Printmaking Techniques
ID | Printmaking Tech | Ingestion Hazard | Inhalation Hazard | Skin Contact Hazard | Other Hazards | Precautions |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | PRINTMAKING INKS | |||||
2 | Pigments | Hazard. w/chronic exposure | Potential hazard. | Chromate and cobalt cause irritation | Getting pigments in cuts or sores | Use ready-made inks; use glove box, respirator; follow good hygiene practices; wash work surfaces |
3 | Vehicles | Oil vehicles slightly hazardous, chronically | Flammable and may spontaneously combust | Don't use open flame; place oil-soaked rags in disposal cans or pails of water | ||
4 | Modifiers | |||||
5 | Ink Reducers | |||||
6 | Tack Reducers | Moderately toxic | Moderately toxic | Moderately toxic | Benzene flammable | |
7 | Stiffeners | Not toxic | Large amounts hazard. | Irritant | ||
8 | Antiskinning Agents | Moderately toxic/highly toxic | Highly toxic (aerosols) | Slightly irritating/slightly toxic | Avoid lead or manganese driers; take precautions against fire | |
9 | PRINTING | |||||
10 | Inking and Printing | Hazard. w/accidental ingestion | No hazard, unless old inks dry | Hazard. if ink gets into sores or cuts | Heavy rollers cause back problems | Use water-based inks; avoid hand-spreading inks; use barrier cream; practice good hygiene techniques; safety guards |
11 | Cleanup | Moderately toxic | Moderately/Highly toxic | Moderately toxic | Solvents flammable, talc toxic by inhalation | Get MSDS's; use safety razor blades to remove ink; use least toxic solvents; wear gloves; use exhaust fan; respirator; avoid talc |
12 | LITHOGRAPHY | |||||
13 | Drawing Materials | Solvents moderately toxic, except alcohol (slightly toxic) | Lamp black moderately toxic, may cause cancer | Airbrushing more hazardous | Avoid skin contact w/lamp black and solvents; use ventilation; do airbrushing in spray booth; use respirator | |
14 | Stone Processing | Rosin dust, talc, solvents | Gum arabic and acid, can burn | Some are carcinogenic; skin irritants | Use prepared etches; don't use hydrofluoric acid; wear gloves, goggles, apron; add acid to water,not water to acid; neutralize acids | |
15 | Stone Cleaning | Highly toxic | Not as serious a hazard | Highly corrosive/toxic | Phenol can be fatal | DON'T USE phenol; wear gloves, goggles, protective apron |
16 | Metal Plate Processing | Dichromates highly toxic; lacquers hazard. | Acids irritants; moderately toxic; phenol highly toxic | Dichromates probable carcinogens; solvents flammable | Avoid phenol, dichromates, gas, concentrated acids; wear gloves, goggles, apron; use exhaust hood, respirator, ventilation | |
17 | Photolithography | Ammonia highly toxic; solvents highly toxic | Moderately toxic, eye irritants; solvents highly toxic | Carbon arc fumes highly toxic; uv radiation damaging | Avoid ammonium dichromate; wear gloves, goggles; use exhaust hood, respirator; don't use carbon arcs; paint walls w/zinc oxide for protection against uv | |
18 | INTAGLIO (Acid Etching) | |||||
19 | Etching Grounds and Stop-Outs | Xylene highly toxic; rosin dust slightly toxic | Xylene absorbed; solvents haz.; asphaltum slightly toxic | Xylene flammable; alcohol slightly toxic; PAH's carcinogenic | Store solvents in safety cans; use exhaust ventilation; practice good hygiene techniques; use lowest temperature on hot plates to avoid vaporization of PAH's | |
20 | Aquatints | Rosin dust causes allergies; spray paints highly toxic | Rosin and asphaltum dusts explosive | Wear respirator; make sure rosin box is sparkproof; wet-mop rosin dusts; use spray hood or respirator, or spray outdoors | ||
21 | Etching Process | Acids corrosive, highly toxic | Highly toxic chlorine gas, nitrogen dioxide haz. | Acids corrosive; ferric chloride irritant | Acids may be fatal; Reaction. can cause fires; edges can cut | Use ferric chloride; store nitric acid & potassium chlorate away from others; wear gloves, goggles, apron; use ventilation; neutralize acids; don't induce vomiting; cover acid baths; use eyewash fountain |
22 | Photo etching | Ether acetates moderately toxic; xylene highly toxic | Ethyl acetates highly toxic; xylene highly toxic | Ethyl acetates highly toxic; xylene moderately toxic | Butyl cellosolve highly toxic, carbon arcs haz. | Use presensitized plates; use local exhaust ventilation; wear respirator, gloves; with carbon arcs, use ventilation, wear welding goggles; paint walls with zinc oxide paint to prevent uv radiation reflection |
23 | INTAGLIO (Drypoint, Engraving, Mezzotint) | Metal dust irritating | Cuts from metal | Carpel tunnel syndrome; electrical shock | Clamp plate to table to prevent slipping; hold tools properly; cut away from body; store tools in canvas holders, with sharp edges embedded in corks; wear respirator; keep tools sharp; rest wrists to avoid carpel tunnel | |
24 | RELIEF PRINTING | |||||
25 | Woodcuts and Wood Engraving | Wood dusts moderately toxic | Woods moderately toxic & skin irritants; tools can cut skin | Tools can cause carpel tunnel syndrome | Vacuum or mop all wood dust; wear hand creams protective against irritating woods; cut away from you, with hands behind tool; rest wrists to avoid carpel tunnel syndrome; use linoleum cutting instead | |
26 | Linocuts | Solvents moderately toxic | Tools less likely to cause cuts; caustic soda corrosive | Heated wax and solvents flammable | Cut away from you; heat linoleum with electric pad on low heat; wear gloves and goggles; wash hands; avoid open flames; do not let children use caustic soda | |
27 | SCREEN PRINTING | |||||
28 | Stencils | Paper stencils are the least hazardous, since solvents are not used in their preparation; stencils for water-based inks need to be insoluble in water at room temperature; those for solvent-based inks must be insoluble in ink solvents | ||||
29 | Resists and Blockouts | Methyl alcohol moderately toxic | Ethyl alcohol slightly toxic; methyl alcohol moderately toxic; lacquers highly toxic | Ethyl alcohol slightly toxic; methyl alcohol moderately toxic; lacquers highly toxic | Solvents flammable | Water-soluble glues, wax, and frisket are least haz. materials; wear gloves, goggles; wash hands with water, not solvents; use ventilation, respirator; store solvents in closed containers and dispose of daily |
30 | Film Stencils | Adhering fluids moderately toxic; film removers highly toxic; Isopropyl alcohol slightly toxic | Adhering fluids slightly toxic to moderately toxic; film removers toxic | Isopropyl alcohol, adhering fluids, film removers flammable | Use ventilation with adhering fluids and isopropyl alcohol; use adhering fluids instead of film removers to remove film; follow fire prevention rules | |
31 | Photo Stencils | Ammonium dichromate irritating (probable carcinogen) | Ammonium dichromate moderately toxic; diazo eye irritants | Carbon arcs highly haz; uv light haz. | Wear gloves, goggles; use diazo photemulsions or presensitized emulsions; DO NOT USE carbon arcs; use photoflood or sunlamp instead | |
32 | Screen Printing Inks | Mineral spirits moderately toxic; modifiers moderately toxic | Mineral spirits moderately toxic; toluene highly toxic; vinyl inks highly toxic | Mineral spirits moderately toxic; epoxy inks irritating; retarders moderately toxic | Glycol ethers more haz. than propylene/ethylene | Use MSDS's; use water-based screen printing inks; use local exhaust ventilation; obey fire prevention rules; empty waste cans daily |
33 | Printing and Drying | Solvents highly haz.; gases/fumes irritating | Use slot exhaust hood; wear respirator; dry prints in specially ventilated area; use dilution ventilation for postprint curing of fabrics; no ventilation needed for water-based inks | |||
34 | Cleanup | Solvent washups highly toxic; mineral spirits moderately toxic; bleach highly toxic | Solvents moderately toxic; mineral spirits moderately toxic; bleach moderately toxic | Solvents are fire hazards | Clean ink off screen before it dries; use acetone, odorless mineral spirits, or lithotine instead of commercial washups; use ventilation and respirator; wear gloves, goggles; prevent fire; dispose of solvent-soaked rags | |
35 | OTHER PRINTING PROCESSES | |||||
36 | Collagraphs | Organic solvent glues haz.; sanding dusts irritating | Organic solvent glues haz. | Aerosol spray fixative haz. | Avoid more toxic glues; wear gloves; use adequate ventilation; use water-based glues instead of solvent-based; wear dust mask; brush on fixatives, instead of spraying; spray outside, with respirator | |
37 | Plastic Prints | Haz. of accidental ingestion of ink | Haz. of ink in cuts and sores | Use water-based inks; don't wipe plates with hands; use barrier hand cream; use good hygiene techniques; use safety guards | ||
38 | Monoprints | Haz. of accidental ingestion of ink | Haz. of ink in cuts and sores | Use water-based inks; don't wipe plates with hands; use barrier hand cream; use good hygiene techniques; use safety guards |