Printmaking etching tools

When the surface is completely smooth, it is covered evenly with a layer of acid-resistant varnish or wax, which is called the ground. Using a blunt stylus called an etching needle, the printmaker gently scratches away parts of the ground following the design, thereby exposing the metal beneath. Once the entire design has been drawn into the ground, acid is poured over the plate or the plate is dipped in acid.

The acid eats into the metal only in the exposed areas creating recesses that can retain ink. The depth and width of these recesses is determined by the length of time the plate is exposed to the acid: a longer exposure will cause deeper and wider recesses, which hold more ink and will thus print darker lines on paper.

This process can be used to create a nuanced tonal palette. To create darker tones, certain areas can be bathed in acid several times, while lighter areas are protected from further acid bite by covering them with ground. Once the plate has been satisfactorily bitten by the acid, the printmaker removes the ground with a solvent.

After the ground is removed, the plate is ready for inking. In an intaglio process, the ink is retained in the incised lines. A cloth ball, cardboard tab, or equivalent material is used to gently spread ink across the whole face of the plate; the same material is used to remove most of the excess ink from the surface. The plate is further cleaned using a tarlatan rag heavily starched cheesecloth. As a last measure, printmakers often use the sides of their hand to wipe away the last bits of ink.

In certain cases, a printmaker can choose not to clean the plate entirely, but to leave a thin layer of ink on the plate to create tone. Once the surface of the plate is wiped clean to a satisfactory level, the plate is placed on the bed of a rolling printing press, with the ink side up.

This process requires a raised exterior. It could be a block of wood, metal or plastic surface. The idea is to spread ink onto the surface with the help of a roller until it becomes a bit sticky. Lithography is the process of printing art from a stone or flat metal plate. It relies on two things to work: Grease and water. The greasy areas absorb the ink, the moisture areas do not. The inked plate is then directly printed on the desired surface.

Serigraphy or Screen printing is used by commercial industries to decorate T-shirts and posters. An etching needle comes with a sharp tip to help you engrave on the drawing exterior. It has a handle to hold comfortably while working. Usually, the handles are made from wood or plastic. To create delicate patterns, there is also a diamond-tip drypoint needle available on the market.

The point of the needle is used to create fine, delicate patterns on the metal surface. A scraper is a handy tool that comes with two sharp blades on each of its three sides. The scraper will remove it for you! A scraper removes any unintentional marks made on the plate.

Once removed, you have to put oil on the image and burnish the scrap marks away. A mezzotint rocker is used in the drypoint technique. Use: Mezzotint is used to produce luscious and rich black texture on the surface.

To create such a pattern, you have to hold the tool at a certain angle and rock it backward and forward carefully. There are different versions available for you to choose from.

Use: It almost works similarly to a scraper. A burnisher helps remove any unwanted line from your artwork. It also helps adjust the tone of your work and make it free from errors. The wheel has small little dots over its surface.

There are different variations to these dots: such as, fine, medium and coarse. Use: Roulette wheel is used to create amazing tones and shades on your working surface. The wheels move back and forth position to leave a satin finish on the printing plate.

The diamond or lozenge-shaped point looks a bit scary but is actually really helpful when it comes to working.

At the end of the shaft, there is a wooden handle to hold the tool comfortably. Use: It does what its name suggests, it engraves! It cuts firmly onto the surface and creates a recessed line on the plate. It could be made of wood, rubber or even linoleum. Here you can get details about block printing supplies. Use: The block is used as a flat material on which you will do all the carving works. For creating bold images, we recommend using wood and lino, while metal and acrylic sheets are better off reserved for the finer images.

Brayer is a hand-held rubber roller. Usually, you will find 2 different types of brayers to work with: Hard rubber brayer and soft rubber brayer. It helps apply the paint in an even manner and does your job much faster than other tools do. An etching press features two metal rollers that help transfer the image from the matrix to a piece of paper. Use: It helps transfer your image onto the desired surface. Typically, this pressing machine is used for creating larger images.

When you rub baren over a piece of paper, it forces the ink to get printed on the desired surface quite easily. To curve the wooden blocks, you will be needing lots of woodcutting tools to help you out.

These include a variety of knives, U-gouges, V-gouges, flat chisels etc. Use: Woodcutting equipment help carve fine details on the blocks. As they are mostly made of High-carbon steel or metal, these tools add sharpness to your project. Also, you can take a look at other tools resource toolsinstitute.