why soak the paper when printing an etched image in printmaking?

Question

what does soaking the paper then blotting it do for the final print?

Answer 1

Soak and drain, the fibres soften, giving a crisp image, acid free paper contains starch, it allows a tooth for the ink to grip when you dampen down. try to experiment with dry damp and wet paper you will see that when the paper is not blotted the image can blur where your etching is not sharp. regards LF