An experimental study for an optimum etching of commercialized cellulose nitrate SSNTD, CA 80-15 and LR 115-1 for detecting alpha particles, was carried out. Alt-hough ordinary etching condition of the detectors has been recommended by the producer, a remarkable discrepancy in etching tine was found. The detectors were irradiated with a $0.1{mu}Ci;^{241}Am$ alpha source under a known geometrical arrangement. Analysis on the track size as functions of etching time and etchant concentration and comparative examination of theoretically predicted number of tracks per unit area with that recorded on the detectors were made, including a study on the variation of detection efficiency with the effective energy of the incident alpha particles.