Make your own Embossed Business Cards using Acid Etching

Step 6 Soaking.

Now that the page is properly stuck to the brass, you should let it cool. The paper will probably bubble up a little from the sheet shrinking. Take this opportunity to inspect it, and iron over any places that didn't quite stick right. The raised areas will give you a good idea of what parts didn't stick so well.

After this is all done, get a sheet pan with high sides, your plastic bus tub, or another container that will hold both the plate, and enough hot water to cover. Put the plate in the pan, and cover it with hot (but not boiling) water. Let this sit and steep for a few minutes, until it cools down enough for you to put your hand in. Begin gingerly peeling the paper off of the plate. It will come off in scraps and layers. Keep at it until it's just a film. Then, gently rub at the remainder with your finger. You don't need to get off every speck, so don't get anal about it. If you try to get it Lysol commercial clean, you'll just end up scratching the ink.

Comments

[zohair]

A good way to remove paper from hard places (like via holes on PCBs), is to use a hard pencil eraser. You'll lose most of the eraser, but it'll save your fingers and your time.

[Abscondio]

You don't have to use a laser printer! Copier toner is just as resistant. The method I use involves printing a good quality image and then photocopying it onto a transparency. Place wax paper over it when ready to iron and go to town! After 6-10 minutes, stop and let cool completely (I like to keep a couple of cast iron skillets in the freezer to speed things up). Peel slowly. You can fill in any bald spots with Sharpie. Unlike the paper, this doesn't wrinkle. In fact, the heat makes the transparency shrink a little and tigten around the metal if there's overlap...

[zohair]

Hmmm. Thats a good idea. I guess the transparency wouldnt really be that hard to peel off.