Frosted Copper or Brass

I’m trying to create a frosted finish on some embossed copper foil
and was curious is an etching solution would do this for me. The
"brushed" look is Not what I’m looking for. After the frosted finish
is created, I plan on go ld plating the pieces with Medallion Gold
Plate solution. I have dry potass ium cyanide that I use for a
photography process and have read that it will etch copper. I can
mix it in whatever concentration I need.

What kind of safety precautions do I need to take by using the
solution with metallic copper? The way that I use it now is as a
photographic fixer that washes excess silver from my glass plate
negatives after development. Aft er awhile I have to replace the
solution because it becomes saturated with silver cyanide and stops
working. Its totally safe this way as long as I keep it away from
acids and do not ingest it. I just want to make sure there aren’t
any deadly fumes that will be created by the chemical reaction with
the copper.

Hi Andrew, Sandblasting if a pretty direct way of applying a
frosted finish to any metal.

Have fun. Tom Arnold