Solarplate etching, or polymer gravure, as it is also called, is a wonderfully versatile and safe, non-toxic medium that produces results akin to the finest etchings. Polymer plates are a nylon photosensitive material that can be exposed to a variety of transparent film media—from hand-drawn mylars, which allow a wide range of drawing marks and textures, to photographic transparencies (traditional darkroom, digital, or photocopy transparency), or combinations of both. After exposure, the plates are then developed, etched in water, cured and printed on an etching press. They are often called solarplate because they can be exposed to the sun and then washed out in a kitchen sink.