The transfer

The exposed gelatin tissue is placed in a transfer solution of 20% alcohol, 80% distilled water. The tissue is lightly brushed and placed upside down onto the copper plate.

It is then quickly and gently rolled onto the copper plate, avoiding any air pockets to be trapped. Adhering the ultraviolet-exposed gel to the copperplate in the dark is a very delicate operation, as the gel is both sticky and easily subject to damage when wet. It must be performed quickly, before the purified copperplate has a chance to oxidize. Should any defect be evident at this point, proceeding further would be futile as defects are always magnified in the next steps, etching and printing.

After allowing the bond between the ultraviolet-exposed gel and copperplate to set for a while, usually about 10 minutes under a fan, the plate is immersed in a bath of water at exactly 110 degrees Fahrenheit for three minutes, the paper backing is gently removed, leaving only the gelatin on the copperplate.

The next step is to wash the unexposed resist. This operation is performed in water at 100 degrees Fahrenheit, by rubbing very gently (barely touching) a cotton swab onto the gelatin while immersed, replacing the melted gelatin with clean water.

Moisture is removed from the gelatin by the immersion of the plate in a solution of 50% to 80% of alcohol in distilled water for a few minutes, depending on the relative humidity of the studio. It is then left to dry and conditioned in the atmosphere of the studio, usually overnight.

After retouching any possible minute defects in the gelatin, the plate must be masked back and front to confine the etching to the image area and is now ready to be etched.

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