Solar plate & Photo-etching using Hydra-coat plates (Please see Summer School for dates & costs)

Photo-etching course using Hydra-coat zinc plate and solar plate, both being ideal for photographic and autographic imagery; an added advantage of working with the Hydra-coat plate is that after exposure it can then be re-worked using conventional etching processes, where as solar plate can hold extremely high resolution and only requires water to develop.

The aim of this course is to learn as much about photo-etching as possible in two days. Starting by coating a zinc plate with Hydra-coat (a blue light sensitive emulsion) then placing a positive (image on a clear film) image to emulsion and exposing to ultraviolet light for the required time (time depending on density of the line), this is then developed in a caustic solution and etched in nitric acid or ferric chloride. Solar plate (toyobo) already has a light sensitive polymer surface with a thin steel underside, the same process applies for exposure as Hydra-coat but to develop needs only tepid (25 degrees) water.