Sept 2007
Imaging With a Diamond Stylus for Etching of Stainless Steel Embossing Dies
The ability to reproduce fine line renderings of drawings
reflects back to a form of Steel and Copper Plate Engraving
such as Plate Printing techniques used by Artists and
the production of American Currency in the form of Paper
Money. This highly skilled technique uses a variety of
stages to duplicate and transform the subject matter onto
an Intaglio medium within a piece of metal.
The surface penetration of the metal by a Diamond Stylus
Point or a Fine Point Scribe in the “Z” Axis, that is, the
straight down motion into the material which allows the
etching chemistry to start its reaction downward and
then to gradually spread sideward as the aspect ratio of
etching continues. A normal photographed image transferred
onto the substrate after development, exposes the
entire surface to the chemistry. Thus the chemistry starts
its etching process quickly in all directions.
Tom Kozinski, PCMI NE Chapter Head, Past President PCMI
