A technical dictionary of printmaking, André Béguin.
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grounding
In etching the term grounding is used for the application of a layer of acid resistant substance to the plate surface. This acid resist is then worked with pointed tools so as to remove it in areas that will be later etched by the mordant. Grounding is a delicate operation because the layer of ground must be homogenous (so as to guarantee a regular biting), light (so as to be easily worked with a tool), and solid (so as to resist the mordant). Grounding can be done cold with a liquid ground applied with a brush. Cold grounding is used for quick work and retouching. Grounds that are applied when hot (such as the black ball ground) are used for longer and more precise work. However, when the liquid ground is applied with a brush it is not a bad idea to heat it slightly so that it will spread with greater ease. Hot grounding must be carried out quite rapidly and care must be taken that the ground does not "burn" since this will make it less resistant to biting. A burnt ground can be recognized because it begins to smoke and because it becomes covered with spots and bubbles. The heating of the ground must be uniform and gentle. A solid ground can also be applied with a dabber, in which case the ground is kept in a little silk bag with which one strikes the heated plate all over the surface. This striking deposits a regular layer of ground which is then spread with a leather or silk dabber. The grounding done with a roller is also done at a lukewarm temperature with a pasty ground.
Yet another way of laying a ground is to tap the plate with the side of the hand. Abraham Bosse called this "tapping the plate" and in French one still says that a well grounded plate is tapé (tapped).
In order to judge whether a ground is dry all one needs to do is to blow on it. If the finish does not change it means that the ground is completely dry.
Quite often the grounding is followed up by a smoking of the plate which gives the plate a beautiful, brilliant black finish. The smoking of the plate helps a great deal when the drawing must be done. Smoking must be done when the plate and the ground are still lukewarm.
Ground removal is done using turpentine oil or white spirit. Re-grounding is the term used when a plate is grounded a second time (after a first grounding) so that another biting can be carried out to deepen the lines. Re-grounding can be partial or can cover the entire plate. Stopping-out is done with a stopping-out varnish and is a selective grounding that protects the lines that are sufficiently deep from further biting. Finally a protective ground or varnish is used to preserve the metal plate after use.
[etching, smoking, selective ground removal, biting, solvent, etching ground].
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