What is the general process for creating photoresist film for sandcarving?

Most beginning sandcarvers wrongfully assume that a photoresist must be a resist made from a photograph. This is not true. The resist is produced by a photographic process, but the original is almost always black-and-white line art, not a photograph. Even though it has become possible to produce resists from photographs with good quality, that is not the general application for photoresist.

The basic exposure unit for photoresist uses UV light to process the material. Nowadays there are two types of photoresists on the market: one that requires water for washing it out and another that is a dry process film. It is best to try out both to decide which suits your work best. To set up a dark room area requires about six linear feet with a washout station or four linear feet for dry processing only. The lighting needed is as simple as using yellow “bug” lights from the grocery store.

—Your Professional Glass Consultant