FRACTINT

• what is fractint ?
• galv-etching fractint
• special effects of fractint
• variations and refinements
• proofing galv-etched plates

The most commonly used traditional method for applying an even grain over a etching plate intented to print an even tone, is rosin aquatint. But there are many people who are allergic to the very fine rosin dust and who cannot afford the expense of a high quality sealed aquatint box. In addition the process of melting the grains of rosin on the plate will produce fumes that are very dangerous and carcinogenic. Another method of producing an aquatint texture is with asphaltum powder which has to be melted and produces carcinogenic fumes.

My alternative to rosin or asphaltum aquatint I call 'fractint' because of the textures produced which can resemble some computer generated fractal patterns. It relates closely to insulating ink ground in that it uses linseed oil-based relief printing ink which functions as an insulating layer.

After applying a thin even coat of ink to the plate with a roller, before it is dry, it is placed face-down against a flat smooth non-absorbent surface like a polished metal plate or a rigid plastic sheet, and then put through an etching press taking care not to let it slip against the surface. This can be done by laying strips of card slightly thicker than the plate on either side, projecting towards the roller to lift it to the level of the plate edge. Then the plate is pulled carefully off the surface, and the ink will be found to have formed a fine complex branching organic pattern which fills the spaces between any previous lines or lowered areas.

The ink in fact is 'pulled' into tiny ridges and valleys by suction between the surfaces, and the scale of the pattern is dependent on the viscosity of the ink and on the fine structure of the smooth surfaces. A slightly matte surface generally gives a finer pattern. When the ink has dried, it can be treated like an aquatint, progressively stopped with ethanol/shellac varnish, and etched in stages. Fractint is generally more suitable on a plate with etched lines than on a plain plate, although it can be used as a pure tone method. Fractint is very sensitive to specks of dirt, hairs, and bits of skin in the ink and produces patterns around any 'impurities' on the plate or plastic sheet. Often these are interesting and can be incorporated, but to avoid them, the ink must be very smooth, without lumps, and the plate, plastic sheet, inking slab, and rollers should be wiped clean before starting. (TOP)

Magnified fractint texture - from proof pulled from a copper plate. Note vertical line to the right which was a slight scratch on the plate, showing how sensitive fractint is to fine lines on the plate.

galv-etching fractint

Galv-etch and Bordeaux etch work particularly well with fractint because of the tendency to bite vertically and not to eat away at the edges as much as acids do. The first stage must usually be longer to break through the very thin film of oil left in the valleys. With each successive stage, the valleys are deepened and become slightly wider. After cleaning the plate with ethanol, and proofing it, if the results in some parts of the image seem too light or too coarse, a second fractint will fill the spaces with an even finer pattern. Alternatively, areas can be darkened by galv-toning after stopping out. The effect of the open-bite on fractint is apparently to darken it much more drastically than the effect on a bare plate.

Bordeaux etch works in a way very similar to galv-etch because it is an electrochemical reaction not a corrosive action. But the copper deposit has a tendency to clog the finest lines and texture after an initial bite, which can be deliberately used to preserve fine lines. (TOP)

The results have their own unique character, with many advantages over aquatint which can be exploited for expressive effect. One of the most interesting qualities of fractint is the way the pattern relates to lines already etched on the plate - they are integrated into the pattern in different ways depending on their depth and spacing. The pattern never crosses lines but 'grows' outwards from the line edges to fill the spaces between. The very finest lines on the plate are respected in this way (unfortunately sometimes even scratches on the plate). Parallel lines are often doubled, that is, two parallel lines of ink are formed along the edges of the original lines and a new line is etched between them. Unprotected isolated lines are widened with a fine variable organic growth on either side. Fractint is not a technique for those who want mechanical evenly graded tones, for its results are often slightly unpredictable, and there is the opportunity for a creative response to the patterns formed around the lines already on the plate. Around the edges of the plate the fractint pattern changes, which can be used creatively and exploited for expressive effect. But to avoid this fringe effect, instead of using a rigid plastic plate to create the pattern, you can use a thinner and more flexible non-absorbent smooth film like heavy polythene sheet, or tracing film. The way that the sheet is peeled off the plate has a very distinct effect on the nature of the pattern (TOP)

Small print with fractinted texture, stopped and etched in Bordeaux etch in 4 steps.

variations and refinements

Sometimes when I have used another polished plate in the press to produce the fractint pattern, I have etched the second plate instead of the original, which mirrors the image, and produces a slightly more grainy tint. When the original plate is pressed against a smooth plastic sheet, enough ink is left on it to use to transfer to a second polished plate, which shows the original lines clearly, and after the ink is dry, can be stopped and galv-etched to provide another plate for colour. I often conceive and print the additional colour plates in relief, inked up by roller, and printed in quick succession face down onto the redamped paper carrying the original intaglio impression. (TOP)

Detail of "Nine Variations on a back" - proof from galv-etched copper plate with fractint texture over very lightly etched soft ground design, stopped and etched in 5 steps.

proofing galv-etched plates

Every printmaker has his own particular proofing tricks and methods, and I have found that fractinted plates and galv-etched plates with significant areas of open bite require the use of particular techniques to get the best prints from them. I mix my ink from medium plate oil and pigment as thickly as possible, and apply it on a slightly warmed hot plate (a little domestic two-plate electric cooker with thermostatic control with a thick flat steel plate on top) using a nylon spatula cut to form a precise edge to spread the ink thinly. As much surplus ink as possible is removed with the spatula, and then I hand-wipe the plate to leave the required tone in the galv-toned areas. I find that tarlatan or tissue paper leaves the plate too clean and lacking in the character produced by the technique. A single galv-etched plate with deepish areas of open bite can be used to print a number of different colours over the first intaglio proof, by rolling the plate up with each colour in turn as if for printing in relief, wiping away the areas not required, and then printing it face-down on the redamped proof. Each print is thus unique, a combination of intaglio base and relief monotype overlays. (TOP)