| Among glass processing techniques, glass etching | | | | from a mere enjoyable pass-time. |
| is a special design method that enables the | | | | There are a few very simple principles that |
| roughening of a piece of glass in a certain | | | | govern abrasive glass etching: first and foremost, |
| perimeter for the creation of a model; the | | | | the frosted look is given by the contact of the |
| resulting image is more like a frosted picture | | | | glass with small particles of abrasive material that |
| created on a clear glass surface. Moreover, if a | | | | chip the surface, and the process is usually carried |
| thicker type of glass needs some sort of carving, | | | | on under pressure. And secondly, the design is |
| etching is also possible so that a deeper, | | | | achieved by exposing only certain glass parts to |
| somehow shaded model is created. | | | | the abrasive blast, while covering the others. This |
| The most common type of glass etching is the | | | | are the only two general rules of glass etching. |
| sandblast or abrasive model since one can achieve | | | | The challenge of glass etching comes when you |
| a wide range of aesthetic effects by the use of | | | | have to choose the right type of equipment, the |
| such methods. The present-day popularity of | | | | perfect abrasive and the correct blasting pressure |
| glass etching has a twenty-year history in design | | | | for the design you want to achieve. Even for |
| ever since the first architectural applications of the | | | | amateurs who try glass etching as a hobby, |
| technique came to people's attention. In time, | | | | some kind of training is required so as to enable |
| glass etching has little by little extended to interior | | | | one to perform the etching operation in proper |
| decorations, gift crafting, the design of glass | | | | conditions. |
| awards and so on. | | | | There are all sorts of seminars and workshop on |
| Prices for glass etching are pretty high since there | | | | glass etching, some of them are available online, |
| is a huge demand for etched objects and the | | | | some others are organized by special crafts |
| number of professional etchers is still low to | | | | organizations interested in the formation of |
| answer all the orders. Hence, for anyone who's | | | | qualified personnel for the etching job. Glassware |
| got the skill at glass work, etching could be a real | | | | manufacturers are the first to implement etching |
| gold mine. Many people actually start glass etching | | | | techniques, and they are the ones to offer the |
| as a hobby, since it requires minimum investment | | | | most advantageous opportunities for glass |
| in both training and equipment. Who knows? | | | | etchers too. |
| Maybe, a small profitable business could grow | | | | |