Etching Metal

Metal etching is a technique of engraving a design on a metal surface (brass or stainless steel) using a corrosive solution. The metal surface is coated with a protective layer (like wax, resin or photosensitive compound known as photoresist), the design is printed on the protected metal surface (by exposing the photosensitive surface of the plate to a source of light or by other means), leaving the design areas of the metal surface striped from the protective layer. Upon engrossing the resulting metal plate in the corrosive solution the exposed areas of the plate surface will be eaten away by the corrosive compound to form an etched design on the plate surface.