Learning How to Etch Silver

In this film, only available on KZbin, Andrew Berry from At The Bench, shows you how to etch sterling silver using Press n Peel paper and ferric nitrate.
For over 400 more Jewellery Training Films, search the web for AtTheBench or click the link on my profile page.
At the Bench is an online quality and affordable video jewellery training website for anyone interested in learning to make jewellery, from a beginner right through to a professional level.
The site streams videos showing professional jeweller Andrew Berry and other industry-leading craftsmen teaching their trade in downloadable 'chunks' with clear step by step instructions and advice given at every stage of the way.

[@amikwadze9964]

I know this vid is 8 years old now, but having made so many circuit boards with essentially the same technique, I thought i would mention that resist/toner wipes off with one pass using acetone. Kind of a pain to be scrubbing it off like that.

[@leighshell1784]

Hey Andrew! I've been using your fab tutorial for a couple of years now. I wanted to share a new method I tried. Silhouette vinyl cutter. I cut my mini text out, or the negative space (your pref). The vinyl is an awesome resist and quick, comparatively. I apply design to silver, follow your etch bath directions and peel it off when finished. Easy Peasy! Love YOUUU!

[@kevingraham1566]

One little thing I learned from doing hot-salt blueing, NEVER trust steel wool to remove oil! it is often treated with oil to resist corrosion and can leave traces on your metal - always degrease after. I've watched several of your videos now and have found them excellent info and entertaining - great job!

[@tammygurl64]

This was great and I really like the motivational saying you etched into the silver. 👍 Thanks! 🙂

[@PixieMears]

Thank you Mr. Berry, I've just found your videos - they're great, incredibly helpful.

[@AnneAndersonFoxiepaws]

aha! baby bottle warmers! I already had the trick of using old slow cookers for pickle and here's another one. ..the more stuff I can pick up cheap and use for jewellery making purposes the better (also the making your own tools bit is much appreciated too!) loving the channel!

[@donnamarialynn6170]

Thank you Andrew, you have made this look so easy, cant wait to get started x

[@sarahrobinson5338]

Amazing video! I've been looking for one like this recently, and I'm happy to have found yours. Thanks for sharing!

[@ProyectInvestigation]

Great video dude, followed your tutorial step by step, and it worked. I've always wanted to work on metal (simple stuff) and this made it easy for me. The only difference is that I've chosen to leave the silver submerged for 30 minutes, because I want the etching to be deeper.

[@pramodraysoni9133]

Fantastic. Your videos are very use full to beginners.

[@allanthompson9695]

Another thing to try out, etching. Cant wait. Thanks Andrew. Great tutorial as always.

[@charlotteburkhart4339]

Thanks so much! This is my come to guide now every time i etch so i dont forget anything :)

[@Brentcolo]

Thanks for posting this!

[@tess2626]

This is awesome! Thank you.

[@kurtstory9466]

Great video--it sure helped me get started on this technique. I find that some experimentation is needed. Using the same chemical:water proportion, I found that 30min worked for me. I had problems getting the design fully transferred, and did a lot of touch-up using a fine Sharpie marker--which seemed to work well. I also had to hit the transfer a second time with the iron, because it wasn't very good the first 3 minutes. Of course, you might get much better results the first time.

[@BlueLineofthesky]

Thank you Andrew! True. he have the solution. Thanks

[@neurosis420]

Thanks for nice video, just woundering is it possible to take out/refine silver ferric nitrate solution like we can do from nitric acid

[@sebbypebby462]

Gracias amigo. Me gusto mucho.

[@noyathe1st]

Wonderful!!! Thanks so much.

[@kayzen76]

Nice tutorial Andrew Thank you :)

[@elizabethtokoly4015]

I used the press and peel paper with the Silver mordant from Rio Grande and the toner (staples) lifted in less than 10 minutes. In my opinion not a deep enough bite. Can you advise?

[@mary-annkieckhaben5026]

Thank you for this Super Tutorial

[@mohsinali660]

Hey Andrew love you buddy I'm from Pakistan and really love your great efforts.

[@ashibullet]

Fantastic, thank you :)

[@glassartist321]

Did you print on the correct side (matt side) of the PNP and did you use a laser printer?

[@tessajensen58]

where do we buy press and peel paper? do we need a specific type or thickness, or can we use contact paper ?

[@corblaak8051]

How is the Sulfur solution called Andrew, couldnt understand it well, can i sythesie it myself or were to buy :-)

[@stebates4720]

does anyone know if you go do this etching on gold ? with the same method as Andrew uses ? thanks

[@criticee101]

ive head that you can use a standard red or black marker as a resist. anyone know if that is true??

[@brandyhenson2473]

how much of the 25g packet of ferric nitrate do you use to do 4 little sterling silver 1 inch blanks? Just deciding how much I need to order.

[@sonjadelebinski1442]

Hi Andrew! Thanks for this tutorial. Have you got a method to etch gold without using those strong acids?

[@Atthebench]

No, you print on the matt side and then heat up the shiny side to transfer the toner onto the metal.

[@alopli]

PNP gets stuck at the printer when I print on the matt side, not when i print on the shiny one 😕

[@balisticsquirel]

Thanks for the great vid. Somewhere you say that ferric nitrate (iron nitrate) in not an acid. But later you call it an acid. Just to note for anybody not well versed that it IS an acid.

[@vamprincessmaya]

Would this method work for all metal types or just silver? Thanks ^^

[@munirbilla]

Thank you can we apply this method to stainless steel.

[@arbeltova]

Thanks for the very detailed teaching! What is the name of the blue paper to print on?

[@lizdicks3923]

Great tutorial! Can you tell me what resist pen you used please? Liz

[@LorriCarnevale]

Can this process be done on silver and bronze metal clay?

[@sailorbeads3814]

sorry to be this naive - but how do you print in the negative?

[@thesocialexperimentstrateg4038]

Can you do this on stainless steel?

[@LeyLey41]

What brand Liver of sulfur do you use? Also in the Ferric Nitrate, what brand? There are so many.

[@ElisaFrancaV]

Where can I buy the paper and the resist pen online?

[@brandyhenson3762]

Very good info! Can you please send me if you have the info a website I can order the crystals and the pnp paper. Thanks so much!

[@BlueLineofthesky]

Hi Andrew. I try to do some etching on silver but is impossible to find ferric nitrate. Can you guide me here, please? From where I can buy one? An UK online shop will be great. Thank you! Love your videos.

[@zannee100]

What is the ratio of ferric chloride to water and can I get this P n P Paper online ? I am trying copper first .

[@whichcraftartstudios]

Thanks for the lesson! Could you please give some more info on the resist pen? What is it called?

[@winterdreams274]

Thank you.

[@peter_nortje]

Tip: Use acetone on a cloth to remove the blue transfer after etching.

[@donnaodesigns]

Do you have a recipe to etch gold filled?

[@LittleCherryHill]

you can use a black sharpie to free hand your design on the metal

[@silviovassallo278]

WOULD THIS LASER PRINTER BE GOOD ENOUGH TO PRINT THE PNP BLUE PAPER ? HP LASERJET PRO M15A W2G50A MONOCHROME LASER PRINTER .......THANKS SILVIO

[@Willow.xoxo2]

Would ferric nitrate also etch silver plate?

[@enforcinmadam]

Can you use a thermal printer??

[@sarahmodyfs269]

Thankful What kind of acid?

[@SallyHoffmanDesigns]

Thank you Andrew. Do you need to print on the entire sheet of PNP at once or can you print small areas at a time?

[@stormrise5330]

Hi Sally. It's easier to fill up the entire sheet, as once it's cut, it's really hard to roll through your laser printer, and as the paper is a bit expensive, I prefer not to waste any of it!

[@bri3518]

Two questions that I would LOVE answers to: 1. Can you reuse the ferric nitrate solution after you've used it the first time? What should you do, put it back in the bottle or save it in a separate container for future use? 2. How do you dispose of these chemicals when done?

[@kathryncastanares525]

I've always seen people reuse their acids for a few etchings, saving the used acids in separate containers of course to not contaminate the new acids. And to dispose of the acids, they usually neutralize them before adding to kitty litter, and/or taking to their chemical waste facilities.

[@renatotodesco]

please can you tell me when is youir next web cast

[@dmpag7000]

excellent

[@tanjuschabartkowski4592]

It's such a great tutorial Andrew! And long time ago 😅 I hope anyone can help me with my question: how long does tge ferric nitrate solutions lasts? Thank you very much!🌷 Greetings from Germany

[@WesleyVanderwesthuyzen]

does this work on pure Niccle

[@jasonclements4607]

ever use ferric acid vs ferric nitrate ? If so, which is better? I'm attempting to etch silver. silver smiths recommend ferric nitrate. But ferric chloride acid is easier and cheaper to make. I don't want to use my nitric acid if I don't have to. Hydrochloric acid is cheaper.

[@mawi1172]

This was ten yrs ago? 🤯🤯🤯 ❤️

[@markmcnally2044]

Andrew, will this work with fine silver made from art clay?

[@lisasabine2923]

Its nice to see Alan Partridge is making jewellery! :D

[@damok9999]

Agitate every 5 minutes, start with warm acid. Maybe I will get cleaner results. Maybe I'm just doing it too long. This is the most comprehensive acid etching video for sterling, a project using asphaltum would be an ideal follow up vid. I've tried three times but the resist always starts to degrade before the etching is deep enough.

[@stebates4720]

which side is the right side then peeps ??

[@kitlings5847]

Hi Andrew, Thank you for showing how to use ferric nitrate for etching the Silver, I brought the ferric nitrate power. What concentration do I use? How much powder, how much water? Thank you much!

[@damok9999]

1 part powder, 3 parts water.

[@hourglasssox]

@@damok9999 So if it's one tablespoon of powder, then 3 tablespoons of water ? Usually solid particles ( powder ) to liquid is not a literal ratio....aye ?

[@creativerootsstudio]

Could you use permanent black ink or draw on with a sharpie marker?

[@JessicaPoonWoo]

Yes, sharpie works as a resist but you can't get as deep an etch because it will be removed by the acid after awhile

[@emilymcmanus3327]

how thick sould my silver be?

[@violoncelleetviolon9575]

Can someone tell me the ideal temperature for this? I have a very small crock pot, but I don't know how warm I want the bath to be before adding the silver piece to it. Anyone?

[@bakinka2727]

Just put it on low setting.

[@AhmadAlghannam]

you should use the shine side of the paper

[@jeffreystewart9809]

Just a hint with the 3m polishing paper, from course to fine, its: green, gray, blue, red/pink, teal, white.

[@waffleattacks]

Great video Andrew! Can ferric chloride be used on silver instead of nitrate?

[@marthalyttonvantrees1119]

I have tried hundreds of times to use PNP to transfer an image to sterling silver; using either an iron or a laminator. It has never worked for me: nothing transfers. I have no idea what I am doing wrong. Clean metal, hot iron, followed directions precisely and it doesn't work. Any suggestions?

[@fudge90]

You are probably using the wrong printer

[@franceswinyard2101]

hi Andrew! what kind of paper did you use ( does it have to be that specific kind ) and can I use my ink printer as I don't have a laser printer? great video as usual Andrew thanks!

[@Atthebench]

+Frances Winyard The blue paper is call P n P paper. You have to use a laser printer because the ink works as the resist. An inkjet will not work.

[@franceswinyard2101]

Thanks Andrew!

[@millybells]

Could you please tell me where I can buy this resist pen , is this the same pen used on copper PCB boards , can anyone help or recommend this please

[@Atthebench]

Yes. It’s a resist pen used in electronics

[@millybells]

Thank you for sharing your knowledge, l will give this a go👍

[@LorriCarnevale]

Couldn't you use a UV light for this process of adhering the toner?

[@tomasgonzalez1636]

UV light is used when you use photoresist dry film instead of Press and peel paper. In this case, you print what you want to etch in a transparent paper, stick the photo dry film in the metal (with an iron) put the printed transparent paper over the metal and the dry film and expose it to the UV. After that, you must reveal the image in the metal with a revealer and then proceed to etch as described

[@armauploads1034]

Dear Andrew, thank you very much for this Video. But I have a Questions to you: How to cover the backside and edges of a non-rectangular shape, i.e. a round silver Piece?

[@damok9999]

Check out the more amatuer acid etchers using pre cut rounds of brass copper and nickle silver. They just cover the back and have some method for what you are asking.

[@tomasgonzalez1636]

I paint it with a lacker used to paint light bulbs, (sorry, I don't know its name in english), After etching, you can remove it with alcohol

[@cindylosco5028]

Does the ferric nitrate have to be heated and if so I have a small crock pot for my pickle...can I use that? Thanks

[@donadicarlo]

+Cindy Losco I know that would work with the Ferric in a container inside

[@damok9999]

This is how i've done it. In a mason jar set into the crock pot's basin. With the crockpot's insert removed.

[@tomasgonzalez1636]

If heated it works better and takes less time. If you re going to do it frequently a good solution is going to a pet shop and buy a water warmer (for fishbowls) and a air pump (used in fishbowls too). The last one is to create a bubble movement in the liquid so you don't have to move it manualy.

[@sonjadelebinski1442]

Hi Andrew. Thank you for this tutorial! Can I use ferric chloride instead of ferric nitrate the Same way aus shown?

[@sonjadelebinski1442]

as shown.......sorry!

[@DDD3DAZ]

Great! Can, you please to tell - can ferric nitrate etch pure gold? Thanks!

[@jamiljewelryllc3645]

Thank you Andrew. Can it work on Gold 10 kt. ?

[@Atthebench]

No it won’t work on gold

[@jamiljewelryllc3645]

@@Atthebench Thank you.

[@SilverTrove]

I've found everything but the resist pen. Is it just a plain marker? Thanks!

[@Atthebench]

Just use an overhead projector pen

[@SilverTrove]

Thanks, Andrew!

[@seaglassbarbara5083]

Andrew Berry Hi Andrew! Thank you for this video. Would you please share the name and brand of the pen you use? I have bought so many pens already, and they say that they are "chemical resistant, waterproof, etc" but the moment my metal hits the etchant the ink comes off. Even sharpie. I have one pen that is actually EXCELLENT...but the applicator part is too thick to make any kind of intricate designs. (I make my own..and have not been able to buy the pnp paper yet). Make sense? lol

[@lovebrokeruk3264]

Carol Braden-Williams www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B00R830PQG

[@tessajensen58]

amazon sells for $3

[@laurenhammond714]

Is the "resist pen" just normal felt pen??

[@Atthebench]

No. It’s an electronic resist pen

[@laurenhammond714]

Andrew Berry thank you so much for your reply!

[@jaycsprigg]

Will this also etch 9k Yellow gold? Thanks

[@mathay122]

Soy sauce will strip all oils from metal - an etching trick! Thanks for the video :-).

[@norahpayne]

how would you use the soy sauce?

[@rustedraven]

well done sir.

[@sonuverma2796]

where to buy pmp paper and

[@Atthebench]

Sonu Verma We sell it here in the U.K. And also you can buy it on eBay

[@KarenMike94]

Hi - can ferric nitrate be used to etch copper too? thanks

[@stormrise5330]

Easiest way with copper, is saturated salt water and a 9 volt battery. Check out salt water etching vids (less chemical)

[@DiademJewels]

what kind of printer was used for the resist? will an inkjet printer work?

[@Atthebench]

No. It has to be a laser printer

[@annehagan4535]

Andrew Berry What if you dont have a laser printer? Will a place like Staples actually let you put PNP into their printers?

[@Atthebench]

I think you would have to ask them kindly :-)

[@lpemb83]

Could you possibly list the materials used in the video description??

[@itsjanellc]

Maybe this is just a U.S. thing, but our steel wool has oil in it to keep it from rusting. Try a plain Scotchbrite pad and a degreasing soap (Dawn dishwashing liquid without hand softeners).

[@susanewalkerconta]

Yes I thought of that too! Definitely our US steel wool has grease which will actually repel the pop or sharpie or whichever resist you apply. I use green scratchy pad like 3M type available at any hardware store or on the scratchy side of a sponge, plus cleanser like comet or bon ami. Many jewelry books explain this process too. I found a book from the 1940s about doing this but pnp blue didn’t exist then. Just asphaltum and nitric acid, etc. It’s basically the same as making an etching plate in art printing. Far more literature exists on making an etching, and it’s very extensive. I am glad to see this video. Thanks Andrew.

[@a0cdhd]

Ferric Nitrate or Ferric Chloride?

[@damok9999]

ferric nitrate

[@bakinka2727]

Ferric Chloride for copper.

[@corblaak8051]

Glossy works better Andrew