The process begins with a high-resolution digital image transferred to a film transparency. The printing plate, which will eventually carry the image, is first exposed to UV light through an aquatint screen to prepare the polymer coating to receive the various depths of etching. The half-exposed plate is then fully exposed to the film transparency using UV light and gently washed in water to dissolve the soluble polymer. Where the UV light hits the plate, it hardens the polymer; the remainder, shielded by the black marks on the transparency, remains soluble and dissolves in water. The plate is then carefully dried and exposed to UV light again to cure it so it has the consistency of glass. The image is inked and wiped before printing using damp paper under pressure on an intaglio press.