Health Warning 
Caustic solution: 
1 teaspoon lye to 1 liter of water 
Goggles, apron, & gloves when mixing.
mix the caustic solution outside or in a well ventilated area
Use of Rubber gloves is REQUIRED.
can cause permanent eye damage.


Health WarningGoggles Required. 
If this solution is splashed directly into your eyes flush immediately with water and seek medical advice .

Remove ImagOn and Re-Use Plate

After the image has been editioned the substrate can be completely reclaimed and recycled by firstly cleaning off the etching ink with vegetable oil and then soaking the plate in either a 1% caustic soda ash (lye) solution, or a 4% soda ash solution. 

Developing Solution

  • A more cost addcleaneffective method of removing the ImagOn film is to leave the plate soak over night in old ImagOn developer. Some workshop conditions may necessitate the quick removal of the ImagOn film in which case the caustic soda stripping solution can be used. 
  • Let sit overnight in the developing solution
  • Place in caustic solution for approximately 15 minutes.
  • Plates may be reused

Caustic Solution

  • 10 Grams of caustic soda (Sodium Hydroxide or Lye) is mixed with 1 liter of water and placed into a photo developing tray or vertical etching tank. Stripping time from 2 - 10 minutes. The stronger 4% soda ash stripping solution takes from 30 minutes to 2 hrs to strip ImagOn from the plate. 

Final Cleaning

  • Soak the plate in one of the above solutions until the ImagOn lifts and then rinse the plate with water. A final cleaning can be done with Comet or Ajax Cleanser. 

Reusing Plate 

  • Once a plate has been sanded it is not absolutely necessary to repeat this procedure for reusing the plate.
  • some printmakers sand the plate between each application of ImagOn because this "degreasing" technique is so immediate and effective. 
  • Cleaning the plate with Ajax or Comet cleanser and nylon pot cleaner should suffice.