Hello Ian
your name sounded familiar and I realized we are both members in the Collagraph World wide group in FB.
Thanks for the tip on wiping ink. I have been using soft felt rolled into a double-ended dabber to apply ink (secured around the mid section with duct tape). However I have found with acrylic plate the burr is fairly short-lived…perhaps maybe 2 or 3 prints with that fuzzy edge before it disappears from subsequent prints.
Just curious but how many prints do you usually pull from your acrylic plates?

thanks Ian
I too have found there appear to be many variables that influence print quality and yield. Type of paper, ink and viscosity, depth of incised line. Also the type of acrylic plate and thickness appear to factor.
I generally use plexiglass (known outside of N. America as perspex, styrene, acrylite..). I started on fairly thick acrylic plate (over 4 mm thickness) and of course had to file the plate edges to a 45 degree bevel. I then moved into a thinner acrylic (2 – 3mm) used for framing of art. A few years ago I discovered I could obtain commercial packaging acrylic from a supplier for the Ontario College of Art and Design printmaking program in Toronto. This is very thin and strong material. Not only am I a studio based artist but additionally I teach art as a p/t sub-contracted art educator in schools. The packaging acrylic is used exclusively for drypoint in the classroom as it was affordable and appears to give good results for very small editions of 1 or 2 prints produced by students. The only drawback is that it can have a little bit of a “bow” so we compensate by using small amount of stick tack on the corners underside to secure it over a sketch on a desk surface. It is thin enough that no filing of edges is required. Students use home-made etching needles (stainless steel darning needle inset into a thin wood dowel handle). I also supply small cut strips of nail file board (emery) and pieces of different grade sanding papers that can add interesting effects besides lines produced by needle.

After trial and error using various inks I observed better results with print transfer were produced using a slightly stiffer ink. So we switched from Akua over to Caligo safewash with just a small amount of easy-wipe compound added. As for wiping back the plate surface small bundles of a softer polyester based web-like fabric from a fabric shop does a good job. The plate is then very carefully surface polished using a thin coated tissue (from a doctor’s office…used on examination tables). Highlights can also be achieved with selective spot wiping using pointed tip cotton swabs. I bring a small portable etching press to the schools with a phenolic press bed and 3 felts.

At the moment I am working with several level 5/6 and 7/8 art classes who are using drypoint as the technique to produce small miniature prints from acrylic plates. They have the added opportunity to not only try wiping ink à la poupée but also incorporate collage (chine-collé) and hand-colour should they choose.
We are using an inexpensive all media printmaking rag paper that originates from the Netherlands. It is a generic brand name sold by the same retailer I get the acrylic plate product from. It is similar in texture and weight to Stonehenge rag.

And as you have most likely seen as in account and photo in the first post of this thread I have been experimenting myself with this same type of thin acrylic plate.

Brian