In this edition of Questions & Advice, Master Printer Emily York answers a question from one our workshop participants. This is your chance to have your etching questions answered by a C.P.P. printer. Send us your questions!
What can I do to increase the darkness and intensity of my spit bite aquatints? Most seem to fade upon inking and wiping. -Carolyn Livesy, Los Angeles, CA
Carolyn,
Three different things could be causing the problem; it could be an issue with the density of the aquatint ground, the strength and application of the acid, or the inking and wiping of the etched plate.
If the aquatint is not applied densely enough, then the acid will flat bite the plate instead of creating a tooth. If the aquatint is too dense, then the acid cannot bite through the ground. Make sure your acid is strong enough and that the acid, once applied to the plate, sits long enough to etch properly. Nitric acid is the best acid to use for spit biting, especially to achieve rich blacks.
Spit biting with nitric acid.
It could be that you are not using enough acid to etch your plate. Apply more! What the reaction of acid on plate to gauge the strength of the etch. If you find the etch is not deep enough, reapply the acid on the plate after you have rinsed it off, but only if there is enough rosin left on the plate. If there isn’t enough rosin, then add another aquatint ground and go back over it with the acid.
The brightest
tones of the etch will print the darkest.
Spit bites are more delicate than other aquatints because the acid is hand-applied to the plate instead of etched in an acid bath. Acid baths feed the etch for a long period of time which can create a very deep etch. The acid you hand-apply for a spit bite only has about 10 minutes to etch, which creates a shallower and more delicate etch. Therefore, you must take extra care when wiping a spit bite image. Here are some tips on wiping and printing that may help get the tone you desire for your image:
Use a stiff tarlatan that has been properly broken-in. A used tarlatan that is too soft and full of ink will take too much ink off the plate. Make sure you don’t over-wipe the plate with tarlatan because you will take too much ink off, which will result in a lighter color.
Don’t use too much chalk when wiping; too much chalk can clog up the aquatint easily.
Be sure your paper is properly dampened. We soak our paper and then place it in plastic overnight.
Be sure you are using the correct amount of pressure.
See our past advice on blankets. Your blankets can play a huge part in how your spit bite aquatint prints.
My book, Magical Secrets about Aquatint: Spit Bite, Sugar Lift, and Other Etched Tones, goes into depth about all the aquatint processes, with a full chapter devoted to spit bite, with ferric or nitric, and there is also an appenidix on how to properly ink and wipe a plate. The included DVD demonstrates these techniques.
- Emily York
