Dictionary of Marketing Terms: flat etching
flat etching
process for chemically re-etching large areas of a print plate to reduce the density of the printed image. Flat etching is accomplished by placing the plate in a tray filled with etching solution. The areas not to be further etched are covered with a protective solution. If needed only on small areas of the plate, the re-etching is called "staging." In this process, the solution is applied manually with a paint brush.
