nontoxicprint

 

Innovative Hard Ground Solutions

 

After over twenty five years of development, 

testing, peer review and refinement, 

research into 'nontoxic' etching ground 

substitutions and alternatives 

is now more complete, 

and the method can be regarded 

as an established medium. 

It is hoped, likely, that within 

the next few years many more suppliers 

and manufacturers will offer their own range 

of less toxic products for the various 

applications in printmaking, 

due to ongoing interest in safer methods.

In addition to the various acrylic formulations,

some innovative wax - and soy 

based grounds behave more like traditional

materials, without the hazards

of tar, or solvents.

Curiously, some of the most practicable solutions are still put forward by private individuals who succeed in finding a specific printmaking purpose in products from other fields, rather than by the art materials industry. Perhaps, centuries of reliance on tar compositions for etching is hard to overcome? There is little doubt that the old resists and solvents carry high risks... evidence of sickness, nerve damage, and cancer in long term users is widely known in the profession, yet continues to be frequently ignored.

Keith Howard first pioneered what he called 'nontoxic' intaglio practice in the late 1980s when he started testing water based products from a hardware store as etching resists. Most recently, a safer waterproofing product from Australia (see below) became popular amongst printmakers as a near perfect hard ground; with less health risks and noxious fumes, giving great etched lines, and plate sanding is not a necessity.

There are / were several custom developed acrylic hard grounds on the market, for instance Mark Zaffron's original: Z*ACRYL Hard Ground Solution (discontinued), and LASCAUX Hard Resist. The suppliers' websites provide detailed specifications and usage instructions. Both products can be regarded as fairly safe to use, and deliver good results on all metals. These innovative acrylic grounds are recommended as a replacement for the traditional tar-based products (solutions and ball grounds) with their dizzying odors and carcinogenic potential. N o t e : Neither acrylic emulsions made by artists paint manufacturers, nor the ones made for domestic use as floor polish (KLEAR / SCJ Pledge / Future etc.) are completey 'safe' or risk free, and possibly require some respiratory protection, and require detailed process knowledge for safe use.

 

 

Can acrylics be hazardous? The answer is : Y E S   read more here:

   Acrylics, Polymer Paints and Polymerization:

       Toxicity and Safety Considerations

For many acrylic hard grounds, plates should be finely abraded with sandpaper or fine steel wool, either by hand or using an electric sander. The fine tooth on the plate then allows the acrylic to bond with the surface without chipping.

Note: highly polished plates can be prone to chipping with some acrylics. Keith Howard recommends using a kind of flow coating approach where the emulsion is poured rather than brushed onto the plate. See: BEGINNERS COMPENDIUM. A good ground may also be laid by brushing on a thin coating with a flat-headed sponge brush, or by airbrushing.

Liz Chalfin, acrylic hard ground etching.

Zea Mays Printmaking is a studio, workshop, gallery, educational facility and research center

dedicated to sustainable printmaking practices.

 

Etching Depth

For deep etching use the acrylic ground 'as is'. For very fine, detailed work dilute the acrylic with 5% to 10% water to achieve a thin coating. The Lascaux Hard Ground Resist may be substituted with the cheaper Lascaux 2060 clear gloss varnish as a hard ground base. 2060 dries to a hard and mirror-like surface that accepts line work with great clarity and does not chip. Koh-i-Noor black ink is one of the best colourants to use to get a black hard ground. It can be added to any clear acrylic to make a black hard ground, aquatint, or stop out varnish.

brushing on an acrylic hard ground onto an etched zinc plate and its print. A variety of traditional etching and engraving tools: etching needle, scraper, burnisher, burin. Today, artists also use wire wool, sandpaper, Dremel tools, and power tool attachments as drawing and engraving implements for etching. See Intaglio Manual for details.

'Big' Etching Ground        highly detailed line work, a versatile, 'traditional' feeling ground, now used by many printmakers,

          'nontoxic' if used with precautions, caution when heating the product

"Did you know that a traditional etching ground contains arsenic, lead, mercury to name but a few toxic elements which can not only be breathed  in through your air ways but also absorbed through your skin."

BIG has been used at the School of Art at the University of Aberystwyth since 2002 and has been adopted in many other private and educational print workshops around the world. "

Trefeglwys Print Studios

          BIG

https://www.printmakingstudio.co.uk

Marnix Everaert, untitled etching, 1/1

The print was made on copper with BIG as a hard ground. 

Etched in ferric. Inked with traditional Charbonnel oil-based ink 

and a viscosity roll up to get the gradient. 

Printed on Zerkall etching paper 

   www.marnix-everaert.be/

     

   
TIP: ACRYLIC HARD GROUND + KOH-NOOR 3080-4 BLACK INK = BLACK HARD GROUND

See ETCHING INGREDIENTS

 

Cross hatching and loops drawn into an acrylic hard ground on copper, step-etched in Edinburgh Etch for 20 and 40 minutes, and printed using Charbonnel etching ink. Make sure you use a sharp etching tool to draw into the acrylic ground. Steel needles require frequent sharpening. Ideally use a hardened needle such as Blick's Carbide Point Scribe (left) or a diamond tip needle. For use in large printmaking classes a sharp chipboard screw with tape wrapped around the shank makes a surprisingly good etching and dry-pointing tool.

Acrylic hard grounds give crisp line reproduction and, unlike traditional grounds, are not prone to foul-biting or pitting. The tough acrylic surface can also act as the actual printing surface, allowing a white plate tone to be printed with ease.

The Lascaux Hard Resist can also be used on a previously etched plate for re-etching. For best results start by de-greasing and slightly roughening the plate surface - this helps the acrylic bond with the metal and actually aids the etching process. Previously etched copper plates require treatment with a salt and vinegar de-oxidizing solution. For fine detail to etch faithfully, apply the ground thinly and then dry the plate in warm air. Once dry, use a sharp etching needle or other 'improvised' implements such as wire brushes or coarse sand paper strips for drawing into the ground.

For more on drawing into a hard ground see Section 4 of the INTAGLIO MANUAL 

The world's oldest makers of etching ink Charbonnel / Lefranc have recently introduced their own line of water-miscible oil based etching inks (comparable to 'Caligo Safe Wash') which they call 'Aqua Wash'. Great news for lovers of traditional etching, using oil based inks. These inks and mediums promise the same aesthetic quality and richness of tone and line as the existing oil based products. Many art school print programs use both oil based inks and water based inks such as Akua Intaglio; both offer certain benefits and unique aesthetic qualities. There no longer is the need for solvent use other than water and detergents.

Friedhard Kiekeben: 'Shatter', etched intaglio print, 2004

Acrylic Hard Ground made from

Acrylic Floor Finish

Many Printmakers and Studios use acrylic floor finish as a hard ground solution (Howard Ground). The product made by Johnson sells as SC Johnson 'Future/ now Pledge' in the US, 'Super Shine' in Australia, and 'Pronto Wax', 'Carefree', 'Klir', or 'KLEAR' in Europe. It is also very popular with model makers as a durable clear varnish, and I use it as a finishing coat on metal sculptures.

NOTE:

If 'KLEAR (SCJ) is locally unavailable (Europe), use alternative acrylic floor finish products, such as Diversey 'Carefree', or 'Bona Tech' gloss polish. During a recent course in Germany an acrylic floor care product by ?Melerud? gave great results: use two thin coats in succession, applied with a sponge brush, for the best hard ground. A single coat gives great ?permeable? effects. 

https://www.janitorialsupplies.co.uk/carefree-emulsion-floor-polish.html

https://www.bona.com

 new: (Europe)

'Bona Tech' - Parkett Polish Glänzend
"nicht als gefährlich eingestuft"

 The Contemporary Printmaker Keith Howard

This widely available acrylic makes a very effective hard ground using a flow-coating approach. We would suggest also adding Koh-i-Noor drawing ink to get a good black, unless a clear ground is required. Donna Adams explains the application of this ground in her Beginners Compendium - click here for details. Like many domestic products that are sold in supermarkets and hardware stores floor varnish may contain glycol ether, sometimes in significant quantities. Although the industry downplays this hidden solvent, it would seem sensible to always check the product's msds sheet and usage instructions before use. Long term exposure to glycol ether may lead to kidney damage and there is new evidence of reproductive toxicity, see: The Toxicity of Solvents. To be on the safe side, ensure good local ventilation and wear a mask during the use of these cheap and popular acrylic emulsions. Recent research carried out in the UK (house painter study) confirms that the kind of low-level glycol ether exposure produced by drying domestic floor polish carries significant health risks, and reproductive hazards.

MSDS comparison in pdf format:          generic floor finish        Johnson floor finish 

this comparison showed that only the Z Acryl product was free from any harmful glycol ether additions, the other products contained up to 5%.

Protection against low level VOC exposure Today there are many paint products that are marketed as ?safe?, yet there may still be harmful low-level VOC emissions, such as glycol ether. Examples: many water-based paints, acrylic floor finish, some artist acrylics, low odor, low VOC solvents, and printmaking resists. Although a full organic respirator may be impractical for a day?s work we would recommend wearing a disposable light weight mask that offers some organic vapor protection. Dispose of the mask after a day?s work (about $ 5 per mask). Product example: 3M? Particulate Respirator 8514, N95, with Nuisance Level Organic Vapor Relief

Safe Stripping with Orange Zest Solvents - sample

An acrylic hard ground can be stripped off in a strong soda ash solution (1 part crystals to 3 parts warm water). Or use one of the excellent citrus-based solvents now on the market (such as 'D*Solve', 'CitraSolv', or 'De-Solv-it') which remove acrylics, etching grounds and hardened ink and paint with great ease.

'This truly revolutionary solvent was formulated as an alternative to petroleum-based turpentines and thinners. It is made from 100% renewable agricultural resources of soy, corn, and citrus, and is non-polluting, non-carcinogenic, and bio-degradable. Less than a teaspoon will thoroughly clean a large plate. DSolve will even strip dried ink from etched lines.'

There is a growing number of such citrus-based solvents on the market. The key ingredient, D-Limonene, also known as orange oil, the safe and innovative solvent extracted from orange peel, can be purchased directly from the citrus industry. For example, see www.citrusdepot.net. This solvent is more powerful than mineral spirits, strong enough to dissolve hardened acrylics, oil paint, printing ink, (and even some plastics) with ease, yet medical studies have found no carcinogenic or neurotoxin hazards comparable to the petrochemical solvents. Users should, nevertheless, still handle the solvent with care: ensure good ventilation/use vapor mask and take fire precautions when using the new orange oil solvents, and avoid prolonged direct inhalation. Unlike oil-based products, orange oil is considered biodegradable.

Some big brand 'orange' or 'citrus' solvents are mixed with traditional solvents, such as Naphtha or Glycol Ether, and cannot be considered a 'safer alternative'.

For more information click on our Safe Solvents page

IMPORTANT:  ALL LIQUID, VOLATILE, HYDROCARBON-BASED 
SOLVENTS REQUIRE SOME FORM OF RESPIRATORY PROTECTION
(this includes both petroleum products, but also bio-based solvents,
such as ethyl alcolhol, soy/ethyl/methyl lactate, orange oil, 
and many others)

below, a recent product, made for artist use:   'NaturalEarthPaint' (https://www.naturalearthpaint.com)

"Does not irritate the skin
Does not emit harmful vapors.
Soy-based" (company quote).

Traditional Etching Grounds and their Health Hazards

'Breathing high vapor concentrations of this product may result in mild depression, convulsions, loss of consciousness, or lung damage.' (extract from  MSDS). Traditional hard ground solutions often contain Naptha and Asphaltum. Such products may also contain PAH, known carcinogens. Solid hard and soft ground compositions ('ball ground') for roll-on contain asphaltum and coal tar pitch. The cancer risk is exacerbated by heating on hot plates, by smoking with 'tapers' and by the use of mineral spirits for clean up.

(Left) A typical hard ground solution containing Naphtha and Asphaltum. (Right) A hard ground roller.

Involuntary exposure to the vapors of a naphta based hard ground solution gave me a headache, dizzyness, and asthma. Amongst German etchers such solutions are known as Abdecklack; the British Brunswick Black is similar. The inhalation risk of traditional stop-out is often underestimated. Direct and indirect exposure to toxic vapors is of serious concern in art schools, especially when spray aerosols and solvent fumes are emitted in the studios. Extraction systems are often insufficient, and often there is a reluctance to use safer products as an alternative.

 For more information on solvent hazards click on the page The Toxicity of Solvents

Tar Products, Cancer, and Safeguards

There is overwhelming evidence that tar products cause cancer. See the following pdf fact sheet by the US National Toxicology Program.

'As a pollutant tar compounds have been identified as carcinogenic (causing cancer), mutagenic and teratogenic (causing birth defects)' Wikipedia.

Perhaps the prevalence of solvent based tar products represents the largest individual cause of cancer in the traditional print studio. This might go some way towards explaining why so many traditional print professionals contract cancer at some stage in their careers.

Can Tar or Bitumen be nontoxic?

Tar products are traditionally utilized for their excellent water proofing (and etching resistant) properties. Through clever research, the Australian company Gripset recently developed a nontoxic kind of bitumen that may have many applications in printmaking, as a substitute for traditional grounds in etching or as a lithotine substitute in stone lithography. It is virtually free from harmful VOC's.

At the bottom of this page, the Australian printmaker Annie Day reports about the exciting mark-making possibilities of nontoxic bitumen.

GRIPSET BITUMEN as an etching ground (click).

petroleum-derived solvents when used indoors require the use of effective ventilation / local extraction and a personal respirator with organic vapor cartridge

It is easy to make a very good hard ground from pure beeswax (use a clean leather roller for application, not nitrile) but application requires heating and due to the low flash point of beeswax this presents a significant fire hazard.

It would seem a relatively straightforward task to develop a safe wax ground from beeswax or carnauba wax that is suitable for cold roll-up as a hard (and soft) ground. In many ways this ground would be like car wax. Wax grounds facilitate extremely detailed work and prefer a polished metal surface. Safe removal is easy with D-Solve or another citrus derived solvent.

Greasy marks made directly with Crisco vegetable fat, Vaseline, or Oil Crayons on a plate will register very faithfully as a 'negative mark' in an intaglio print (direct mark-making). All fats also yield great results if used very thinly or in a streaky fashion as a 'permeable' resist that breaks down gradually during etching. All greasy media can be drawn into with a hard ground needle or other implements, giving faithful line reproduction. Nontoxic Oil or Wax Crayons make an ideal tool for touching up or stopping out acrylic etching grounds without any additional drying time before re-etching.

Water-based Soft and Hard Ground 
(Van Oppen Studio)


When I read on the Non-Toxic website the formula for soft ground I was thrilled. Then I got to the part that some of the products had been discontinued. I set out with the information at hand and began to experiment with alternative materials. The first efforts were disappointing and frustrating. Somewhere along the way I decided that adding liquid car wax to the mix might make it more stable and workable. The garage was empty of car wax and so I turned to the cleaning supply cabinet and landed on Glass Wax. It was what the mix needed! Great! 

Fast forward to writing this article. The can of Glass Wax I have is from 1969. The company stopped making this product around 2003. There are a few cans around on eBay and the product does last a long time! I decided to test a few other additives and see how they compare and lucked out with Blue Magic Liquid Metal Polish. You can find it everywhere. This is a link to Ace Hardware.



Soft and Hard Ground Etching
 
Recipe:
1/3 Cup Daniel Smith Water-base Relief Ink
1/3 Cup Speedball Transparent Extender Base
1/3 Cup Golden Gel Medium "Regular Gel (Gloss)"

Blue Magic Liquid Metal Polish








Mix these three ingredients together well and place into a clean container. Cover with waxed paper or plastic to keep air out. This will stay workable for quite some time. When ready to make a soft ground plate, onto a pallet place a scoop of the above mixture. Add to this the same amount of Blue Magic Liquid Metal Polish and mix well. The drying agents in the Blue Magic Liquid Metal Polish help to stabilize the ground. The mixture will be slippery. Let it sit for a bit to start drying. You can use a hair dryer to speed this up if you wish. 
 
Roll the ground out and onto a prepared plate. As the mixture is exposed to air it dries and builds up on the plate. When the ground is dark and none of the plate is visible you are ready to do your soft ground. NOTE: scroll down on this page for instructions on the creative use of soft ground for impressions or crayon-type mark making.

If you allow the plate to dry completely ( over night, in the sun or a dry cabinet) it can be used for Hard ground. The examples provided were etched onto a copper plate in a copper sulfate solution of 1 Cup copper sulfate to 1 liter of water at 5 volts for 20 minutes. The sample is printed on BFK with Charbonnel ink. (Anne VanOppen)

A Simple Approach to Galvanic Etching

(Anne Van Oppen)

a basic power source for eletro-etching can be purchased online (shown: 'TekPower', Amazon)

The prints shown above were created using a simple electro etching method using a copper sulfate electrolyte solution and a variable electric power source. This new approach to etching is very safe and creates hardly any polluting residues. The method is currently becoming a popular alternative to chemical etching.     Electro Etching

Supplies: Copper Sulfate: available online, the solution mixture is 1 Cup Copper Sulfate to 1 Liter of Water | Variable Power Source with Alligator Cables (I got mine from Amazon.com). Container with Lid (I use a plastic oval shaped Pitcher by Sterilite) | Copper Plates (22 Gauge is fine) | Clear Packing Tape | Sandpaper | Whiteout | Soft/Hard-Ground (see other article) | Brayer (used to apply the Soft/Hard-Ground) | Copper Flashing (23 Gauge, to make hooks for tank, can be found at scrap metal sites) | Vinegar | Salt | Timer | Green Scrubby (like Scotch Brite) | Clear Contact Paper (optional)

Setup: If using a 'Sterilite' Pitcher, slowly dissolve 3 Cups of Copper Sulfate into 3 Liters of water.  This solution will never weaken.  Keep covered with a lid to minimize evaporation.  If water does evaporate just add more up to the 3-liter level. Plug in your variable power source, turn it on and set it to five volts.  Then turn it off. Form two hooks with the 23 Gauge copper.  I made the hook that will be attracting the copper off the plate larger and longer than the second hook.  The second hook must be long enough to ensure that the plate will be completely submerged into the copper sulfate and that there is enough area to connect with the plate.

Preparing the Plate: Rough up the surface of the plate with the sandpaper so that the face of the plate is covered with fine lines.  This gives a surface for the soft/hard-ground to hang onto.  Then degrease the plate in a solution of vinegar and salt.  I pour some vinegar into a glass dish and add a teaspoon or so of salt.  Rinse the plate with water and do not touch the surface with your fingers. 

Applying the Ground: See the Soft/Hard-Ground article for the recipe.  Roll out the ground with a brayer and apply to the plate.  Proceed as you would for traditional Soft-Ground.  If the ground is allowed to dry onto the plate, proceed as you would with Hard-Ground

***The Ground can also be painted onto the plate to protect or block areas from etching.
***I use Whiteout along the edges to protect them from the etch.

make sure contact surfaces between the cathode / anode hooks and the back of the plate are well sanded and de-greased. Do not exceed the recommended current setting of 5V.

Etching the Plate: When you are ready to etch the plate place the larger hook into the tank holding the Copper Sulfate solution and attach the Cathode-Black-Negative wire to the hook.  Attach the plate to the second hook using the clear package tape and cover the back completely.  I always sandpaper the hook to clear off any oxidation that may interfere with the connection.  The connection must be clean and tight for good etching.  If the connection is not so great you may get a halo effect that is uneven.  Sometimes it works out well but it is difficult to control.  Place the second hook opposite the first larger hook and attach the Anode-Red-Positive wire.  Set the timer, turn on the power and start timing.

I have found that about 20 Minutes at 5 volts gives a good result.  It is a good idea to do some tests at this point to get the results you are looking to achieve. The action of the electricity may loosen the ground, so it is not easy to pull the plate out of the etch and block out areas for lighter and darker effects.  At the end of 20 minutes the ground may be loose on the plate and may fall off under running water.  I have carefully pulled the plate out at 5 minute intervals and blocked areas so it is possible.  You will have to try this on your own.

Once the plate has been etched the appropriate time, turn off the power and lift it out of the solution.  Remove the plate from the solution and clean under water with green scrubby.  All of the ground comes off easily.  The whiteout comes off as well with a bit more work. I put Clear Contact Paper on the list as an optional supply.  This serves as a great block to protect already etched areas if you want to continue working on the plate.  Just cut away any areas to be etched with an Exacto blade.  For more information see:  http://www.nontoxicprint.com/electroetching.htm

Caution:  Do not breath the dust of the copper sulfate; wear a mask when mixing up the solution.

Contact email: Anne Van Oppen, annevo5@hotmail.com

D&S   BioLaq

The new company D&S offer nontoxic lithography and etching products

'BioLaq: Superior Replacement for Asphaltum and Plate Lacquers.

Excellent hard ground for etching' ('no hazmat': Graphic Chemical Co)

Superior Etching Grounds

Gerald Ferstman, University of Kentucky

click on image to link to 'Superior Etching Grounds'

'As an artist I expect that all new safer etching grounds should be just as good or better as the old traditional more toxic grounds. There is no good reason to except inferior results at the expense of safety. The old renaissance materials can be replaced with better and safer modern ingredients.'