PLATE LITHOGRAPHY procedure – Part 2

1st etch, Wash out, Roll up, 2nd etch

Once you are done drawing your plate you need to wait 12-24 hours for the material to set
before you move on to the next step which is the first etch.

1st etch.

Step. 1 Etch Documentation

Take a photo of your plate after you have completed the drawing and before you start etching.
This will give you something to compare your etched plate against.

Record the etch information:

1. Name of artists:
2. Date:
3. Location:
4. Drawing materials used:
5. Etch strengths used:

Step. 2 Etch the plate.

Materials you will need:
1. chalk shaker and brush and pan and box
2. small sponge to stick plate down
3. etch solutions in glass beakers
4. painter’s tape and sharpie to label containers
5. etching brushes
6. large gum brush
7. printing sponges – for stopping etches
8. stopwatch or timer

1. Stick the plate down to the press bed or metal table using the small sponge.

2. Dust with chalk. Use the chalk brush to spread chalk over all of the drawing material. Sweep
lightly, you are trying not to disturb anything. Once covered, remove all the remaining chalk
into the dust pan and place it in the chalk box.

3. Use the large Gum brush to spread a thin layer of gum over the entire plate including the
edges. The gum is a weak acid but it is most important for protecting the non-image areas.

4. Using your own etching brush, start with the weakest etch and paint it over the areas that
need that etch. Move onto the next strongest etch and then the next. You can move up in etch
strength but do not contaminate a weak etch area with a strong etch. Make sure that the etch
stays on the plate for 3 – 5minutes.

5. Using your printing sponges remove the strong etches from the plate so that they don’t
contaminate the weaker etch areas.

6. Paint a thin layer of gum over the entire plate using the large gum brush.

7. Use cheese cloth to first remove as much gum as you can and then buff the gum into a thin
dry layer on the plate. The first etch is now done. Wait 1 hour before the wash out. You can
leave the plate in this state for an extended period of time, even up to a week. You do not need
to proceed directly to the wash out.

Step. 3 Wash Out

After waiting 1 hour you are now ready to wash out your plate. Put on your gloves and take
your plate to the acid room. Under the 2nd fume hood pour a small amount of estisol (approx.
30ml) onto your plate and use the estisol brush to gently loosen and dissolve the drawing
material. Once all the drawing material is dissolved (at least 95%) use a rag to wipe off all the
estisol. Now put a small amount of asphaltum using the end of the asphaltum brush onto a
different rag and buff it over the surface of the plate creating a thin even layer. Proceed directly
to the roll up.

Step. 4 Roll Up

Once your plate has been washed out and buffed with asphaltum you need to roll it up.

1. Start by sticking down your plate with the small sponge onto the press bed.

2. Remove the dust cover from the inking station.

3. Remove the black plastic cover from the litho roller and set it aside.

4. Use the green medium ink container and get out about 3 beads worth of ink. Or if there is
already medium ink on the palette you can use that. You can always scrape up the ink and roll it
out again in order to “refresh” it. Charge up the litho roller.

5. Using the blue asphaltum sponge wash off the asphaultum.

6. Make a first pass on the plate with the roller. The image should ink up slowly and get
gradually darker with each pass. There is no need to get it dark on the first roll.
7. Alternate with your partner using the printing sponges to put water on the plate with the
wet sponge, then wipe it dry with the dry sponge, and then roll up the image with another pass.
Repeat until finished.

You are finished when either the image looks exactly the way you want it or it won’t take any
more ink. If you are rolling and it is getting dark to the point where you like it then stop, you are
done. If you want it to be darker but you keep rolling and it just won’t take any more ink then
you are also done.

8. Do one final sponge on the plate. Use the fan to air dry it. Move directly to the second etch.

Step. 5 - 2nd Etch

1. Take a photo of your plate for documentation.

2. Dust with chalk. Use the chalk brush to spread chalk over all of the drawing material. Sweep
lightly, you are trying not to disturb anything. Once covered, remove all the remaining chalk
into the dust pan and place it in the chalk box.

3. Etch the plate.

In the second etch you can make adjustments. The second etch is to stabilize the image now
that we have ink on there and not drawing material.

Option 1: If you like the way your plate looks the safest bet is to repeat what you did in the first
etch.

Option 2: If your plate rolled up nicely you can brush 50/50 all over it, wait 5 minutes and then
buff it, and call it good.

Option 3. If you plate was under etched the first time, meaning it is filling in with ink, you are
losing detail or it is taking too much ink too fast, you can etch it stronger at this stage. If you
over etched it the first time and the image is “burned out” there is not much you can do at this
point.

Once the gum is buffed into a thin layer on the plate it can remain in this state for a while, up to
one week before you move onto the next step which is printing.

Wash out all your sponges, brushes, cheese cloth, beakers and bowls and leave them to dry.