| TRADITIONAL METHODS |
ILL EFFECTS AND DANGERS |
SUBSTITUTE METHODS
FOUND |
|
Etching copper
plates:
nitric acid, hydrochloric acid, Dutch mordant, ferric chloride.
Etching zinc,
aluminium, steel plates:
nitric acid, ferric chloride. |
Nitrogen dioxide
poisoning damage to eyes, lungs, nasal membranes., skin damage.
See above |
Electrolytic
processes:
for all metal plates :
galv-etch and galv-on
'Bordeaux
etch' non-electrolytic substitute for etching zinc plates. |
Hard
and soft ground:
Smoked turpentine based wax and asphaltum grounds; turpentine based
wax and grease. |
Irritation
of mucous membranes, Nausea, headaches, toxic or carcinogenic fumes
when heated, depression of central nervous system. |
Insulating
ink ground:
relief printing ink applied by soft roller - after drying as hard
ground - before drying as soft ground. |
Aquatint:
powdered pine rosin; powdered asphaltum |
Rosin
dust allergy, toxic rosin fumes, carcinogenic asphaltum fumes.
Headaches, skin
and eye irritation. |
Fractint,
Salt aquatint : grounding with
relief printing ink, produced in press.
Sugar lift tint
- with ink ground |
Stopping
out:
Methanol (methylated spirit) based varnish. |
Methanol
- Headaches, skin and eye irritation. |
Ethanol
(ethyl alcohol) based varnish: shellac flakes dissolved in ethyl alcohol. |
Cleaning
of varnish or ground:
Methanol, turpentine, naptha (white spirit, turps substitute). |
Methanol - Headaches,
skin and eye irritation. .
White spirits, Turpentine - Irritation
of mucous membranes, depression of central nervous system, skin
damage; suspected kidney damage. |
Ethanol:
ethyl alcohol for cleaning varnish, ink ground or fractint.
Vegetable
Cleaning Agent (VCA) .
Ecological 'white spirit subsitute' (ester of vegetable oil). |
Cleaning
inked plates or tools:
turpentine, naptha (white spirit) |
White
spirits, Turpentine - Irritation
of mucous membranes, depression of central nervous system, skin damage;
suspected kidney damage. |
Vegetable
Cleaning Agent (VCA) or
vegetable coooking oil - followed by household detergent. Ethanol
for dried ink. Vinegar for hardened ink. |
