Glaze etching is exactly like glass engraving, except that it is done on a fired ceramic glaze surface instead of glass. The purpose of this web page is to give you step-by-step instructions to learn this fun and profitable technique. Once you get started you will see just how easy it is and begin to think of more ideas for gift giving and finished ware pieces to sell.

Like glass engraving, glaze etching is a process in which the surface of the piece is scored with the use of a diamond coated tool or bit. The word "surface" is important. When etching, you only want to scratch the surface of the glaze. It's important not to break through the glaze surface to the bisque, and with practice you will learn just how much pressure to apply in order to achieve the proper depth.

There are two ways to do glaze etching. One is with a diamond bit used in a hand tool. The other method uses the same bit in a motor tool or drill such as a Dremel tool. There are differences in the two methods. The use of a motor tool make the etching go much faster and uses less pressure because the tool does all the work. However, using a hand tool allows you to achieve much finer and more delicate lines. The technique is the same no matter which method you choose. On this web page we will lean towards the motor tool method, as it is the preferred method.

Selecting And Preparing Your Piece

You can etch on any fired glaze surface, whether you purchase the piece or make and glaze the piece yourself. There are a few things to remember when choosing your piece and/or glaze. For etching, the glaze surface needs to be heavy to prevent break through. Follow the manufacturer's instructions on the glaze and make sure that you apply flowing coats. We have found that using a gloss glaze will allow you to achieve the most desirable finished results. Finally, choosing a piece with a flat surface is a little bit easier for the beginner, but with a little practice, round surfaces will be equally easy.

• clean the greenware in the usual manner and fire to cone 02.-04.
• Apply glaze making sure to apply three flowing coats or as recomended on the jar and fire to the temperature suggested by the manufacturer.

We have found that using dark colored glazes is easier because you can see where you have etched. This is not to say that you can't achieve beautiful results using white or light colored glaze.

Applying Your Design

If you are artistic, you can etch your design on the piece freehand or draw the pattern on the piece with a chinagraph or wax based pencil. Many patterns are available through Truebite or you can make a pattern from a photo or picture you find in a magazine by making a black and white photocopy.

We suggest using Saral transfer paper to transfer your pattern to your glaze or glass surface. Saral transfer paper comes in five colors and is wax free, so it gives you the advantage of erasing with a tissue without smearing or smudging. When working with ceramics, Saral is unique in that it can be painted over with no skipping or bleeding and it fires off.

• Cut your pattern out leaving a 1/4" border around the actual picture. Cut the Saral paper the same size.
• Place the transfer paper on the glaze or glass surface with the bright side down.
• Now place the pattern on the top of the transfer paper making sure your pattern is placed exactly where you want the etched design, tape in place.
• Now that your pattern is in place, trace the pattern onto the piece using a red pen so that you can see where you have gone. Trace only the outline of the design, centers of flowers, center veins of leaves and main pattern lines of animals and other designs. (See Ill. #1A.) All shading lines are etched by referring to the pattern.
• After tracing the pattern, carefully lift only one side of the pattern and check to make sure you have traced the entire pattern.

It is very difficult to place the pattern in the exact same spot once you have removed it. If, after you have removed the pattern, you are not happy with it or your placement of the design, simply wipe the tracing off the piece with a tissue and reapply. Save your transfer paper as it is reusable.

Illustration 1A	Finished Example Illustration 1B

Etching Tools

The bits used for etching are called diamond tips and/or diamond balls. The diamond bits are coated with microscopic diamond chips which allow them to cut into the glaze and glass surfaces. Engraving stones may also be used and may give a smoother surface when used to fill in large solid areas as they do not cut into the surface as deeply as diamonds. All of these bits may be used in a hand tool, but we suggest using the Dremel Mini-Mite tool because your project can be completed in a fraction of the time and with much more ease than when using a hand tool.

Let's Begin Etching

• We suggest you start by practicing on a scrap piece of glazed ceramic.
• Practice etching some lines and circles until you feel comfortable with it.
• When etching, the object is to just scratch the surface. You do not want to break through the glazed surface. Light etching produces a more elegant finished piece.
• An easy way to judge the amount of pressure to use is to feel the etched surface. You should be able to feel the etched line when scratching across it with your finger nail, but you should only be able to feel the etched line slightly with the skin of your finger.
• Use light hand pressure, as the motor tool will do the work for you. (Light pressure prolongs the life expectancy of the diamond bits.)
• When etching long or curved lines and circles, it is best to etch away from yourself because you are working with the rotation of the bit and will achieve a much smoother line than if you are working against the rotation of the bit.

Steps For Etching

1. (USING THE MEDIUM DIAMOND BALL BIT)
   Etch all traced lines of the design using the medium diamond ball. (See Ill. #2.)
2. (USING THE SMALL DIAMOND BALL BIT)
   Refer to your pattern and etch all shaded areas by starting at the outside line and applying a series of small etched lines very close to one another. Make sure that these shading lines are all different lengths as your finished piece will look more natural than if the shading lines are spaced perfectly and the same length. (See Ill. #3.)
3. (USING THE SHADER DIAMOND BIT)
   Now, using the shader diamond bit, heavy shade all areas done in Step 2 by going in the same direction, but rubbing instead of applying small lines. You should only make this heavy shading about half the length of your original shading lines. This step will help define each petal or area and help grab color if you choose to apply color. (See Ill. #4.)
4. (USING THE SHADER BIT, EXTRA LARGE DIAMOND BALL OR SHADING STONE)
   Shade all solid areas of the design by using a rubbing motion as if you were coloring with a crayon.
5. (USING ANY OF THE DIAMOND BALLS TO APPLY DOTS)
   Filling in an area with dots will give you a different look. This is called stippling and is done by just touching the glaze lightly with the diamond ball. You can give the appearance of a shadow by using this technique, the smaller or larger the ball you use, the smaller or larger the dots will be. (See Ill. #5.)

Illustration 2	Illustration 3	Illustration 4	Illustration 5

Notes:

• When etching you should see a small amount of powder coming up around your etched lines. This is good. It's caused by the glaze being cut by the diamonds. If you see a cloud of powder, this is not good. It means you have cut through the glaze and into the bisque.
• When using the diamond balls, the smaller the diamond ball the finer the lines.

Applying Color

Coloring is optional. On some glazes the piece is much more elegant left just as it is, without any color. If you choose to color your piece, rub-on metallic pastes work very well. You can apply any paints you choose, but many acrylics and other paints are hard to rub off the glazed surface.

• Before you apply color to your piece, wipe it clean with tissue to remove any dust that might have accumulated on it.
• Apply the color with your finger, small dry brush or a Q-Tip.
• Let it dry for approximately thirty seconds and wipe with a clean Q-Tip or tissue.
• The color will stay where you've etched and wipe off the unetched area.
• When using the metallic color, you may get some color where you don't want it. If this happens, the metallic colors will cover each other, so simply reapply the color you want. The metallic colors blend very nicely to make new colors or multicolored areas.
• Apply color to a small area at a time and, when wiping, try to wipe away from the area to avoid wiping color into areas where you don't want it.
• After you finish coloring, you will most likely see a haze over the entire glazed area. This is a residue left behind from the metallic colors. Let the piece dry for about 10 to 15 minutes and wipe off the haze with a tissue or paper towel.
• These colors will be relatively permanent when dry, but they will wear off if the piece is handled or washed often. You can make the colors more permanent by applying a brush-on high gloss sealer to the etched areas and allowing it to dry.
• Please keep in mind that glaze etched pieces to which you have applied color are for decorative purposes only and are not food safe.

Don't get discouraged if your first project is not a prize winner. Practice makes perfect and after a few tries, you'll be amazed at what you can do.