ABSTRACT
Unwanted regular lines or other patterns will sometimes be observed in prints. Systematically working back down the image-making chain is the solution. If there are light patchy areas in a print, the first thing to check is whether they correspond to clearly lighter areas on the plate itself. If they do, it most likely is a sign that there was insufficient contact between the aquatint screen and the plate during the screen exposure. Sometimes a dark area at the corners of a plate will completely wash out to the point where they print with open bite—the phenomenon when there is an iinsufficient aquatint ground to hold the depth of ink required. This is often caused by poor contact between the aquatint screen and the plate during the screen exposure. Mottling, Measles, and Blotchy prints are the most common print defect, and usually the most maddening to diagnose and fix.
