Mark Johnson, Print Area Coordinator at New York University, was recently re-tooling his classroom for another academic year. His leaky aquatint box was something he long wanted to replace, but this was an item he routinely avoided since there were no clear options for an upgrade. Ready-made aquatint boxes are not commercially available in the U.S. and although Mark had found a few blueprints on-line, the designs were no better than what he already had. Even if he downloaded a blueprint, who could build it for him?

The prospect of cobbling together a homemade aquatint box is daunting. Some efforts are better than others, but nearly all makeshift boxes have the same problems. The doors seal poorly and leak rosin. The closure hardware is awkward and doesn't function well. Access panels are small or completely absent, consequently the boxes are difficult to clean or service. Most units are also unnecessarily big and occupy large areas of the studio.

SCHWEDE L.L.C. is a custom fabrication shop in the metropolitan area that specializes in high quality museum casework and exhibition support. Mark had known owner, Matt Schwede for years. So with an idea in mind, Mark stopped by Schwede's office to see what could be done.

Emphasizing functionality and durability, Mark and Matt scrutinized every aspect of the design. Combining sound engineering principles with quality construction, they built a truly superior aquatint box.

SCHWEDE L.L.C. is now offering several sizes of the original prototype for purchase.