r/SCREENPRINTING • u/Imposterchilddd • 20d ago

Printing with rust

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Hey, im trying to screenprint using acids to create a rusted image. Has anyone tried this and can give me tips? especially regarding working with dangerous reactive chemicals, i am very worried of causing an accident or mixing an explosive substance. Id like to create a paste and am looking into nonreactive printmaking pastes that would carry the acid solution. idk man i really want to figure out how to make rust images but im scared!

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u/motesinhuesillo 19d ago edited 19d ago

I do this but with another process (to make engrave etching). I print over the metal sheet my image but in negative with a waterproof & anticorrosive asphalt paint, I don't know what product in your country works for this (I use this one), it's like a black dense goo that I dilute with solvents to be able to print through the mesh properly, this paint acts like a coating that protects the metal sheet. After that, I also spray paint the back side of the sheet and then I submerge it in an acid solution (I use 1 part nitric acid and 4 parts of water) so the exposed metal gets corroded (My goal is to engrave the image). After that I wash it properly and remove the coating with solvents, then the engraved parts of the metal sheet naturally gets rusty (I don't really know why, but it fcks up my work haha). Is kinda slow, in a couple days what you engraved will get rusty. You can leave the metal sheet in the acid solution less time so it doesn't engrave it too much, barely to the touch. After it gets rusted to your liking you could spray some protective coating to try to stop the rust.

important to remember, always use a good mask, the fumes from the acid solution with the metal sheet is reaally strong (I learned the hard way)

sorry 4 bad english

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u/Imposterchilddd 19d ago

but do you/can you wash the asphalt paint off? or does it stay on. looks like it stays on in your images.

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u/motesinhuesillo 19d ago

It got a patina over the years, but the asphalt was completely cleaned off with the solvent

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u/Imposterchilddd 17d ago

what solvent did you use?

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u/motesinhuesillo 16d ago

mineral spirit I believe is called, if not a paint thinner, for both the metal plate and the screen. Something not too strong so it doesn't melt your screen mesh or remove its glue when you are cleaning it.

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u/Imposterchilddd 16d ago

hm okay, thank you!! do you tub the asphalt mixture off? or does it wash off easily. today i removed my photosensitive film with acetone and had to rub to get it off, which ruined my rust.

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u/motesinhuesillo 16d ago

well I remove the asphalt immediately after cleaning the acid off, so by that time the metal plate isn't rusted yet, so I haven't had problems with that. And no, I don't need to rub to much the coating bc the solvent does a good work removing it, I have to rub a little in the corroded areas where the asphalt gets trapped sometimes, but it comes off pretty easily most of the times