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Arts Safety – Photo Printmaking

Photo printmaking involves exposing a light-sensitive emulsion or film to ultraviolet light through a transparent support containing an opaque image to transfer the image to a plate. The transparency through which the photo emulsions are developed can include drawings on a transparent support such as Mylar or acetate, or photographic images processed on graphic arts film to yield a positive image. Several photo printmaking methods are discussed below.

Things to Consider

Photolithography

Photolithography involves transferring graphic images to stones or metal plates that are coated with a light-sensitive emulsion. One can coat the stone or metal plate, or use pre-sensitized metal plates. Lightsensitive emulsions used on stone consist of a mixture of powdered albumin, ammonium dichromate, water, and ammonia; commercial emulsions are usually based on diazo compounds. Developing solutions for these mixtures often contain highly toxic solvents. Diazo-sensitizing solutions, developers with highly toxic solvents, plate conditioners containing strong alkali, and other brand name mixtures are used for metal plates.

Hazards
  1. Diazo photo emulsion are the least hazardous although they can cause eye irritation.
  2. Ammonium dichromate used for stone is a probable human carcinogen, is moderately toxic by skin contact, and may cause allergies, irritation, and external ulcers; it is highly flammable and a strong oxidizer.
  3. Ammonia is a skin irritant and a potential inhalation hazard. Ammonia is highly irritating to the eyes.
  4. Light exposure sources include photoflood lamps, vacuum Poly- Lite units, and carbon arcs. Carbon arcs produce large amounts of ultraviolet radiation, which can cause skin and eye damage and possible skin cancer. Carbon arcs also produce hazardous metal fumes, and ozone and nitrogen dioxide, and carbon monoxide.
  5. Screen cleaning solutions include strong caustic solutions. These are skin and respiratory irritants.
  6. Many solvents used in developing solutions are a skin and inhalation hazard.
Precautions
  1. Obtain an SDS for all materials used.
  2. See Solvents section for more precautions with solvents.
  3. Avoid ammonium dichromate and use pre- sensitized plates if possible. If you cannot substitute, wear gloves and goggles. Store it away from heat, solvents and other organic materials.
  4. Use ammonia solutions or solvent-containing photolithographic solutions inside a laboratory hood, or in front of a slot exhaust hood. Wear gloves, goggles, and if ventilation is inadequate, a respirator.
  5. Do not use carbon arcs unless they are equipped with local exhaust ventilation exhausted to the outside. Quartz mercury or metal halide lamps are safer.
  6. Wear gloves, goggles and plastic apron or laboratory coat when mixing hazardous chemicals.

 

Photo Etching

Photo etching is usually done using the KPR products. Photoresist dyes often contain a variety of highly toxic solvents, including ethylene glycol monomethyl ether acetate (2-ethoxyethyl acetate, cellosolve acetate), ethylene glycol monoethyl ether, and xylene, and benzaldehyde. The developers contain xylene and ethylene glycol monomethyl ether acetate (2-methoxyethyl acetate or methyl cellosolve acetate). Developers used for safer presensitized plates also also contain solvents. Exposure of the plate is done with ultraviolet sources such as carbon arcs, mercury lamps, or metal halide lamps.

Hazards
  1. See the Solvents section for the hazards of various solvents. In particular, methyl and ethyl ether acetates of ethylene glycol are toxic by skin absorption and inhalation.
  2. Xylene is toxic by skin absorption, and by inhalation and ingestion. It is a strong narcotic.
  3. The Photolithography section discusses carbon arc hazards.
Precautions
  1. See the Solvents section for precautions with solvents.
  2. Pregnant or nursing women, children, and men trying to conceive should not work with these materials.
  3. Use photofloods or other light sources instead of carbon arcs. Precautions with carbon arcs is discussed in the Photolithography section.
  4. Use presensitized plates if possible.
  5. Use photoresist solutions with local exhaust ventilation, or wear an organic vapor respirator. Wear butyl rubber gloves when handling KPR solutions.

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