Water-base Etching Grounds at the University of Kentucky

Developed by Gerald Ferstman,

Professor, University of Kentucky Art Department

This is a water base etching ground that is use at the University of Kentucky. It is effective for use as a hard ground or soft ground, depending on how one handles the plates. The ground adds Ink Dezyne water base silk screen extender to Graphic Chemical water-based block printing ink. Propylene glycol is added to slow drying time when the ground is applied. Glycerin is used as a plasticizer when needed

Formula

I part Graphic Chemical water base Blockprint ink
I part Ink Dezyne water base Silkscreen extender #HY-170

  • A few drops of propylene glycol when needed, if ground becomes dry and hard too fast on the mixing slab.
  • A few drops of glycerin if ink is too stiff to scratch through, especially in cold weather.

Process

  1. Mix ingredients together with spatula. Roll out smoothly on a slab with a small brayer, then roll ink unto a plate evenly.
  2. The ground can also be used as a soft ground. Before heating, press texture in with a press or by hand in any traditional method.
  3. Take the plate to your hot plate and heat for 5 - 10 minutes at medium heat, until dry to the touch.
  4. Cool the plate and draw through the film when used as a hard ground. The rich blue color makes it easy to see the marks.
  5. The ground will resist acids, iron perchloride and other mordants.
  6. To remove ground, use warm water and dry laundry soap. Pour on plate and scrub if necessary. The ground usually comes off without scrubbing. The active ingredient that removes ground is sodium carbonate in soap. Sodium metasilicate will also remove the ground.
  7. No solvents are needed in this process.
  8. There are no bad fumes that come off the plate when heated - however, if you have an exhaust system on the hot plate, it should be used.
  9. The Dezyne silk screen extender is made commercially to be heated.

This ground can also be screened through a silk screen for photographic process:

1 part Graphic Chemical water base Blockprint ink
1 part Ink Dezyne water-base black silk screen ink (HY- 111 Black)
1/2 part propylene glycol,
1/2 part acrylic floor polish.
Mix and screen onto plate.
We have used 220 monofilament screen.
Take to hot plate and dry.

Materials list

Graphic Chemical - Prussian blue or Crimson red are finer ground than other color

W/S Permanent Peacock Blue, or #1669A, Crimson Red, # 1661

Ink Dezyne - Water-based Screen Extenders, HY-000 series ink

HY- 170A clear extender (gal.), HY- 170 clear extender (quart), HY- 111 black

  • Propylene glycol is obtained at animal feed supply stores.
  • Glycerin in obtained at drug stores or chemical supply houses.
  • Sodium metasilicate can be purchased at automobile parts store or Walmart. It is used to take grease spills off cement. Bondex sells it as a TSP substitute at Home Depot outlets. About a tablespoon in a quart of water is all that is needed.

Comments of Nik Semenoff

I discovered this ground while attending the Mid American College Art Association conference in Lexington in 1998. It was developed by Gerald Ferstman, the head of the printmaking department at the University of Kentucky, who I know perfected it completely on his own without taking any ones else's ideas. I think this is one of the most exciting new developments in safer and effective grounds for intaglio. If you would like to contact Gerald Ferstman, you can do so at the University of Kentucky, 205 Fine Arts Building, Lexington, KY, 40506-0022. TEL (606) 257-6031, Fax (606) 257-3042

An alternative to Ink Dezyne HY-170 clear extender - Nik Semenoff

In 2000, Nazdar has taken over the Ink Dezyne product line and has decided to discontinue making the HY- 170 clear extender. As this product is needed to remove the brittleness of the Graphic Chemical ink, an alternative had to be found for use at the University of Saskatchewan. After many experiments with different common materials, I decided to use Future Floor Polish that has been altered with a suitable retarder. Polyalkylene glycol ether is a good choice as it is non toxic and readily available as DOT 3 brake fluid, of which it is the main ingredient. Adding around 5% of the glycol to the Future acrylic polish, makes a suitable additive to the Graphic Chemical ink. I have used between 10 and 30% of the acrylic mixture as an additive with good results in my tests. At the University of Saskatchewan I recommend that a solution of sodium metasilicate is used to remove teh hard ground after the plate is etched. As the percentage of the acrylic is increased, the ground becomes harder to remove with a weak alkaline solution. Ammonia is helpful in this case. If the ground is heated too much, even ammonia is of little use in removing the baked on ground.

Henrik Boegh in Denmark has modified the Ferstman ground by replacing the Ink Dezyne product with Lascaux transparent base #2060 in a 2:1 ratio.  When trying to find a substitute for the Ink Dezyne material, I tried the Lascaux transparent base I use to make water soluble ink, but not with the results I liked.  The reason may be that my container has not the same number and only called Siebdruckpaste, being a slightly different product.  I also did not use so high a percentage.

Updated March 2003