Why Don't You Come Up and See My Etchings?

An etching begins when a zinc or copper plate is covered with an acid-resistant coating of wax. If the wax is hard, the artist gently scrtaches a drawing into the wax with steel needles, exposing the metal plate underneath. If the wax is soft, the artist first lays a piece of paper over the wax and then creates impressions in the wax with soft pressure on the paper.
When the drawing is completed, the metal plate is immersed in an acid bath. The areas covered by wax are protected but the scratched or pressed areas are eaten away by the acid, leaving behind incised lines. The wax is then removed from the plate, leaving a clean, smooth surface with a series of fine lines and designs throughout. Ink is applied to the plate and then wiped clean. Only the etched design contains ink at this point. Placed on the printing press face up, the plate is ready for printing. A dampened sheet of paper is applied to the plate, topped by a layer of felt blankets. The "sandwich" is then pressed and the ink is transferred to the paper. Each print requires a fresh inking of the plate although the drawing is only made once.