Occupation: Etchers and Engravers

Etchers and Engravers

Engrave or etch metal, wood, rubber, or other materials. Includes such workers as etcher-circuit processors, pantograph engravers, and silk screen etchers.

51-9194.00 | 26 tasks | 10 job titles

Reported Job Titles

(10)
  • Acid Etch Operator
  • Award Machine Operator
  • Chemical Engraver
  • Electronic Engraver
  • Engraver
  • Etcher
  • Laser Engraver
  • Photo Engraver
  • Screen Making Technician
  • Wet Process Technician

Core Tasks

(3)
  • Inspect etched work for depth of etching, uniformity, and defects, using calibrated microscopes, gauges, fingers, or magnifying lenses.
  • Examine sketches, diagrams, samples, blueprints, or photographs to decide how designs are to be etched, cut, or engraved onto workpieces.
  • Clean and polish engraved areas.

Supplemental Tasks

(23)
  • Prepare workpieces for etching or engraving by cutting, sanding, cleaning, polishing, or treating them with wax, acid resist, lime, etching powder, or light-sensitive enamel.
  • Engrave and print patterns, designs, etchings, trademarks, or lettering onto flat or curved surfaces of a wide variety of metal, glass, plastic, or paper items, using hand tools or hand-held power tools.
  • Prepare etching chemicals according to formulas, diluting acid with water to obtain solutions of specified concentration.
  • Use computer software to design patterns for engraving.
  • Expose workpieces to acid to develop etch patterns such as designs, lettering, or figures.
  • Adjust depths and sizes of cuts by adjusting heights of worktables, or by adjusting machine-arm gauges.
  • Measure and compute dimensions of lettering, designs, or patterns to be engraved.
  • Neutralize workpieces to remove acid, wax, or enamel, using water, solvents, brushes, or specialized machines.
  • Examine engraving for quality of cut, burrs, rough spots, and irregular or incomplete engraving.
  • Transfer image to workpiece, using contact printer, pantograph stylus, silkscreen printing device, or stamp pad.
  • Set reduction scales to attain specified sizes of reproduction on workpieces, and set pantograph controls for required heights, depths, and widths of cuts.
  • Print proofs or examine designs to verify accuracy of engraving, and rework engraving as required.
  • Position and clamp workpieces, plates, or rollers in holding fixtures.
  • Remove wax or tape from etched glassware by using a stylus or knife, or by immersing ware in hot water.
  • Guide stylus over template, causing cutting tool to duplicate design or letters on workpiece.
  • Start machines and lower cutting tools to beginning points on patterns.
  • Determine machine settings, and move bars or levers to reproduce designs on rollers or plates.
  • Remove completed workpieces and place them in trays.
  • Insert cutting tools or bits into machines and secure them with wrenches.
  • Sandblast exposed areas of glass to cut designs in surfaces, using spray guns.
  • Sketch, trace, or scribe layout lines and designs on workpieces, plates, dies, or rollers, using compasses, scribers, gravers, or pencils.
  • Fill etched characters with opaque paste to improve readability.
  • Brush or wipe acid over engraving to darken or highlight inscriptions.