| Conditions |
ACID |
ELECTRO |
| Etchant |
Nitric Acid |
Dutch Mordant |
Zinc Sulfate |
Copper Sulfate |
| Fume free
solution |
No |
No |
Yes |
Yes |
| Fume free
etching process |
No |
No |
Yes |
Yes |
| Safe
concentrated etchant |
No |
No |
Yes |
Yes |
| Etchant
safe in drains |
No |
No |
Yes |
Yes |
| Safe to
dispose etchant |
No |
No |
Yes |
No, precipitate copper
with aluminum shavings |
| Permanently
reusable solution |
No |
No |
Yes |
Yes |
| Predictable
etch time after first use |
No |
No |
Yes |
Yes |
| Microtint
tone over soft ground |
No |
No |
Yes |
Yes |
| Time
predictable embossment depth |
No |
(No-but not usually
used) |
Yes |
(Yes-but not usually
used) |
| Feathering
needed for embossment |
Yes |
(Yes-not usually used) |
No |
(No-but not usually
used) |
| Smooth
base for line etch |
Yes |
Yes |
No |
No |
| Tone with
rosin |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
| Tone
without rosin - open bite |
Very Poor |
Very Poor |
Partial |
Good |
| ElectroEtch |
6 volts |
| Soft ground: good for up
to 1 hr. All fine materials far better on soft ground than on ink. |
Soft ground: Blows off in
2 mins.. |
| Wet Ink: Good for up to 1
hr with some false biting. |
Wet Ink: Starts to blow
off in 2 mins., most gone in 4 mins., all in 10 mins.. |
| Wet Ink used as
"Soft ground" and dried one week before running: Good for up to 1 hr with some
false biting. |
Wet Ink used as
"Soft ground" and dried one week before running:
blows off before 10 mins. |
| Needle lines: Fine lines
from 5 mins to about 30 mins. Range continues up to 80 mins. |
Needle lines: deep at 12
mins. |
| Cross-Hatch Lines: No
crossing breaks at 40 mins. |
Cross-Hatch Lines:
Crossing breaks at 10 mins. |
| Open Bite Tonality in
Copper: Progressive Microtint from pale grey to dark grey from 5 to 150 mins. |
Open Bite Tonality in
Copper: Very pale grey with minimal darkening up to 0 and 20 mins, then no further
darkening with increasing whiting out at sector edges. |
