What is Etching and How Does It Get That Frosted Look?
Etched glass is a common sight nowadays, and it adds flair and a touch of elegance to many otherwise mundane pieces of glass. Though few give it much thought, there are actually two very distinct and different ways of producing glass etching, both methods differ in cost and also the final object.
Before getting into the methods, it is important to understand the actual process of etching a glass surface. Etching is the act of removing small amounts of a surface of a material to imprint designs. This is done in a controlled manner, to create often detailed and beautiful patterns and configurations. The traditional method of glass etching is sandblasting, which is when covering a “negative” of the design desired onto a glass surface. To clarify, this is the same as putting up tape on the surfaces you don’t want painted when spray painting. The same principle is applied to the glass, and then specialized equipment is used to bombard the glass with sand, which scratches away at the glass where it is not covered and creates a frosted effect.
The relatively newer method is titled “high definition chemical etching”. As opposed to using clunky equipment to bombard the surface of the glass with small particles of rock, this process uses chemicals to intricately remove a small amount of material from the surface of the glass. This results in much more intricate results, and also allows for more depth and shading, as sandblasted etchings are all a uniform frosted white color.
The two methods are very distinctive and produce severely different results. While sandblasting is better for general designs and large area work, high definition etching is much more tasteful. Not only is it more pleasing to touch, unlike sandblasted glass, it allows for much more detailed work.
When determining whether to use custom work, high definition etching is definitely the best decision. When speaking of custom glass etching a key thing to know is that chemical etching is generally more budget efficient than sandblasting, partially explained by the fact that it doesn’t require complex and costly equipment. However, a great deal of work or skill goes into its production, as chemical etching is a precise and precarious process, which demands real skill. Generally in the etching business there is no such thing as a redo.
Etched glass is a beautiful way to add some class to any glass door, window, table, etc. Etched mirrors can add a tasteful accent to any home decor . Each high definition etched mirror also has the amazing ability to hold their reflective, even where they’ve been etched. This is a downfall with sandblasted mirrors, as they are a frosty color in the sections that they’ve been etched. This can make available for some very elegant and tasteful home décor.
