Monoprints

Monoprints have the same hazards involved in plate preparation and printing as its parent techniques, lithography and intaglio, but only one print is made.

To learn more specific information on monoprints, use the links below. 

• Photo Printmaking
• Photolithography 
• Photoetching

Photo Printmaking 

With photo printmaking, a light-sensitive emulsion or film is exposed to ultraviolet light through a transparent support containing an opaque image (such as drawings on Mylar or acetate, or photographic images processed on graphic art films) to transfer the positive image to a plate while the photoemulsions are developed. 

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Photolithography 

Photolithography involves transferring graphic images to stones or metal plates that are coated with a light-sensitive emulsion.  

Hazards 

• Use the least hazardous materials possible, such as diazo photoemulsions. 
• Ammonium dichromate used for stone is a probable human carcinogen. It is also moderately toxic by skin contact, which may cause allergies, irritation, and external ulcers.  
• Light exposure sources include photoflood lamps, vacuum Poly- Lite units, and carbon arcs.  Carbon arcs may produce large amounts of ultraviolet radiation which can cause skin and eye damage and possible skin cancer, and it may also produce hazardous metal fumes, ozone and nitrogen dioxide (which can cause emphysema), and toxic carbon monoxide. 
• Strong caustic solutions, enzyme detergents used as screen cleaning solutions, and chlorine bleach are skin and respiratory irritants which can cause asthma.  
• Many developing solutions contain solvents that are highly toxic by inhalation and skin absorption. 

Precautions 

• Know the materials you plan to work with.  Always review the SDSs for all chemicals used in a process so that you are fully aware of the hazards and how to mitigate those hazards, and use the least toxic and least hazardous materials possible.  
• Avoid using ammonium dichromate and use presensitized plates if possible. Wear appropriate PPE, such as gloves and safety goggles, store it away from heat, solvents and other organic materials, if they cannot be substituted.  
• Use local exhaust ventilation when using ammonia solutions or solvent-containing photolithographic solutions. Wear appropriate PPE, such as gloves, safety goggles. 
• Quartz, mercury, or metal halide lamps are safer to use than carbon arcs unless they are equipped with local exhaust ventilation.  Use of safety glasses made from polycarbonate can afford protection to low intensity sources of UV light, but higher intensity sources may require specialized protection.  Please contact EHS for an evaluation of your process if you have questions. 
• Wear appropriate PPE, such as gloves, goggles, a plastic apron or a lab coat when mixing hazardous chemicals. 
• If Local Exhaust Ventilation [INSERT LINK] is unavailable and you think you may need respirator protection, please contact EHS (@email) for an evaluation of your process and assistance with selection and fit-testing of appropriate respiratory protection.

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Photoetching

Photoresist and developers may contain a variety of highly toxic solvents, including ethylene glycol monomethyl ether acetate (2-ethoxyethyl acetate, cellosolve acetate), ethylene glycol monoethyl ether, xylene, and benzaldehyde. Exposure of the plate comes from ultraviolet sources such as carbon arcs, mercury lamps, or metal halide lamps. 

Hazards 

• Methyl and ethyl ether acetates of ethylene glycol are highly toxic by skin absorption and inhalation, as they may cause anemia, kidney damage, and reproductive toxicity. 
• Xylene is a strong narcotic and it is moderately toxic by skin absorption, and highly toxic by inhalation and ingestion.  
• Carbon arcs may produce large amounts of ultraviolet radiation which can cause skin and eye damage and possible skin cancer, and it may also produce hazardous metal fumes, ozone and nitrogen dioxide (which can cause emphysema), and toxic carbon monoxide. 

Precautions 

• Pregnant or nursing women, children, and men trying to conceive should try to avoid working with these materials. 
• Use photofloods or other light sources instead of carbon arcs if possible.  Quartz, mercury, or metal halide lamps are safer to use than carbon arcs unless they are equipped with local exhaust ventilation.  Use of safety glasses made from polycarbonate can afford protection to low intensity sources of UV light, but higher intensity sources may require specialized protection.  Please contact EHS for an evaluation of your process if you have questions. 
• Use presensitized plates whenever possible. 
• Use photoresist solutions with Local Exhaust Ventilation [INSERT LINK]. Wear butyl rubber gloves when handling KPR solutions.  
• If local exhaust ventilation is unavailable and you think you may need respirator protection, please contact EHS (@email) for assistance with selection and fit-testing of appropriate respiratory protection.  
• Use of toxic solvents should only occur in locations where there is immediate access (i.e., within 50 ft.) to eyewashes and drench showers.

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