Question

What is etching? Give an example.

Answer 1

Hint: Etching has been used for decorative purposes since antiquity. Etched carnelian beads are an ancient type of decorative bead made of carnelian with a white etched pattern that was most likely made by the Indus Valley civilization around the 3rd millennium BCE. They were produced using an alkaline etching technique developed by the Harappans, and large amounts of these beads have been discovered in Indus Valley civilization archaeological sites.

Complete answer:
Etching is the practise of cutting through the unprotected sections of a metal surface with a heavy acid or mordant to produce an intaglio pattern in the metal. Other chemicals can be used on different kinds of materials in industrial production. It is, along with engraving, the most important printmaking technique for old master prints, and it is still widely used today. It is a key technique in most industrial electronics, including circuit boards, in a variety of modern versions such as microfabrication etching and photochemical milling. A metal plate (usually copper, zinc, or steel) is coated with a waxy ground that resists acid in conventional pure etching.
The artist then uses a pointed etching needle to scrape away the ground where he needs a line to show in the finished product, revealing the bare metal. For "swelling" lines, the échoppe, a tool with a slanted oval segment, is often used. After that, the plate is either dipped in an acid bath, known as a mordant for etching, or acid is washed over it. The acid "bite" into the metal to a depth that varies according to time and acid intensity, leaving the drawing etched into the wax on the plate behind. The plate is then cleared of any residual ground. The plate is inked all over in some non-corrosive ink for the first and subsequent applications, with the surface ink drained and rubbed clean, leaving ink with the engraved form.
Example = Glass etching

Note:
The pan, along with a sheet of paper, is then run via a high-pressure printing press (often moistened to soften it). The ink from the engraved lines is picked up by the page, resulting in a print. The procedure can be replicated several times; in most cases, several hundred impressions (copies) can be printed until the plate displays significant wear. Re-waxing and further etching may be used to apply to or restore the work on the plate; an etching (plate) may have been used in more than one state.