Etching Depth:
The depth achievable by acid-etching is dependant upon the letterstyles or artwork being
etched, as well as the size of the etched plaque.
Standard etching depths may range from .007 to .020" depending upon size and detail of
the artwork and the material selected.
Halftone photographs have a shallow etching depth of .003"-.007".
Deep-etching to comply with ADA requirements is .032" and may be accommodated,
depending on the artwork, in all metals except aluminum.
Recessed
Graphic images and text are generally
recessed on an etched plaque and
infilled with a painted color. Brass
alloys may be chemically oxidized with
the recessed areas appearing as a
darker color.
Raised
When raised graphics are specified,
the background will be painted or
chemically oxidized. Small lettering
with fine serifs is not recommended
for raised graphics.
Etched Metal Photo:
The etching process reproduces artwork with fine detail as well as halftone photographs
through acid-etching into metal sheet.
One method utilizes a halftone dot pattern, made from a 50-line screen. Halftone portraits
resemble newspaper photographs with their visible dot patterns. The etched, recessed
dots are black infilled to contrast with the satin-finished metal background.
The best photographs for halftone etched portraits have high contrast tones with bright
white areas, dense black areas, and minimal grey tones. Photos that are monotone or have
muted colors will produce poor halftone etchings. Halftone etchings are not available in
aluminum.
The other type of etched metal portrait reproduces a black and white line drawing.
Because a halftone screen is not used with hand-drawn art, the artist's fine lines are
captured in great detail in the metal plate and can be etched deeper.
Etched portraits are recommended for interior use. However, deep-etched line art may be
used outdoors.
The etching process creates plaques with 2 levels of graphics--recessed and raised.
Etched plaques are ideal for reproducing images with fine detail and small lettering. ADA
compliant graphics can be created through deep-etching metal plaques.
© 2006, Legacy Bronze
