Electro-etching

Recycled Copper Sustainability Research

I have been working with the form of Non-toxic Intaglio - electro-etching techniques since 2017. There are a very limited number of printmakers around the globe who are familiar with and practice electro-etching methods. Toxic acids are replaced by the copper sulfate solution. Etching is performed through the use of low voltage electricity in the copper sulfate mixture.  Then the resulting copper particles travel between two plates placed on the opposite side of the tank. 

I have been developing new recipes to establish an experimental method that has been successful throughout my research. As the copper plates self-aquatint themselves, receiving successful grey tones of aquatint (illustration 4), copper particles can be etched or deposited onto the working plate. Using a reverse electro-etching method, copper particles from the recycled copper plate are deposited onto a working plate creating unique three-dimensional matrices. Here unwanted copper plates can be recycled and turned into a new production.

A goal of this research is to make the printmaking practice safer, to share my knowledge and expertise with students, printshops, and educational institutions.