Safe Luxury

safe ways to etch at home for printmaking?

I've heard of some safe ways to etch a plate without using acid. I was wondering if there is any way I could make safe prints at home without exhaust fans or health concerns, one that I can etch with, I have no problem etching something overnight or over a period of a few days. I'm more concerned with the ability to do it at home safely than I am with speed of etch. For instance, I heard of someone who used ordinary tap water (but I don't know if this is true)...Just curious if anyone has tried something like this. I am a safety FREAK, so I want something that is super safe. I normally use zinc plates, but I have no problem using copper ones if need be.

Public Comments

1. well i took an art course where we used linoleum plates and etched out the print with linocutters. it was a high school course, so there were no acids allowed obviously. and linocutters are easy to find and come in a huge variety of sizes. i found it was very easy and looked great in the end. i mean, it all depends on what you want to do with the print. but based on the type of printmaking you've mentioned, this is the best i can find for you: "Both zinc and aluminium can be etched in this bath that uses copper sulfate, salt and a weak acidifier. All chemicals are inexpensive, are locally available and can be disposed down the drain... With a pH of around 3.5, plates can be removed with bare hands if desired.... An interesting observation is that this etch bites metal to expose a crystalline structure, making aquatinting unnecessary for sugar lift and other techniques; there is no open bite." also recommended by a friend of mine is drypoint. "Drypoint -- Similar to etching, but the lines are simply scratched into the plate manually, without the use of acid. The hallmark of a drypoint is a soft and often rather thick or bushy line somewhat like that of an ink pen on moist paper."