but for a

If you want to etch a tonal image, it needs to go into a bath of developing solution to get it down to the metal by thinning it.

Expose to image for 2 min

Then you develop it in a bath of sodium.

Then into the etching bath to etch it into the metal.

Etching it for 18 minutes. (Photo)

Hardest process ever.

It's developed for circuit boards not photos that's why it's so hard.

Emboss plate doesn't need thinning, it's binary black and white.

Use laser jet prints for exposing.

Put plate in UV exposer, put it in for 9 units. (Look at the sheet)

10 grams per litre, avoid large lumps. Add hot water

Mix it at 18 degrees

Pour into the tray. Two or three litres.

Hot water then cold to the top.

Solution should last all day.

Image should be in the film from exposing. Remove the protective layer.

Two and a Half minutes.

You want to see if the copper revealed. Sponge it moving it over the surface. Should get lighter till reveals copper.

'Embossing is forgiving, Photo etching isn't.'

If it feels granular it's film, smooth and it's copper. Easy to over-develop which damages it.

Rinse off in cold water once it's done, to stop the development, and blot it dry. Blotting does way less damage the a rag. Then it needs drying. And exposing it to the uv again so it hardens.

Attach a hook with parcel tape and tapped up on the back of it. Suspending in the etch tanks, for 6 hours rotate after 3 hours. Etches faster on the front side.

Rinse it off then place into caustic soda for 10 minutes to then rinse off blue film. Ready to emboss

Add packing and place in the centre slide it in and tighten it. Pump it the hit the button on the side to add high pressure.

Bring it to 6000-4000 psi on the dial on the front. Hit the black button and on the side of the dial and it should open. 

This trip was really good, I got to see a couple for different print techniques, a great refresher and It gave me some great ideas on how to combine the techniques together. IF I were to use them that is, depending on what the brief turns out to be, I'd be interested in using these if it comes around to it. It was a great learning experience, Neil was a fountain of knowledge.