The Washing

1. Place the laminated copper plate on the
   vacuum frame.

2. Place the aquatint screen on top.

3. Switch on the vacuum frame and expose
   the plate for the optimum time.

4. Replace the aquatint screen with the
   washing. The first time you expose a
   washing it should also be calibrated the
   same way as the aquatint screen by
   means of a lightproof plate.

5. Take out the plate and remove the top
   foil by rubbing your hand across the edge
   of the plate. Place the exposed plate in
   the developer (10 grammes of soda
   crystals diluted in 1 litre of water).

6. Use a sponge in the developer as though
   you were washing the plate.

7. Develop the plate one minute with steady
   movement all over the plate.

8. Take the plate out of the developer, rinse
   it in running water and check the the
   aquatint grains with the back of your
   hand. They should be felt like fine
   sandpaper in the coppery (black) areas
   of the image. If the development is inadequate, develop the plate further until
   you can feel the grains clearly.

9. Rinse the plate, dab it in a newspaper
   and let it dry in the drying cabinet.

10. Finally harden the plate in UV light for
    minimum 3 minutes.

11. Ink up the plate and print it. If the print
    is too dark with loss of detail or areas of
    open bite, the washing needs more UV
    exposure - if too light, less exposure. The
    exposure duration for the aquatint screen
    is always the same.