Why is it unnecessary?

​@@elmerkilred159because some people are to dumb or cheap to appreciate craftsmanship and art. I paint murals professionally and I am often asked by people passing by "why did you not print it on a wallpaper?" And it is genuine. For them the effect is the same and process doesn't matter.

Yes. We have such a high turnover of printmaking at GPS that flattening under weights would be a bit chaotic. Tape it down like you would damp watercolour paper and then tear off the dried gumstrip along with a wee bit of,the printing paper using a steel ruler (and do it from the back)

No, unfortunately not. Nor with even a good aquatint background, the burr on a mezzotint is just about unique, no strike that, is unique. The whole process requires patience and precision. Seems the way to do it was mapped out in the 19c and has never been bettered, or simplified either for that matter! Still don’t be put off, the results are pretty magical…

@@paulklee5790 After taking a look at the video again, I can see the texture left behind leaves some non-disturbed "clean", untouched shiny, speckled area. I imagine with sandblasting, it would all be matte. So, as with a lot of things in life, there are no shortcuts if we want it done right... short of hiring someone else (a competent one) to do it for us. Haha! :D Thank you for the reply!

yes, you can print it how many times you want

Ordinary etching ink but usually slightly thicker than you would use for a line engraving….

For this I used graphic chemical bone black. 👍