Liquid Hard Ground

This hard ground is actually an acrylic floor polish. It is transparent, which can be a advantage while re-working a plate. If a darker surface is needed, it can be carefully darkened over a flame. For printing the plate it is not necessary to remove it. A plate with the liquid hard ground still on shows no plate-tone when printed.

Hold the degreased plate over a tray, pour the hard ground quickly over it and let it flow down. Then put the plate in vertical position onto a newspaper so the excess hard ground can run off onto the paper. Rotate the plate several times so that the hard ground cannot build up at the base of the plate. It has to be perfectly even, otherwise parts will break up while etching. After a few minutes the hard ground can be hardened by drying it. You should wear gloves while pouring the Johnson.

Material: Johnson Clear Polish

Soft Ground

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Copyright 2006 Eva Pietzcker and Miriam Zegrer