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ARTISTIC PRINTING. 
 

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ARTISTIC PRINTING. 
 
 BY 
 
 JOHN SOUTHWARD. 
 
 A SUPPLEMENT TO THE AUTHOR'S WORK ON 
 “ PR A CTIGA L PRINTING. ” 
 
 LONDON : 
 
 ‘•PRINTERS’ REGISTER” OFFICE, 
 33a, LUDGATE HILL, E.C. 
 
 1892. 
 
PRINTED BY 
 
 A. S. MALLETT, ALLEN AND CO. 
 WARDOUR STREET, W. 
 
PREFACE. 
 
 This little book is a sequel to “ Practical Printing ” — an 
 amplification of those parts of it which deal with ornamental 
 printing. 
 
 For very few of the methods and recipes given does the 
 author claim any originality. He is indebted to writers in the 
 leading American and German typographical serials for most of 
 the matter here presented. In these countries “ Artistic 
 Printing ” has been brought to a high state of perfection, and 
 experts have very liberally given, in their own trade journals, 
 details of their processes and accounts of their experiences. The 
 compiler has done little more than to “ edit ” a number of 
 articles of this nature and to arrange them under appropriate 
 headings. 
 
 Wherever practicable this indebtedness has been acknow- 
 ledged. The compiler desires, however, to express his special, 
 obligations to several publications. These are : The American 
 Art Printer , published by Mr. C. E. Bartholomew, New York ; 
 Paper and Press , by Mr. Wm. M. Patton, Philadelphia ; the 
 Artist Printer , of Chicago ; the Superior Printer , of Cincinnati ; 
 and the Archiv fur Puchdruckerkunst , of Leipzig. From these 
 
VI 
 
 PREFACE. 
 
 and other sources have been obtained information contributed 
 by such eminent printers as Theo. L. De Yinne, S. Reed 
 Johnson, Anton Halauska, Andrew V. Haight, W. J. Kelly, 
 and Alexander Waldo w 
 
 Printing is, pre-eminently, a progressive art. At the hands 
 of the many skilful and tasteful practitioners now engaged in 
 it, improvements are daily being made. These are chronicled, 
 described, criticised in the technical journals of the craft. 
 Anyone who desires to 4 4 keep up with the times ” must neces- 
 sarily possess himself of some at least of these publications. 
 They contain the best and the latest information on the 
 subject, and no book can possibly keep pace with them. The 
 reader is strongly advised, if he would make the fullest use of 
 the elementary instruction here given, to supplement it with the 
 current issues of the periodicals. In this connection particular 
 mention must be made of the beautiful serials of Messrs. 
 Raithby and Lawrence, of Leicester. These, with the Specimen 
 Books issued by the same firm, are in themselves a technical 
 educator whose value it would be almost impossible to overrate. 
 
CONTENTS. 
 
 
 
 Chapter I. 
 
 Artistic Printing of Recent Origin — Improvements in Appliances and 
 Materials which have rendered the new style of Printing possible 
 — Origin of Artistic Printing in America — Development in Ger- 
 many — in England — Characteristics of existing “schools” of 
 Artistic Printing 
 
 Chapter II. 
 
 Principles of Typographic Design — Practicability — Originality of 
 Treatment — Symmetry — Harmony of Design — Effectiveness — 
 Selection of Colours — Accuracy and Correctness of Composition 
 — Presswork — Miscellaneous Hints — Curved Lines 
 
 Chapter III. 
 
 Classification of Type Faces — Sectional and Mortised Types — Sugges- 
 tions for selecting Types — Limitation of Varieties — How to 
 identify the Type of any particular Foundry — German names of 
 Fancy Types and Ornaments 
 
 Chapter IV. 
 
 Display Composition — Planning the Design — Various Designs — Panels 
 and Bands — Rule and Lead Cutting — Circles and Curves — 
 Mitring Machines — Justification of Curves — Adjustment of 
 Curves to Angles 
 
 Chapter V. 
 
 Colour Printing — Laws of Natural Harmony and Contrast bearing 
 upon the Selection of Colours — Recent Modifications of Popular 
 Taste — Primary, Secondary, Tertiary Colours — Luminous 
 
 Colours — Pure and Broken Colours — Tones — Hues — Application 
 of Principles to Printing — Selection of Paper — Harmony of 
 Analogous Colours — Use of White — Grey — Printing Colours on 
 Colours — Mixing Colours and Tints — Rollers for Colour Printing 
 — Schedule of Effective Combinations — The “Art” Colours — 
 Useful Hints for Practice in Colour work — Rainbow Printing ... 
 
 Chapter VI. 
 
 Working Red Ink — Dulness and Deterioration of Colour, and how to 
 prevent it — Consistency of Ink 
 
 Chapter VII. 
 
 Bronze Printing — Essentials to Good Work — Selection of Rollers — 
 The Size or Composition — Applying the Bronze — Dusting off — 
 Cautions and Miscellaneous Hints ... ... ... ... 
 
 page. 
 
 1 
 
 6 
 
 15 
 
 22 
 
 38 
 
 55 
 
 59 
 
viii 
 
 CONTENTS. 
 
 Chapter VIII. pAaj 
 
 Tint Work — Advances recently made in the Process — Definition- 
 Antiquity of the Method — Materials available as Surfaces — 
 
 Metal, its Advantages and Disadvantages — Cutting away or 
 Routing the Plate — Boxwood — Various Methods of using Paper 
 and Millboard Surfaces — Tint Blocks with Patterns — Emery 
 Cloth, Sand Paper, Bookbinders’ Cloth, Artificial Leather — • 
 Imitation Leather Papers — Patent Leather — Walnut and Ash 
 Woods — Lace, Thread, Ribbon, Cord, Perforated Tin — Sheet 
 Brass, &c. — Ruled Tints — Labour Saving Tint Blocks — General 
 Hints 66 
 
 Chapter IX. 
 
 Tint Work continued . — Selection of Colours and preparation of Tint 
 
 Inks 83 
 
 Chapter X. 
 
 Owltype, Chaostype , and Selenotype — Origin — Method of producing 
 
 them ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 92 
 
 Chapter XI. 
 
 Initials — Origin of this kind of Book Embellishment — Selection of 
 Initials — Having regard to Style and Size — Proper Position in the 
 Page — Lining with Type — Indentation of the Matter following 
 Initial Ornaments — Two Colour Initials 97 
 
 Chapter XII. 
 
 Borders — Evolution of the Border — Classification — Line Borders — 
 Repetition Borders — Combination Borders — Justification — 
 
 Hints and Cautions ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 106 
 
 Chapter. XIII. 
 
 Letter , Word , and Line Ornaments — Their Design, Composition, and 
 
 Justification — Cautions against Injudicious use 118 
 
 Chapter XIV. 
 
 Vignettes — Corner Ornaments — Headpieces — Tailpieces — Woodcuts 
 
 as Ornaments — Their Use and Abuse ... ... ... ... 123 
 
 Chapter XV. 
 
 Making Beady and Working Vignettes and Cut Work — Regulating the 
 Impression — Underlaying and Overlaying — Cutting out Over- 
 lays — Names of different portions of engravings — Points to be 
 studied and avoided — Special requirements of Process Blocks — 
 
 Fine Printing on Cylinder Machines 130 
 
 Chapter XVI. 
 
 Art Printing Papers — Enamelled, Coated, and Duplex Papers — 
 
 Fancy Imitations of Textile Fabrics and Animal Products, &c. 140 
 
 — A. Bronzing Machines 143 
 
 B. Ink Grinding Machines ... ... ... ... 146 
 
ARTISTIC PRINTING. 
 
 CHAPTER I. 
 
 Artistic Printing of Recent Origin. — Improvements in Appliances and 
 Materials which have rendered the new style of Printing possible — Origin 
 of Artistic Printing in America — Development in Germany — in England 
 — Characteristics of existing “schools ” of Artistic Printing. 
 
 “ Artistic Printing ” is a phrase which has been used for not 
 more than ten or a dozen years. It designates a new depart- 
 ment of the printing business, which was previously divided 
 into News work, Bookwork, and Jobwork. The production of 
 “ artistic printing ” is usually carried on in conjunction with 
 the last-named branch, of which it is actually a development. 
 
 The leading features of the ordinary and conventional style 
 of job printing are too well known to need description here. 
 “ Display ” was obtained by making the lines of varying* 
 lengths ; by sometimes running them “ in and out,” and 
 variously indenting them ; by using different sizes and styles 
 of fancy type along with the Homan or text letter, and by a 
 regular and often monotonous alternation of “ display ” and 
 “ catch ” lines. 
 
 This new description of printing has been rendered possible 
 by improvements in at least four arts auxiliary to typography. 
 Within the last decade quite novel, and, generally speaking, 
 beautiful “fancy” types have been brought out in America 
 and in Germany, with extraordinary and unprecedented pro- 
 fusion, but only to a deplorably small extent in England. 
 Along with these have been introduced a great variety of 
 
 B 
 
2 
 
 ARTISTIC PRINTING. 
 
 typographic borders and embellishments. These have enlarged 
 the possibilities of letterpress printing to an enormous extent, 
 and made practicable many artistic and decorative effects 
 which previously could only be obtained by the assistance of 
 the wood engraver or the lithographer. The second art in 
 which vast improvements have taken place is that of the 
 printers’ engineer. The printing machines of the present day 
 operate with a precision and strength which it was thought at 
 one time would be altogether unattainable. By the use of 
 machines, perfect register can be ensured — more perfect than 
 can be obtained on any hand-press. The impression is brighter, 
 and more delicate, and equable. Running at high speeds, 
 these machines can be used for work in many colours, which 
 would be too expensive for ordinary purposes if done by the 
 press, owing to its slowness, a drawback which is intensified by 
 the number of workings required for combinations of colours. 
 In the third place, the ink makers have provided the printers 
 with a large number of new colours and shades of colours, 
 varnishes, and many-hued bronzes, These are available not 
 only for printing from the type and borders, but for ground 
 tints. Ink has been better made and sold at much lower prices, 
 partly owing to the discoveries by chemists of new and cheaper 
 colouring matters, and partly owing to increased facilities for 
 manufacture, the business being now carried on upon a large 
 scale. Lastly, the paper makers have given us paper better 
 adapted for fine impressions, not requiring to be damped, and 
 with a softer and more absorbent and sensitive surface. The 
 importance of these improvements may be better realised when 
 the practical directions to be presently given are read. 
 
 It is not, perhaps, possible to define what “Artistic Printing” 
 really is. The line cannot be drawn just where mere crafts- 
 manship ends and the artistic element begins. The two nearly 
 always overlap. Artistic work means good work, beautified 
 and individualised by tastefulness and the exercise of the 
 artistic faculty of the workman. The artistic printer requires 
 to possess the ordinary printer’s skilfulness, dexterity, and 
 expertness, but, in addition, he should have the artist’s sense of 
 beauty, elegance, grace, and symmetry. While necessitating a 
 perfect acquaintance with the technics of his craft, the execu- 
 tion of art work demands a certain degree of imagination, 
 •originality, invention, and fancy. 
 
ARTISTIC PRINTING. 
 
 3 
 
 Artistic printing found its origin in America, as was natural 
 among a people characterised, among other qualities, by an 
 almost unique degree of inventiveness and * enterprise. The 
 art of printing was being gradually and steadily improved by 
 the demand on the part of manufacturers and merchants for 
 more attractive jobbing work. When Oscar Harpel, of Cin- 
 cinnati, brought out, in 1870, his “ Typograph, or Book of 
 Specimens,” containing useful information, suggestions, and a 
 collection of examples of letterpress job printing, arranged for 
 the assistance of master printers,* it came as a revelation of 
 the possibilities of printing. The specimens showed that 
 effects previously unthought of could be achieved by the letter- 
 press method. This was followed by a prodigious improvement 
 in the best kinds of American work, and several job offices 
 were started which made “ fine printing a speciality.” Such 
 offices are now numerous, and the work produced at them has 
 been of a kind which, twenty years ago, was absolutely un- 
 thought of. 
 
 The Germans followed in the same direction. They were 
 probably largely stimulated by the achievements of Heinrich 
 Knofler, the incomparable artist-printer of coloured wood-cuts, 
 whose marvellous productions, it has been said, are mentioned 
 with pride and joy by every German printer who loves his art. 
 In 1868 he established an office of his own, and became the 
 greatest colour printer of the age. His influence on his craft 
 was soon made evident. From him may be dated the modern 
 progress of printing in Germany ,f for he showed that the 
 capabilities of typography — especially chromo-typography — 
 were far in advance of the then existing conceptions of it.t 
 
 The rise of artistic printing in England may be traced to 
 the circulation of Harpel’ s book, and of specimens of German 
 type-founding, printed, as these usually are in Germany, in 
 colours, and almost literally “ regardless of expense.” The 
 movement, however, received its great impetus by the establish- 
 
 * Harpel died November 13th, 1881, aged fifty-three, 
 t Knofler died July 31st, 1886. 
 
 + The achievements in this country of Messrs. Leighton Brothers, the 
 printers of the coloured pictures given as supplements to the Illustrated 
 JTews, must not be overlooked in any reference to chromo-xylography and 
 chromatic printing. 
 
4 
 
 ARTISTIC PRINTING 
 
 ment of “ The Printers’ International Specimen Exchange ” in 
 1880. The idea was due to Mr. Thomas Hailing, of Oxford, 
 but the organiser of the scheme was Mr. Andrew White Tuer, 
 of the Leadenhall Press, London. It has been carried on year 
 by year since. Each member provides a certain number of 
 any one typographical specimen of an uniform size that he 
 thinks worthily represents his powers. These specimens are 
 afterwards collated into sets, each member receiving in due 
 time a number of specimens all of which are different, equal to 
 that of the number of members, in place of his own, which 
 are of course all alike. The specimens are arranged alpha- 
 betically and bound up, each volume being preceded by a 
 criticism. The scheme at once received the support of Mr. 
 John Puskin, who wrote : “ How gladly I hear of an asso- 
 ciation of printers who will sometimes issue work in a form 
 worthy of their own craft, and showing to the uttermost the 
 best of which it is capable. It seems to me also that a lovely 
 field of design is open in the treatment of decorative type — 
 not in the mere big initials in which one cannot find the 
 letters, but in delicate and variably fantastic ornamentation of 
 capital and filling of blank spaces or musically-divided periods 
 and sentences and breadths of margin.” More recently the 
 leading printers have adopted the plan of issuing special 
 specimen books of their own work. Many of them are 
 published at almost nominal prices. They form examples of 
 artistic printing, and object lessons of the utmost value, and 
 no one intending to pursue the subject should fail to possess 
 himself of some of them. 
 
 The spirit of emulation and competition which is now abroad 
 has led to important changes in the printing done throughout 
 the United Kingdom. The slovenly, slipshod style of work 
 induced by the sharp competition of modern times, is gradually 
 disappearing, or at least is being greatly lessened. The revived 
 national taste for art has influenced the printers’ craft. Fine, 
 or at least good printing is becoming the rule, where but a 
 short time ago it was the exception. Advertisers are realising 
 the fact that attractive typography arrests and fixes the atten- 
 tion, and is often carefully preserved for future reference, while 
 the “ cheap and nasty” is contemptuously thrown away, more 
 often than not without being read at all. This touches the 
 advertiser in his most sensitive part, his pocket, and tends to 
 
ARTISTIC PRINTING. 
 
 5 
 
 convince him that really good work is after all the cheapest. 
 Printers’ clients of all classes are continually asking for attrac- 
 tive and tasteful typography. What was once thought “ good 
 enough” will not now be accepted. At the same time it is 
 satisfactory to be able to state that those who desire better 
 work show an increasing disposition to pay a better price 
 for it. 
 
 There are now in existence two distinct styles of ornamental 
 printing— the German style and the American. Each has its 
 own well defined and easily recognisable characteristics. 
 
 The German style, which prevails to a greater or less degree 
 all over the continent, is distinguished for its liberal, if not 
 profuse, use of ornamental combinations of border, and for the 
 peculiar management of delicate tints in colour work. In 
 elaborate decorated printing, the Germans are superior to all 
 other printers. Their work, too, is always correct and tasteful. 
 It is nearly always architectural in its general design. 
 
 The American style is characterised by freshness, originality, 
 and versatility* Great risks are often taken in striking out 
 novel effects. Instead of reliance being placed upon borders, 
 original combinations of type and brass rule are affected, and 
 every appliance in the way of ornaments, flourishes, and even 
 the strangest eccentricities of the typefounders is seized upon 
 with avidity. Americans also excel in brilliancy of colouring, 
 which they favour more than delicacy of tint work. In this 
 style the typographic conventionalities are disregarded ; there 
 is a constant effort after novel effects, individuality is assiduously 
 cultivated. 
 
 The composition of the text of German work, however, is 
 not always tasteful — indeed some of their most ambitious pro- 
 ducts are marred by bald and weak combinations of type, 
 while at the same time they display marvellous skill and 
 patience in the use of ornaments. Their style, too, is note- 
 worthy for its correct lining and justification of both types and 
 borders, and the exact joining of rules and rule corners. Their 
 press-work is remarkable for its perfect register — the abso- 
 lutely exact fitting of one form into another. More “ making 
 ready ” is done, and less impression is general than in English 
 work. There is a studied neatness and attractiveness in their 
 ornamentation, achieved by quietly tasteful and harmonious 
 arrangements of colours and tints. The conscientious attention 
 
 o 
 
ARTISTIC PRINTING. 
 
 6 
 
 to details of finish, exact register, and beauty of impression in 
 the best German work is above all praise. 
 
 At the present time there is a distinct leaning in the highest 
 examples of English printing to the German style. This is 
 satisfactory, but slavish imitation should be strenuously dis- 
 countenanced. The characteristic distinctness of English typo- 
 graphy should be jealously maintained. The beautiful German 
 combination borders, produced in so much profusion of late,, 
 have already found their way into a great number of the 
 more ambitious English offices. In many instances they are 
 judiciously utilised. They are seen at their best when wisely 
 used in conjunction with American fancy types and word 
 ornaments. In regard to colours, our printers prefer the 
 quiet, harmonious tints peculiar to German typographers, 
 to the bold, striking, sometimes bizarre, contrasts of the 
 Americans. Indications, however, are not wanting that our 
 transatlantic brethren are adopting a more subdued style of 
 colouring. 
 
 CHAPTER II. 
 
 Principles of Typographic Design. — Practicability — Originality of Treat- 
 ment — Symmetry — Harmony of Design — Effectiveness — Selection of 
 Colours — Accuracy and Correctness of Composition — Presswork — 
 Miscellaneous Hints — Curved Lines. 
 
 Before proceeding to give practical directions for the various 
 kinds of artistic or ornamental composition, it may be well to 
 enumerate some of the qualities which ought to characterise 
 all specimens of superior printing. They may be divided into 
 two classes : — 
 
 a. Excellences of Design. 
 
 b. Excellences of Execution. 
 
 Under the first denomination will come : 
 
 1. Practicability. 
 
 2. Originality. 
 
 3. Symmetry. 
 
 4. Effectiveness. 
 
 5. Judicious and correct choice of colours. 
 
ARTISTIC PRINTING. 
 
 i 
 
 Under the second may be named : 
 
 6. Accuracy and correctness of composition. 
 
 7 . Accuracy, brightness, and cleanliness of Presswork.. 
 
 A few general considerations under these heads may here be 
 
 presented. 
 
 Practicability. — 1. Regard should be had beforehand to^ 
 the practicability of the design. Is it one appropriate to typo- 
 graphy, or one that would be better executed by lithography 
 or wood, or other kind of engraving ? 
 
 2. Can the end sought be attained without the use of 
 unusual or unattainable material ? Without .an extravagant 
 use of material, such as cutting up quantities of brass rule, and 
 mutilating types and borders ? 
 
 As a general rule, the compositor will have done his duty by 
 making the best use of such material as he finds at command 
 in the office, although by the exercise of inventiveness and the 
 possession of a little more than usual of the faculty of 
 resourcefulness, effects may often be achieved that would be 
 thought unattainable with the limited material at command. 
 It is not the possession, always, of the latest tools and devices 
 that results in work that confers credit on the workman. In 
 the absence of these, a desire to do work well in view of such 
 opportunities as are possessed, often results in great excellence. 
 
 It is a great recommendation to any design that it is simple 
 and avoids undue complication. The contrary character in- 
 variably involves waste of time and waste of material. 
 
 Originality of Treatment. — Here the following consider- 
 ations apply 
 
 1 . Mere conventionality in style is no recommendation • 
 
 lather the reverse. 
 
 2. Brains are necessary in manipulating even ordinary 
 
 types, rules, and ornaments. 
 
 3. Provided it is in good taste, freshness of treatment is 
 
 nearly always commendable. 
 
 4. The possibilities of the art are myriad, but can only be 
 
 realised by patient study and observation. 
 
 5. Good examples of fresh work are always useful. They 
 
 convey different and intelligent ideas to different 
 
 minds. Suggestion is valuable, however, to the 
 
 imaginative rather than to the imitative brain. 
 
8 
 
 AUTISTIC PRINTING. 
 
 Symmetry. — 1. A restful effect is always pleasing. 
 
 2. “ Plenty of air ” should be given to a job — there should 
 be sufficient “ whiting out.” This ought never to be sacrificed 
 to get in fancy letters or pieces of ornaments. Cramming into 
 a job all that it will stand, is a prevailing bad habit. Stop at 
 the right place — don’t go too far. 
 
 3. It is a cardinal point to be observed, that the instant 
 either ornament, spacing, or colour is permitted to intrude 
 upon the perfect legibility and proportion of the reading lines, 
 a law is broken which is independent of all mere questions of 
 taste. 
 
 4. Too many styles of letters should be avoided, especially 
 in fagade work. 
 
 5. Ornaments are to be used only to grace the letter, not to 
 draw the eye away from the reading matter. The architect’s 
 rule is here applicable : you may ornament construction — you 
 must not construct ornament. Hence repression of ornament 
 is often desirable. 
 
 6. Subsidiary ornaments or lines must never be brought into 
 conflict with the chief line or lines. 
 
 7. Truth of construction must be strictly maintained. Pre- 
 serve the strength of different parts — arches should not spring 
 from nothing. 
 
 8. Head and tail pieces must not be too bulky or too 
 prominent. 
 
 9. The centre of a job must not be weakened and sacrificed 
 to the ornamentation of the border. Sometimes this is done 
 by printing in an injudicious colour, as red. 
 
 10. Consistency throughout is a great recommendation in a 
 design. 
 
 If a bordering is to be used, there are many important 
 considerations to be remembered. It may beautify or entirely 
 destroy the effect of the job. Hence : — 
 
 1 1 . The border must not dominate the text. 
 
 12. The bordering should not be overdone ; especially the 
 inside margin must not be stinted in order to include a mass of 
 ornamentation . 
 
 13. When bordering goes round a picture, an unusually 
 large margin is required ; otherwise the effect of both will be 
 injured. Absurd combinations, such as fagades and pillars 
 resting on nothing ; land animals in the water, and the 
 
ARTISTIC PRINTING. 
 
 9 
 
 monstrosities of the “ Japanese ” combinations in vogue a few 
 years ago must be avoided. 
 
 14. Correct length of lines and of spacing between lines are 
 indispensable if the effect is to be symmetrical. 
 
 Harmony of Design is 
 
 a. The general accordance of the lines and ornaments in a 
 
 piece of composition one with another. 
 
 b. The subordination of the lines of lesser importance to 
 
 the principal ones. 
 
 c. The uniting of all to constitute a pleasing whole. 
 
 Harmony is effected by : — 
 
 1 . A due combination of lights and shades. 
 
 2. By the union of colours. Or 
 
 3. By such contrasts as are calculated to relieve or 
 
 emphasize the general effect. 
 
 The careful study of a piece of work that is pleasing and in 
 good taste will often be more valuable as a lesson in correct 
 and attractive composition than hours of experiment. To a 
 discerning and an ambitious workman, a careful analysis of a 
 tasteful specimen of composition will often suggest ideas that 
 will tend to make him a proficient workman. 
 
 Effectiveness. — This is usually gained by the exercise of a 
 judicious degree of daring and boldness. 
 
 There can be no good display without relief. Hence it is 
 desirable that displayed lines should be so arranged that the 
 relief of small text type should not all be at the tail of the 
 work, nor all the contrast of white space at the ends of the 
 lines. The display lines should be distributed equally over the 
 entire work, as far as a simple and orderly arrangement of the 
 copy will allow. 
 
 Arrangements of type and ornaments that are merely 
 fantastic should be avoided. The compositor should not try to 
 “ show himself off,” or his skill, by eccentric fancies. It is 
 better to try to display the subject matter in the simplest and 
 most direct manner. 
 
 Heavy-faced types are often useful in advertising, but if 
 crowded together without sufficient white space, the object 
 sought in its use is entirely defeated. It is in colour work, 
 where strong contrasts are desired, that the heavy faces are 
 
10 
 
 ARTISTIC PRINTING. 
 
 seen at their best. A mass of heavy type crowded together 
 and printed in black, though often insisted on by a customer, 
 to give emphasis to an announcement, is always disappointing 
 and seldom has the desired effect. If it must be used, the 
 effect of light and shade, which is necessary to make any piece 
 of work attractive, must be obtained by the contrast of large 
 and small lines and a proper amount of white space. 
 
 Judicious Selection Of Colours.— 1 . The correctness and 
 good taste of the colour scheme is of prime importance ; indeed 
 the colour treatment often gives the entire character to a job. 
 
 2. If the colour scheme is strong it must not be crude. 
 
 3. Generally, an unobtrusive delicacy is the most satisfactory 
 feature of a colour scheme. 
 
 4. If the colouring is intended to be the leading feature of 
 the job, a large staring space without colours should not be left 
 — a more delicate colour should be filled in. 
 
 5. Insignificant lines must not be brought into prominence 
 by being worked in black ; there colour should be subdued 
 appropriately to their importance. 
 
 6. Open spaces, when cut out for a work in strong colours 
 should have a tint to soften them ; otherwise the contrasts will 
 be too violent. 
 
 7. Gold and other bronzes are often injudiciously used. 
 They should be employed to give a special character to the job, 
 as well as to enrich the other effects. 
 
 8. Hed is often injudiciously used so as to overpower the rest 
 of the work, especially when used for a solid ground. It 
 should never be so strong as to distress, distract, or hurt the 
 eye. 
 
 9. The border colour must not overpower that of the text 
 it should be of a weaker tone. 
 
 We now come to questions of workmanship — or of execution 
 as distinguished from design. These come under two leading 
 headings : — 
 
 Accuracy and Correctness of Composition.— 1. What- 
 ever taste is exhibited in design, the working out of it should 
 be that of a finished manipulator— detail and technique must 
 be scrupulously attended to. 
 
 2. Imperfections of workmanship are often attempted to be 
 concealed by the introduction of ornaments or the use of 
 
ARTISTIC PRINTING. 
 
 11 
 
 colour. This is generally futile, and always exposes the 
 unconscientious workman. 
 
 Press-work. — This should be bright, and clean, not too 
 heavy, even all over the forme ; the rolling equable and 
 uniform ; the colours worked in perfect register. They should 
 when printed be fine, pure, and brilliant. 
 
 Generally speaking, the most attractive composition is that 
 in which the fewest possible — consistent with effectiveness — 
 different styles of types, varieties of rules, and number of com- 
 bination borders are employed. A mere conglomeration of 
 different faces of type, or an assortment of various style of 
 ornaments and borders are as offensive to good taste as would 
 be employment of a number of incongruous styles of archi- 
 tecture in the construction of a building. 
 
 It is most important that a well-defined aspect of harmony 
 and proportion should prevail in the selection of type, as well 
 as in the general form or design of the piece of work. As a 
 rule, not more than two or three different styles of type should 
 be employed in the display of a piece of composition. When it is 
 impossible to conform to this idea, care should be taken to 
 select such type as will harmonise, and to avoid violent contrast 
 while obtaining relief. The juxtaposition of a very light face 
 and a very heavy face are always distasteful. 
 
 W ork is often done, even by experienced compositors, which, 
 while calling for no special display save the harmonious arrange- 
 ment of straight lines, is very disappointing in appearance. 
 The advantage of good material is often lost through want of 
 taste in combining it with equally beautiful but incongruous 
 styles. This is also frequently caused by a desire to introduce 
 too great a number of heterogeneous objects, or such as differ 
 too much. In decoration the accumulation of more or less 
 elegant subjects results only in confusion. 
 
 It is important to remember that the most intricate designs 
 do not always give the best results. The aim should be to get 
 the best possible results from a fail- amount of labour. Different 
 contortions of brass rule may serve to exhibit the skill and 
 patience of the compositor, but comparatively few customers 
 can appreciate or are willing to pay for the time necessary for 
 such manipulation. In colour work a judicious arrangement 
 of a few colours can often be made more attractive, with the 
 
12 
 
 ARTISTIC PRINTING. 
 
 introduction of a new idea, though very simple, than the 
 elaborate and difficult work which can only be appreciated by 
 the printer. Many of the most striking examples of decorative 
 printing are achieved by the simplest means. Hence it is 
 a good rule always to use ornaments and ornamental letter 
 sparingly, even in ornamental work. They are not ornamental 
 when used in excess, or inappropriately. And it should never 
 be forgotten that legibility, as a rule, is wanted oftener than 
 ornament. Plain faces have more admirers than fancy letters. 
 
 A few miscellaneous observations that cannot be classified 
 under the headings above adopted may be placed here. They 
 are partly matters of workmanship and partly matters of taste. 
 
 In planning displayed work, let each display line have about 
 it a relief of small text type or of white space. 
 
 Where a very bold display is wanted in a crowded space, the 
 text letter should be small bold-faced type. 
 
 When the copy for the text is scanty, set it in a fat or 
 extended letter. 
 
 Where a great quantity of matter has to be got on to a 
 large page with much display, it is desirable to put some of 
 the text — especially if it can be set in small type — in half 
 measure, or two columns. If the type must be very small 
 and the page wide, three or more columns may be made of a 
 portion of the text. 
 
 If possible a solid text type should never be set to a measure 
 of more than fifty ems of the type itself. Long lines are 
 difficult to read. 
 
 Never crowd a long line of words marked for prominent 
 display in one line of type ; if to do so, condensed, or not 
 easily read letter, has to be used. The words may be put in 
 two lines of the same size and style of type. 
 
 Large types must not be huddled together. 
 
 A line should never be shortened or crowded, or the leading 
 reduced or increased — to the injury of neat display — for the 
 sake of getting in an ornament. 
 
 In open display work, like book titles, and in headings of 
 chapters of wide leaded matter, hair-space lines of capitals 
 where it can be done without causing the lines to over-run. 
 
 Display lines of close-fitting capital letters will often need 
 special spacing when used with solid matter. The meeting 
 letters I and H in sanserif are too near ; the letters L and Y, 
 
ARTISTIC PRINTING. 
 
 13 
 
 or P and J in roman are too far apart. It will often be found 
 necessary to unequally space letters, in order to make them 
 seem at equal or proper distance apart. 
 
 In all kinds of composition in capital letters, an endeavour 
 should be made, by judicious spacing, to keep the stems or 
 thick strokes at uniform distances from each other. A proper 
 spacing of letters is as necessary to produce a good effect as the 
 proper spacing or whiting out of lines. 
 
 It is the safest thing to do to select small type for the text 
 of a job that is to have plenty of display. Much time is 
 wasted, and the effect spoiled, by selecting for the text a type so 
 large that there is no room for display or for the necessary 
 leading. 
 
 Short pieces of text that may make three or four lines, 
 should, in display work, seldom be set in paragraph style, with 
 a paragraph indentation at the beginning. 
 
 -A full line should not be put at the head of the matter and 
 next to a border. 
 
 When the display is open, like that of a book title, there 
 being more space than matter, a single text line should never 
 be a full one — that is to the extent of the measure. Two 
 short lines should be made of the text words, the second line 
 being shorter than the first. 
 
 Type with large shoulders and long ascending and descending 
 letters, such as scripts, should not be used on any work in 
 which the space is contracted, and which does not allow" a 
 liberal amount of “ white.” 
 
 If possible, a type that can be leaded should be selected for 
 the body of the text. A dozen lines of leaded long primer 
 are more readable than sixteen lines of solid small pica. 
 
 If more lines in the copy are marked for special lines of 
 display than can be put in the space allowed, and if these lines 
 consist of a few short w r ords, they may be set up with the 
 prominence desired, but justified, some in the centre of the 
 text, or as side heads with text about them. 
 
 In all work for which intricate and curious ornamentation is 
 desired, always begin with setting up the types of words only. 
 When they are arranged so that they fairly show the subject 
 matter, pull a proof. On this, print by hand, as with stamps, 
 such ornamentation as may appear suitable. Or the ornaments 
 may be pulled separately and pasted down on the proof of the 
 
14 
 
 ARTISTIC PRINTING. 
 
 type in the positions proposed. When the suitable ornaments 
 are selected, then justify them with the letters. Time should 
 not be wasted in slowly justifying ornaments to letters before 
 the effect is ascertained. Further remarks on this subject will 
 be found hereafter. 
 
 Curved Lines. — Many errors are made in introducing 
 'Curved lines into designs. It should be remembered that : — 
 
 1. The curved line may sometimes be used with good 
 
 effect at the head of very open matter, where it is 
 desirable to fill up space, or around a circular or semi- 
 circular cut or ornament ; but it should not be used, 
 either in regular or serpentine form, in the middle or 
 at the foot of text matter. 
 
 2. It should never be used with close or solid matter. 
 
 3. The curved line is of advantage only in very open 
 
 displayed work. 
 
 4. If the display lines following a curve cannot have about 
 
 them as much relief of white space as the curve has, 
 then the curve should not be used. 
 
 These are obviously but general principles. Some are 
 applicable to certain kinds of work and inapplicable to others. 
 Their applicability to any one kind must be determined by the 
 sense and judgment of the printer. But there is one rule which 
 ought to be carried out in regard to every job, and which must 
 be carried out if anything artistic, or even creditable is to be 
 achieved. The printer must take pains. And this chapter can- 
 not be concluded better than by quoting on this point the words 
 of Charles Kingsley. He says : — “ Take pains. Take trouble. 
 Whatever you do, do thoroughly. Whatever you begin, finish. 
 It may not seem to be worth your while at the moment to be 
 so very painstaking, so very exact. In after years you will 
 find that it was worth your while ; that it has paid you, by 
 training your character and soul ; paid you, by giving you 
 success in life ; paid you, by giving you the respect and trust 
 of your fellowmen ; paid you, by helping you towards a good 
 conscience, and enabling you in old age to look back and say, I 
 have been of use upon the earth ; I leave this world, according 
 to my small powers, somewhat better than I found it : instead 
 of having to look back, as too many have, upon opportunities 
 thrown away, plans never carried out, talents wasted, a whole 
 life a failure, for want of taking pains.” 
 
ARTISTIC PRINTING. 
 
 15 
 
 CHAPTER, III. 
 
 Classification of Type faces. — Sectional and Mortised Types — Suggestions 
 for selecting Types — Limitation of Varieties — How to identify the Type 
 of any particular Foundry — German names of Fancy Types and 
 Ornaments. 
 
 It is presumed that the reader has a general practical knowledge 
 of the processes of letterpress printing, and merely elementary 
 instruction in type-setting need not therefore now occupy at- 
 tention. The plan which may be most convenient in dealing 
 with the subject of Artistic Printing will be to consider, first, 
 its materials, including fancy types, and then its processes. 
 
 The enormous variety of type faces to be found in Specimen 
 Books of the leading founders may be roughly divided into 
 three classes : — 
 
 1 . Plain body or text types — as romans, italics, black or 
 
 gothic letter. 
 
 2. Modifications of these, without embellishments, as 
 
 condensed and expanded romans or titling letters ; 
 
 italics which approach scripts ; and sanserifs. 
 
 3. Embellished modifications of plain types. 
 
 In regard to the second class of types, such as sanserifs, and 
 other comparatively plain styles, it may be noticed that they 
 have been brought to a remarkable condition of perfection. It 
 would be possible to choose from the Specimen Book of a good 
 foundry a sufficient variety of faces of this class to be able to 
 do almost any job — not merely book work but ornamental and 
 truly artistic work. 
 
 The American founders have, however, introduced an im- 
 provement even upon the most elementary of these by casting 
 what they call “ lining faces.” 
 
 A graduated series of these, say from great primer to non- 
 pareil, would exactly range at foot, having throughout the same 
 depth of beard. Such founts are also proportioned in regard to 
 thickness of face — the smaller sizes being simply reductions of 
 the larger. A word may be set in nonpareil and have a pica or 
 other initial. In fact, such founts correspond in appearance in 
 the same way as the ordinary caps and small caps of a roman 
 fount. Sanserifs line both at top and bottom. 
 
16 
 
 ARTISTIC PRINTING. 
 
 A rough classification of ordinary jobbing fount faces may bo 
 made, having in view their adaptability to the requirements of 
 any work in hand. They may be divided as follows : — 
 
 Extra Condensed Body 
 
 Yery Light Face. 
 
 Condensed Body : — 
 
 Light Face. 
 Medium Face. 
 Heavy Face. 
 
 Yery Heavy Face. 
 Ornamental Face. 
 
 Yery Light Face. 
 Light Face. 
 Medium Face. 
 Heavy Face. 
 
 Yery Heavy Face. 
 Ornamental Face. 
 
 Medium Body : — 
 
 Yery Light Face. 
 Light Face. 
 Medium Face. 
 Heavy Face. 
 
 Yery Heavy Face. 
 Ornamental Face. 
 
 Extended Body : — 
 
 Yery Light Face. 
 Light Face. 
 Medium Face. 
 Heavy Face. 
 
 Yery Heavy Face. 
 
 Ornamental Face. 
 
 These comprise the bulk of the display faces. With one or 
 two full series judiciously selected under each of the above 
 sub-heads there will be no requirements that cannot be met 
 except such as come under the further heads of 
 
 Poster Type : — 
 
 Body Letter. 
 Extra Condensed. 
 Condensed. 
 Medium. 
 Extended. 
 
ARTISTIC PRINTING. 
 
 17 
 
 Texts (i.e. } Old English or Black Letter). 
 Condensed Body : — 
 
 Light Face. 
 Heavy Face. 
 
 Bound Body : — 
 
 Light Face. 
 Heavy Face. 
 
 Scripts. 
 
 Miscellaneous : — 
 
 Sectional. 
 
 Mortised. 
 
 Ho explanation of these terms will be necessary for the 
 printer except, perhaps, in some instances the two last. 
 
 Sectional Type was introduced in this country in 1878 by 
 Messrs. Caslon & Co. It consists of condensed sanserif, each 
 letter being cut into two parts, across the middle. This allows 
 of the introduction of another line, as : 
 
 Mortised Types were invented by MacKellar, Smiths and 
 Jordan, and patented in 1884. Instead of being cast to the 
 ordinary rectangular shape, they are slotted or mortised on one 
 or more sides. With them, such combinations as : 
 
 are possible, by the insertion, in the open spaces, of types of 
 smaller bodies. 
 
 c 
 
18 
 
 ARTISTIC PRINTING. 
 
 In stocking a jobbing office, it is economical to select fancy 
 founts under a system of heads and sub-heads, such as that 
 already given. It can be carried through the almost infinite 
 number of items that go to make up a complete modern assort- 
 ment of types. 
 
 Selection of Ornamental Type. — We may here suggest 
 a few hints on choosing type, and on the kinds of type that 
 will be most useful, durable, and satisfactory in appearance. 
 Printers undoubtedly waste much money by purchasing on the 
 impulse of the moment founts whose peculiarity or supposed 
 prettiness may have struck them. Probably every office con- 
 tains a collection of such founts, that are of no practical use for 
 ordinary everyday work, and represent a considerable amount 
 of capital lying altogether idle. 
 
 When purchasing new types the printer may advantageously 
 bear in mind the following maxims : — 
 
 Do not buy faces that are merely fantastic, and have no other 
 recommendation. They are very limited in their usefulness, 
 and soon become monotonous and wearisome. 
 
 Avoid those filled with weak lines, which are apt to break in 
 manipulation or under the machine. 
 
 Sanserifs have a generally stiff effect. This is relieved in 
 some recent founts by the addition of a slight stroke projecting 
 above or below the line. 
 
 Jobbing types which have no very thin lines and which have 
 much space between them, are the most generally useful. Ink 
 does not then fill up the face. Wear only shows by the strokes 
 being made heavier. 
 
 A very large part of every printing office is devoted to little 
 things, unimportant in themselves, but of which the convenience 
 is very marked. Among these are contractions of commercial 
 words, as Dr., Cr., and words such as of, and, &c. These judi- 
 ciously used give a variety to commercial printing, by making 
 the contractions or words into a kind of monogram. 
 
 The “ rimmed letters,” now almost out of fashion, were 
 rather unserviceable. The thin line round the character was 
 easily broken, and it was always liable to be filled up in 
 printing. 
 
 Some founts, useful only in very light work, are unsuitable to 
 small offices, but afford an agreeable variety when the array of 
 types mounts up to two or three hundred varieties. 
 
ARTISTIC PRINTING. 
 
 19 
 
 Serifs that are very sharp are usually very tender, and soon 
 begin to show wear. 
 
 In regard to scripts, it is well to remember that the shorter 
 the ascending and descending letters the greater quantity of 
 matter can be got into a given space. 
 
 Job founts of an ornamental character, of which a few letters 
 fill a line, are in constant requisition. 
 
 When the number of founts procurable is limited, it is econo- 
 mical to give preference to those which harmonise together. 
 
 All designs do not lend themselves to expansion, and there 
 are only a limited number of good ones that are expanded in 
 the printer’s sense — that is expansion in width, though not in 
 body. 
 
 Letters with a shaded face, made up of small horizontal lines, 
 like those done on the wood engraver’s ruling machine, need 
 great care and delicacy in working and are not generally 
 available. 
 
 It is most economical to get abundance of quadrats for jobbing 
 founts. A careful examination of miscellaneous work, such as 
 bill-heads, cards, or displayed circulars, will show that the 
 surface area of the type is usually but half that of the entire 
 area. The other half must be quadrats, leads, quotations, fur- 
 niture, etc. The provision of matter of this nature for a jobbing 
 office should be, in bulk, as great as that of type. Most jobbing 
 offices are sadly deficient in whiting-out material. Where this 
 is the case, the compositor works to disadvantage, and the office 
 loses more than the value of the deficient material. 
 
 Get plenty of leads. The free use of leads is not only pro- 
 fitable in measurement, but is of economical advantage in 
 extending the capacity of a fount. 
 
 Some printer having been told that in De Yinne & Co.’s 
 office no fount of types was ever thrown away unless it was at 
 once replaced with a new fount of the same face, so that the 
 house was able to duplicate any work it ever did, wrote to Mr. 
 De Yinne, inquiring if such was the case. His reply may be 
 interesting and suggestive to all. He says : “We select faces 
 very carefully, and stick to them, not getting a new face to suit 
 the caprice of a customer. Our new type is given up to elec- 
 trotype work. When it is a little worn, we send it to the 
 letterpress-room and use it until it is worn out. We always 
 have new and old types of the same face (large founts of both), 
 
20 
 
 ARTISTIC PRINTING. 
 
 lots of spaces, quads, accents, and odd sorts that are to some 
 extent interchangeable. We cannot duplicate all the jobs or 
 books we have done. We are throwing away a great deal of 
 ornamental job letter, and will not renew it. We refuse to 
 buy most of the novelties of the foundries. Our custom does 
 not want them. We do buy a good deal of plain faces abroad, 
 not that they are cheaper or always better, but because they 
 are distinctive and characteristic. The use of peculiar types 
 gives the work of our house a style of its own. It may be 
 worse or better as you please, but it is its own. Printers keep 
 themselves poor in buying fancy types which soon get out of 
 
 fashion Here I may say, that American types, all 
 
 sizes averaged, are cheaper than foreign.” 
 
 It must be remembered that the nomenclature of fancy founts 
 is entirely arbitrary, and that the same design is variously 
 denominated by different founders. Thus, the common series 
 I H S called in one specimen book Doric, in another, San- 
 serif, in another, Grotesque, and in another, Block Letter. 
 
 How to identify the Type of any particular Foundry, 
 
 — It sometimes becomes important to know whether a fresh lot 
 of type, which at first sight is the same in design as some already 
 possessed by the office, really proceeds from the same foundry. 
 The following are the most important points for comparison 
 with a view to identification. The first step, of course, lies in 
 an examination of the face. Familiarity with the nick or nicks 
 is valuable, for the nicks of regular bodies are never changed 
 by the founders except in rare instances, and on special order. 
 For instance, pica may have a two nick and a three nick mould ; 
 this two nick does not vary in a pica mould, though many 
 varieties of faces may be cast upon it ; in like manner, the three 
 nick in a pica body will be found never to change. Other sized 
 bodies may also have two nicks and three nicks, bat in each body 
 the nicks will be found to be dissimilar either in their size, depth, 
 or location on the body, so that by practice the workman by 
 merely glancing at the nick has conveyed to him the designa- 
 tion of the body of any particular foundry, upon which the nick 
 appears. 
 
 To identify by comparison plain type, gothics, and antiques, or 
 an ornamental face, compare the faces on every point as closely as 
 possible, examining the thickness of the stem and serifs, likewise 
 the general appearance of the counters. Take notice of the height 
 
ARTISTIC PRINTING. 
 
 21 
 
 of the face from the counter* in the type itself ; if it varies, it 
 denotes a deeper or shallower matrix, and consequently the two 
 faces cannot be similar. This test will at once distinguish, in 
 many cases, type cast from original matrices and that from 
 electrotyped and inferior reproductions, which are shallower 
 than the former. See that the type compared lines exactly at 
 the top or bottom of the face, that is, that the shoulders in each 
 occupy exactly the same space. Notice if there is a difference 
 in the beard, running from the face to the shoulder. If the 
 bodies are not exactly the same in this particular, they must be 
 of a different casting. If the nicks do not perfectly agree in 
 location and size, the type cannot match. The pin-marks on 
 the side must also be compared. These, like the nicks, vary in 
 size and position with every type-foundry, no founder produc- 
 ing type with these peculiarities similiar to any other foundry. 
 These sometimes have distinguishing marks or words in them, 
 which may be seen when the type is in good condition. But 
 little information may be gained from the grooves on the feet, 
 as the tool used for making these may vary from time to time. 
 The height of the types may also be taken ; if' not agreeing in 
 this, they are not made by the same foundry. The type may 
 also be gauged for thickness. 
 
 Familiarity with the points mentioned will prove of benefit 
 to the typographer, not- only in determining the bodies, but the 
 faces of type, as well as distinguishing the foundry at which 
 they are cast. 
 
 German Names of Fancy Types and Ornaments.— 
 
 The introduction of so many German fancy founts into this 
 country may render useful a table of the names and classes 
 adopted by their founders. These are : — 
 
 Buchschriften, book types or body types, 
 
 Fracturschriften, German Text or Gothic. 
 
 Antiqua, Homan. 
 
 Kursiv, Italic. 
 
 (“ Old Face ” is called Mediaeval). 
 
 Accidenzschriften, Jobbing Types. 
 
 Einfassung, Borders. 
 
 TTntergrund, Type for Tint Grounds. 
 
 Magereschriften, Thin Faced. 
 
 Halbsetteschriften, Heavy Faced. 
 
 * The counter is the space existing between the lines of the face. 
 
22 
 
 ARTISTIC PRINTING. 
 
 CHAPTER IY. 
 
 Display Composition. — Planning the Design — Various Designs — Panels 
 and Bands — Rule and Lead Cutting — Circles and Curves — Mitring 
 Machines — Justification of Curves — Adjustment of Curves to Angles. 
 
 In Display Composition the order of proceeding, in the great 
 majority of cases, should be the following : — 
 
 1. Planning the design, if intricate. 
 
 2. Selecting the display lines. 
 
 3. Selecting the text type. 
 
 4. Spacing, or whiting-out the lines. 
 
 After the display of the wording has been decided upon, the 
 ornamentation should be considered, with reference to the use 
 of typographical material available for decoration, as classified 
 and described in another chapter. 
 
 The overseer should first of all give general directions, or the 
 compositor should decide for himself, as to the parts of the copy 
 which are to be most prominently displayed, by underscoring or 
 otherwise. If the design is left to the compositor, he should 
 first settle in his mind which are the leading lines, and after- 
 wards take care to give them due prominence. If the display 
 makes more than anticipated, reduce the minor lines. 
 
 If the customer directs how the display is to be made, his 
 directions should as a rule be followed, even if the result is in 
 violation of established typographical rules. 
 
 The first consideration should be the general form or design 
 of the work in hand. It is necessary at the outset to devise 
 something definite, in order that the appearance of the work 
 when completed may be graceful and harmonious. A sketch of 
 the general idea may be made on paper, which should be fol- 
 lowed more or less closely as may be practicable. This course 
 often effects a great saving of time and material, and it econo- 
 mically accomplishes some of the most attractive results.* 
 
 * The study of the art of drawing will be found to be a great value to the 
 printer who wishes to make progress in Artistic Printing. A little time de- 
 voted to drawing will repay the printer many times over. It is not necessary 
 to have an elaborate set of tools for the purpose ; a few scraps of paper and a 
 pencil will answer. Begin by marking out squares, circles, ovals, &c., and 
 then gradually adopt more elaborate designs. This faculty enables the com- 
 positor to lay out fancy jobs without hesitation. It further shows him how to 
 apportion the right quantity of space between lines and of “white” in the 
 entire composition. 
 
ARTISTIC PRINTING. 
 
 23 
 
 In modern artistic printing, decoration is obtained by supple- 
 menting the ordinary styles of display with certain designs, 
 geometrical or free-handed, which are worked in monochrome or 
 in colours. 
 
 The mogt available designs of the kind depending on con- 
 figuration, rather than on variety resulting from the use of 
 various colours, are the following : 
 
 1. Panels and bands. 
 
 2. Circles and curves. 
 
 3. Combination borders, and composite ornaments, 
 
 forming tablets, arches, friezes, fagades, and 
 similiar architectural designs * 
 
 The Panel , of which the annexed diagram is a simple example 
 is easily set, and especially if worked on tints, very effective. 
 
 Having sketched out the design and decided upon the space 
 to be occupied, take a small galley and place it on the imposing 
 surface, slightly raising it at 
 one side so that it will slope, 
 as if on a composing frame. 
 
 Put the job together as in a 
 stick, beginning with the head. 
 
 Set 5 1 ems of pica quads and 
 place them in the corner of the 
 galley. Make up a stick to 8 
 ems pica. Select the top border 
 ornaments, justify them in the 
 centre of the 8 em measure, 
 place them at the head of the 
 galley. If the side pieces are 
 not of the same size as the 
 centre, they must be justified 
 to the latter. Place the three 
 at the head of the galley. 
 
 Under this place a piece of 8 
 em pica rule, and a row of nonpareil border of the same length. 
 
 Take two pieces of single rule, without beard, so that they may 
 work flush, cut off pieces of 3 \ em picas for the down rule, and 
 trim the edges with a file. Put one of these alongside of the 
 down picas on the galley. Take the stick, set to 8 ems pica, in 
 
 * Several other forms of typographical ornamentation are referred to in the 
 Appendix, 
 
 < 2 ^ A 
 
 oi mirrimriiiiTi n intimnn 
 
 
 nun 
 
 
 t u Hi i m n 1 1 i n 1 1 1 1 1 n 1 1 1 i i ( i itti n i 1 1 * i i . i i i i < 
 
 NIII 
 
 
 
 
 
 m ,y ' i' M m .y ' m miv, in mu’ 
 
 
24 
 
 ARTISTIC PRINTING. 
 
 which measure it is supposed the various lines and borders must 
 be set and justified with the exception of the panel. What- 
 ever reading matter has to appear must now be set and placed 
 in the top panel ; then will follow the second row of border to 
 which the piece of 8 em rule should be placed. Empty this on 
 to the galley and then add the down rules, and finish with a 
 row of pica. The remainder of the composition is similar to 
 that of ordinary setting. When the design is completed, a lead 
 should be put at either side and the matter carefully tied up. 
 If this is done accurately, none of the spaces or quads will fall 
 out when the matter is lifted. 
 
 The composition of a Band running horizontally across the 
 top of a note heading or similar piece of work, does not differ 
 much from that of the panel previously described. It is 
 advisable to arrange on the galley before proceeding further 
 the exact space that the band is to occupy. It is often prefer- 
 able to use a small chase, with sufficient dimensions to permit of 
 locking up the type, to using a galley. The chase can be placed 
 upon the galley and both used on the frame, the height of which 
 is more convenient than that of the imposing stone. 
 
 When a design of a very complicated character, involving 
 diagonal and curved lines, rule work, combination borders, 
 and the like is to be set up, it is best, as already stated, 
 to take a small chase and to work inside it. This can be 
 placed on the galley on the case. Make a sort of framed 
 space in the centre, of the exact width of the space to 
 be worked to, filling the rest of the chase with metal or wood 
 furniture to a moderate tightness. The great advantage of 
 setting a job directly in the chase is that it saves the inter- 
 mediate tying with cord, and is secured in place once for all. 
 
 The Rule and Lead Cutter. — The best appliance of the kind 
 is that figured in annexed illustration. It is supplied by all the 
 printers’ brokers, at prices ranging from £1 5s. (No. 1) with a 
 gauge of 12 inches to £2 5s. (No. 3) with a guage of 18 inches. 
 Nonpareil rule may be cut with ease on No. 1, and Long 
 Primer rule on No. 3 ; and for cutting leads it has no superior. 
 There is a balanced handle, large bearings, powerful action, 
 and it is held at the head when cutting, so that it is impossible 
 for the knives to spring from their work. The back gauge is 
 reversible, so that while the bed on a No. 1 Cutter is only eight 
 
AUTISTIC PRINTING. 
 
 25 
 
 P 
 
 inches long, a rule may be cut to a gauge twelve inches long. 
 There is a front gauge for cutting narrow pieces of lead or rule, 
 which is especially useful in cutting leads swiftly. 
 
 Leads should be cut on the front section of the bed ; and 
 brass rule on the rear section only. When cutting rule, the 
 bottom of the rule should be placed against the ridge in the 
 centre of the bed. 
 
 Circles and Curves. — Unless the office is supplied with a 
 rule-curving machine it is necessary to bend the rule by hand. 
 This is done by taking the temper out of the brass rule by 
 heating it over a gas jet, and then plunging it into cold 
 water. It can then be easily curved. Leads also are bent by 
 heating them. Brass rule, even as thick as nonpareil, can be 
 
26 
 
 ARTISTIC PRINTING. 
 
 easily bent after heating and being allowed to cool. The rule 
 must not get too hot or it will melt. Keep careful watch, and 
 remove from the gas or fire before it reaches white heat. Circles, 
 ovals, curves, and flourishes may thus be easily made at pleasure, 
 and even letters and initials, very neat and unique in appearance, 
 may be produced with only a file, a vice, and a hammer for tools. 
 For most rule work eight or ten-to-pica rule will be found 
 cheaper and easier managed than the heavier rules. Where it 
 is desirable to bend the corners of a rule up or down, time and 
 trouble in justifying may be saved by cutting the rule parallel 
 with the face, and just above the top of leads used, to the desired 
 space, and bending in any direction required. This is recom- 
 mended for short bends only, though with heavier rules it would 
 work for longer space. A pair of pincers will be found very 
 useful in doing rule work. 
 
 The Rule Curving Machine enables brass rule to be cut 
 to various ornamental shapes with ease and certainty. The 
 
 rule should be heated and 
 made cold again, as above 
 mentioned, and then placed 
 between the brass segments. 
 The lid is then closed and 
 locked. When the screw 
 handle is turned, the rule is 
 bent to the curve of the seg- 
 ments. Unless the lid is 
 screwed up and locked before 
 attempting to bend, the pin may be bent or broken. Right- 
 angle and round corners may be made by using the two 
 steel dies supplied for the purpose. Some of the smallest 
 segments are removed, and for them are substituted the two 
 steel dies, the rule being laid in the exact middle, and the screw 
 turned. Another machine for the same purpose is the 
 
 Rule Shaping Machine. — It may be had from any printer’s 
 furnisher, and possesses several advantages. The rule is cut, 
 and both sides of a mitre made at one operation by means of a 
 shaped cutter (1), clamped firmly in a strong moveable holder, 
 which is hinged to a carriage operated at the turning of the 
 wheel by an eccentric, imparting a quick steady movement to 
 the cutting tool. The rule is held on a stationary bed by an in- 
 
ARTISTIC PRINTING. 
 
 27 
 
 dependent clamp (2), quickly adjusted, and *fche only parts in 
 motion are the cutter and its connections. The cutting tool is 
 adjusted, by means of a screw, at a proper height, and is gradu- 
 ally fed downwards through the rule by means of a ratchet, 
 until the rule is cut through, or nearly so, as desired, after 
 which the cutting tool automatically resumes its original posi- 
 tion, ready for another cut. When sent out, the cutting tool is 
 adjusted to cut pica rule or thinner. Thicker rule, up to double 
 pica, can be cut by raising the tool and making a double cut. 
 
 The feed of the cutting tool downwards is controlled by the 
 lever (3) ; and when it is desirable to increase the feed, it may 
 be doubled by dropping the pawl screwed to the frame near the 
 lever. In cutting thin rule, the cutter may be quickly brought 
 down to the rule by operating the lever (3), without turning the 
 wheel. Five cutters are furnished with each machine, one to 
 
28 
 
 ARTISTIC PRINTING. 
 
 cut oil square, and one each to cut angles of three, four, six 
 and eight sides. The cutters are of the best tempered tool- 
 steel, acurately ground, and can be easily sharpened by grinding 
 the face of the tool, without danger of changing the angle. The 
 tools are numbered according to the number of cuts on the mitre. 
 
 There is an extension guage (5), graduated to standard picas, 
 which when reversed, permits of gauging a 24-inch strip of rule. 
 The gauge is set by an indicator (4), and held by a thumb-screw. 
 
 The machine is very compact, allowing the operator to stand 
 in front of it while cutting. The best material is used, and any 
 wear of the slide in which the carriage runs, may be taken up 
 by means of a steel gib and four screws. 
 
 Mitring’ Machines— The machine, of which a block is an- * 
 nexed, has all the advantages of the Upright Mitrer in common 
 use, with several points of superiority. The cost is about £3. 
 
 1 . The piece which 
 holds the knife is 
 pivoted on an upright 
 steel so that the cut 
 must be the same at the 
 bottom as at the top , as 
 the knife cannot slip 
 away from its work, 
 thus overcoming the 
 chief defect of the 
 common Upright 
 Mitrer, on which the 
 knife has always a 
 tendency to slip out- 
 wards, cutting wider at the top than at the bottom, as all 
 printers will testify. The lever at the same time has ample 
 play, as outlined, the distance between cutting line and knite 
 when open being ^ inch. 
 
 2. The adjustment of the knife is finer and easier. The 
 knife is held by the screw at top of cutter head, and is regu- 
 lated by two screws at back of knife, overcoming the diffi- 
 culty of adjustment which is experienced in using the common 
 mitrer. The knife may be removed for sharpening without 
 changing the regulation screws, so that its position will be 
 unchanged when replaced. The two screws afford means for 
 squaring the knife, as one is placed at each corner. 
 
ARTISTIC PRINTING. 
 
 29 
 
 3. The gauge guide is accurately graduated to picas, and 
 numbered, and the movable gauge is set instantly by an in- 
 dicator without using quads. This indicator may be easily 
 adjusted to take up any variation caused by changing the posi- 
 tion of the knife. The moveable gauge is held at the bottom in 
 a V-shaped groove, and the set screw acts on the bevelled 
 top in such a way that the greatest amount of pressure is 
 obtained, to prevent slipping. 
 
 4. For cutting short lengths, when it is inconvenient 
 or impossible to hold the rule against the guage guide 
 with the fingers, a novel rule-clamp is provided, which 
 extends in front of movable gauge, and holds the rule 
 firmly against the gauge guide without the aid of the operator's 
 fingers. 
 
 5. The gauge guide is held to the bed-plate by a screw 
 underneath the bed, as in the common mitrer ; but on this 
 machine the screw is controlled by a lever, easier to get at. 
 
 6. The bed-plate can be moved when the knife gets dull in 
 one spot, so that the full length of the knife can be used. 
 
 7. There are graduations on the bed for all angles commonly 
 required, and these are marked in plain figures indicating the 
 proper position of the gauge guide for making any given number 
 of angles, without need of calculation. For instance, to cut an 
 octagon, set the gauge guide at the line marked on the bed. 
 
 8. The machine is built low, to make it more convenient to 
 work at when set on a table than would be possible with a 
 higher machine. 
 
 The following appliances and materials will complete the equip- 
 ment for every kind of rule work : — 
 
 Four oz. soldering copper. 
 
 Eight-inch blowpipe, with ball. 
 
 Pair round pliers. 
 
 Pair fiat pliers. 
 
 Sharpening stone for touching up face of rule. 
 
 Square graver. 
 
 Six-inch smooth cut file. 
 
 Three-inch try square. 
 
 The materials required will be soldering acid and wire solder _ 
 The cost of the whole of these will not exceed 15s. 
 
 The Justification of Curves. — The following diagrams 
 indicate the method of justifying curves, by means of quads- 
 
ARTISTIC PRINTING. 
 
 / 
 
 Tug. 2. 
 
ARTISTIC PRINTING. 
 
 31 
 
 When properly done, the matter- will “ lift ” quite securely. 
 Some printers fill up the interspaces with plaster of Paris, wet 
 softened paper, &c., but these are unnecessary if the quads are 
 accurately chosen and adjusted. Plaster of Paris, too, is 
 very inconvenient to use, makes a mess on the imposing 
 surface or the galley, and is afterwards removed with 
 difficulty. 
 
 There is as usual a right and a wrong way of justifying curves, 
 and the following is included to exemplify both. 
 
 Pig. 1 shows a curve that has been flattened at the top by too 
 long a stop-quad in the centre space beneath, and again flattened 
 or bent inward further on, by the point of resistance on the 
 upper curve falling short of the pressure points of the quadding 
 below the under curve. 
 
 Pig. 2 illustrates an effect additional to Pig. 1. Herein the 
 full length clump beneath the curve goes beyond the resisting 
 point of the upper justification, and bends the curve over at 
 each of those points. The most damaging effect in this case 
 results in the absence of support from each extreme end of the 
 upper side of the curve. 
 
 Pig. 3 shows a perfectly proportioned curve, with each piece 
 of clump and each quad in their relative position. Reference 
 to this figure at once discloses the exact system which should 
 guide the compositor in this class of work, and shows its easy 
 application to every conceivable form of curve — flat, medium, 
 sudden (oval), etc. The principle is simple — being based upon a 
 system of mutually -resisting points which must line with each 
 other with exact precision, perpendicularly or radiating, accord- 
 ing as the pressure is directly from below, or equal from all sides 
 as in a complete circle. 
 
 If the workman is- careful to thus place the resisting points of 
 all his clumps or lines under the curve opposite, in positive line 
 with the points of resistance of the clump or quadding above the 
 curve, he will produce work that will withstand all the pressure 
 that can be brought against it, without being thrown out of line 
 or having its beauty disturbed. 
 
 One of the really important points about a curve, is to put 
 between the lead or rule of the under bend and the clump below 
 a bit of lead or card as the case may require. This provides a 
 central point of resistance, and protects the curve from the 
 flattening process shown in Fig. 1 . 
 
32 
 
 ARTISTIC PRINTING. 
 
 Adjustment of Curves to Angles. — In laying out this 
 
 design, the first step was to sketch with pencil to the exact pro- 
 portions required, so that the rules could be cut to definite 
 lengths, and fitted to a hair by being laid on the drawing. With 
 this design before us, we first measure and cut all the rules for 
 
 the ends and sides of our outer border, making no mitres, but 
 trimming off square at ends, and using single rule slightly faced 
 and, if procurable, bevelled all to one side. We lay in two laps 
 of this rule, one inside the other, thus gaining the effect of 
 double rule and yet having the single for future use in its own 
 
ARTISTIC PRINTING. 
 
 capacity after the present job is printed. The solid black rules,, 
 a nonpareil thick, between the end rules at top and bottom, we 
 cut from a strip of type-metal or zinc rule, which is not only 
 much cheaper than brass but is much more easily worked. We 
 set this outer border in the centre of chase, and quoin it firmly. 
 Having this frame in place we have something to brace against, 
 and tighten all the rest of the job up to. We lay in a lining of 
 metal furniture all round the inside, four picas at top and 
 bottom and three picas and a three-to-pica lead on the sides, 
 which latter spaces clear up to the sides of the circle. Down the 
 upper part of each side we add six and one-sixth pica quads, 
 which leave us the exact open space required for our inner frame, 
 the upper part of which we now proceed to build. And while 
 we are getting out the head rule for this inner border line, which 
 is exactly sixteen picas long, we will make up our stick to the 
 same measure, and not only cut all the eight rules of this size at 
 once, but also set the pretty band that runs across the lower part 
 of the inner panel. Taking ten-to-pica brass rule, we cut four 
 pieces of sixteen ems each, two pieces of twelve-to-pica solid and 
 two pieces of ribbed fancy rule, the latter four-to-pica thick. 
 Having all these rules fitted snug into our stick, we go on to cut 
 the down rules of the cross band, which are composed of four 
 ten-to-pica and two fancy dotted rules, the latter a nonpareil 
 thick. These we cut and trim to three picas, and then proceed 
 to set the end squares of the band, which are made up of long 
 primer degree marks arranged triangularly by reversing. These 
 ends are three picas square inside. We next run a line of pica 
 quads between the two end squares, eight and two-thirds picas 
 in length, set the type line in pica, another line of pica quads, 
 and thus complete in one measure all the cross work of the centre 
 panel. 
 
 We are now ready for the definite building of the interior. 
 We cut two pieces of ten-to-pica rule to six and one-sixth picas 
 each, and mitre them at opposite angles of fourty-five degrees, 
 and then place them downward alongside of the pica quads in 
 the two upper corners. Between these we fix one of the sixteen- 
 em ten-to-pica cross rules, which thus holds snug and firm the 
 upper part of our inner frame. Inside of this, for both spacing 
 and further bracing, we run a line of pica quads, set in our 
 sixteen-em measure, add two six-to-pica leads of same length, 
 and our decks are cleared for the circle, which is the chief feature 
 
 D 
 
AUTISTIC PRINTING. 
 
 34 
 
 of the job. Taking a strip of twelve-to-pica rule, we cut off a 
 piece forty-five picas long, and curve to the exact sweep of our 
 design. This leaves the rule four picas longer than needed, for 
 the reason that the curving machine alway leaves an unbent bit 
 of about two picas at each end which has to be cut off after the 
 circle is curved. Having cut and trimmed our ends after curv- 
 ing the rule with the flush side out, so as to touch the down 
 rules of inner border, we spring this larger curve into place. Set 
 a line of pica em quads inside of circle close to rule, and curve 
 a six-to-pica lead close up to these. We have thus a smooth 
 inside surface to curve the main type line in, which we now go 
 on to do. Next we put in curved leads till we have the depth 
 required, when we curve the inside rule of circle, made of twelve- 
 to-pica rule fitted to the design. We stop off the end of the 
 •circle with light rule turned to flush the ends of the curved rules. 
 In the space we have left at the ends of main line, we set four 
 pieces of light single rule, filed here and there to show broken 
 face. The next step is the bending and setting in of the triple 
 rule ornament, which we measure exactly on our design, and 
 bend and curve the two outer rules just a little below the points 
 of the under laps of the circle ends. The centre rule may be 
 .stopped with an ornament and justified at the top with a quad. 
 We then make the two under laps of the circle-ends, which are made 
 of same rules as outer and inner circles, cut and mitred to join. 
 We now level up at bottom with a row of nonpareil quads hori- 
 zontally at each side of the down centre-rules, backed by a six-to- 
 pica lead. We then cut two pieces of ten-to-pica rule for the 
 lower sides of inner frame, and mitre them oppositely to forty-five 
 degrees, after which we set our deep ornamental band across the 
 middle of the job, then a row of quads a pica and a half deep, 
 with three single rules of that depth in centre ; add the lower 
 ten-to pica rule, and the panel work is done. There is now only 
 the furnishing to be done, which may be varied according to 
 the taste of the compositor, and his resources in the way of type 
 ornaments. 
 
 Here might be referred to a multitude of typographical de- 
 vices and ornaments of comparative recent introduction into job- 
 bing work. These might include composite ornaments forming 
 architectural designs, pictorial and conventionally decorated 
 initials ; head and tail pieces, vignettes, and a host of other 
 embellishments now placed within the command of the printer. 
 
ARTISTIC PRINTING. 
 
 35 
 
 It is, however, difficult to arrange in logical sequence details of 
 a subject so complex, and it is thought convenient to relegate 
 them to the Appendix. The Index at the end of the book 
 will give ready reference to any particular point of practice. 
 It may be said, too, that the learner ought not, at this stage, 
 to attempt the more ambitious designs such as scrolls, streamers, 
 ribbons, which the more experienced, ingenious, and expert can 
 alone execute with satisf action and correctness. 
 
 Selecting the Display Lines. — Oil this very important sub- 
 ject several rules have already been laid down, and will be 
 found under the headings (p. 6) of Excellences of Design and 
 Execution, Symmetry (p. 8), Harmony (p. 9), and Effectiveness 
 (p. 9), as well as among the Miscellaneous Observations (p. 12). 
 
 The importance of wisely selecting the display lines cannot 
 be overrated. These lines generally determine the general 
 appearance which is the first thing the printer’s customer looks 
 to. 
 
 The chief fault of beginners, and many others who do not 
 study the effects of displayed lines, is to overdo them. Wild 
 attempts are made to get as much “ display ” as possible ; and 
 frequently to cram as many ornaments among the lines as the 
 superficies of the sheet will admit or their stock in the office of 
 such enables them to misuse. The space allotted is filled up 
 with lines composed of all kinds of type, from the lightest to the 
 heaviest, without any regard to the character of the work or to 
 the harmony that ought to exist between the lines. 
 
 Mr. D. P. Nichols, an American expert in this kind of work, 
 writes : — “ The ability to determine quickly and correctly what 
 type is most suitable for a given purpose is one of the qualities 
 which characterise a good workman, and it is only attained 
 after long practice and much perseverance. To be able to do 
 this saves much valuable time, and it enables one workman to 
 do more and better work in a given time than one who is obliged 
 to work mainly by the 4 cut and try ’ rule. And the work is 
 done with much less worry and exhaustion. 
 
 A good printer, when given a piece of display work to 
 compose, Avill mentally arrange the different parts and the 
 intended striking features before he touches a type. This takes 
 but a few minutes time of one who is well acquainted with the 
 capacity of the office in which the work is to be done, but it is 
 
36 
 
 ARTISTIC PRINTING. 
 
 the means of materially shortening the time required for each 
 job. It does not require any great mental effort. It is only 
 necessary to practise it a little, and then give it your entire 
 attention for a few minutes. After it is done the work may be 
 finished without much mental effort, because the workman only 
 needs to follow the pattern in his mind, visible only to the work- 
 man himself. 
 
 “ Every specimen of printing that comes within our reach 
 should be looked over carefully, and any errors or merits noted, 
 and a reason assigned for our opinion of them. Valuable 
 lessons may often be learned from poorly arranged cards, 
 circulars, posters, as well as from those in which good taste has 
 been displayed in their composition. Faulty work sets us 
 thinking how we would have done the same thing — much 
 quicker than will work that has been well done. How many 
 outrages of good taste have we mentally corrected as we walked 
 along the street and had our attention called to them by their 
 appearance in windows and on hoardings ; or, at least, we 
 thought our ideas were much better than the ones we saw 
 expressed before us. 
 
 u Lawyers study the arguments of other lawyers ; doctors 
 study the reports of other doctors ; clergymen study the 
 sermons of other clergymen ; engineers study the productions 
 of other engineers ; and so in the other trades and professions, 
 and all for the purpose of self improvement ; and why should 
 not printers do the same thing ? By looking over and com- 
 paring the work of others with our own, we may often 
 discover defects and errors that would otherwise escape notice. 
 A studious printer need never look for specimens. There is 
 not a day in which he cannot obtain something in his line that 
 contains an idea worthy of notice.” 
 
 Selection Of Text Types. — This also has been referred 
 to, especially in the Miscellaneous Observations (p. 12), to 
 which the printer, when deciding upon the “ body ” type to 
 be used, may be referred. 
 
 Spacing or Whiting-out Lines. — The care and taste 
 exercised in the spacing of lines, which give the necessary 
 relief to the display lines, must materially contribute to the 
 excellence of a piece of job work, and hardly is inferior in 
 importance to the judicious selection of the display lines 
 themselves. 
 
ARTISTIC PRINTING. 
 
 37 
 
 Mr. W. J. Kelly had some very valuable remarks on these 
 points in his periodical, now, unfortunately discontinued. 
 
 “ The compositor should possess some degree of knowdedge 
 as to — 
 
 Size, 
 
 Contrast, 
 
 Shape. 
 
 In these three essentials is the marrow of success in artistic 
 composition. There are many styles in which a neat compositor 
 can show his ability ; but in all of these, correct spacing and 
 display are indispensable. 
 
 “ By size is meant, the quantity of space a job is limited to 
 occupy, together with the depth, length, and face of type used 
 in covering this quantity of space. By contrast is meant the 
 combination, that the entire mass of type used in the job 
 will produce, so as to give a harmonious appearance. By shape 
 is meant, the grouping of all the sizes used, so as to form some 
 satisfactory design. Everything under these three headings 
 should look as if they were connected in their combination and 
 devoid of incongruities. 
 
 “ If a compositor does not possess these qualifications, he 
 cannot succeed in pleasing himself or others. He should in 
 each case compel himself to carefully glance over the matter to 
 be composed, and to consider the result most appropriate to 
 the matter. 
 
 “ The secret of display is not in showing a mass of all kinds 
 of plain or fancy faces ; for neither a large nor varied assort- 
 ment of type will make a handsome job, especially if it lacks 
 sufficient white surface to relieve the eye and give perspecuity 
 to the lines of type. Take, for instance, a job set up in antique, 
 where the main line has been set too large for the dimensions 
 of paper selected, and the other lines are jumbled up in the 
 same regardless way, so that there is hardly a catch-line, or 
 room enough left for more than a couple of leads between each 
 line. True, every word is there in solid type, but can the job 
 be read as advantageously or with as much pleasure as if set 
 up in smaller type, with the catch-lines well reduced in size, 
 and put in some lighter style of face, and the different long 
 lines well separated by white spaces ? We think not. 
 
 “ The main display line should be selected first, and it should 
 be of such a character as will be in unison with the text of the 
 
38 
 
 ARTISTIC PRINTING. 
 
 job. The secondary lines should be used for harmony with the 
 first. The catch-lines should all be considered according to 
 their importance and effect, with all that go to make up the 
 leading features of the text. Of course the selection of the 
 minor lines of display will be found the most difficult task, both 
 as regards the size and kind of type, as well as the exact words 
 to utilise in the lines. But, to the compositor who will follow 
 the above suggestion relative to acquiring a knowledge of 
 size, contrast, and shape, the perplexing things will become 
 remarkably easy/’ 
 
 CHAPTER Y. 
 
 Colour Printing. — Laws of Natural Harmony and Contrast bearing upon the 
 Selection of Colours — Recent Modifications of Popular Taste — Primary, 
 Secondary, Tertiary Colours — Luminous Colours — Pure and Broken 
 Colours — Tones — Hues — Application of Principles to Printing — Selection 
 of Paper — Harmony of Analogous Colours — Use of White — Grey — 
 Printing Colours on Colours — Mixing Colours and Tints — Rollers for 
 Colour Printing — Schedule of Effective Combinations — The “ Art 
 Colours — Useful Hints for Practice in Colour work — Rainbow Printing. 
 
 Methods of printing a piece of letterpress composition in 
 several colours, either simultaneously, or by successive workings 
 of the separate colours, are described in all the hand-books, and 
 need not be recapitulated. The artistic printer will adopt the 
 plan of successive workings. A forme is made up for each 
 colour, and each is printed as though it were in ordinary black 
 ink. The essential requirement is so to space the lines that all 
 will be in absolutely accurate register when the printings are 
 finished. Proofs of the whole forme should be pulled before it 
 is divided into skeletons for the different colours. Each forme 
 afterwards should be registered by these original proofs, care 
 being taken that the original forme is not disturbed in dimen- 
 sions in the changing. 
 
 The difficulty experienced by the beginner in this kind of 
 work is in choosing the proper colours. He knows that what- 
 ever inks he uses, they must be printed so as to give a clear, 
 bright, and fresh appearance. The effect must not be crude ; it 
 
ARTISTIC PRINTING. 
 
 39 ' 
 
 may be strong and brilliant, but one colour must not overpower 
 the other. It may be delicate, but must not be weak. More 
 than this is requisite. The combination must, as a whole, be 
 pleasing and harmonious. How is this last requirement tO' 
 be met ? 
 
 There are certain arbitrary laws of natural harmony and 
 contrast in the use of colours and tints which must be recognised.. 
 The possible harmonious combinations are various, and, indeed,, 
 almost unlimited ; and correct results must in great measure 
 depend on natural or acquired taste in, first selecting the 
 colours to be used in combination, and secondly in arranging 
 and grouping them. 
 
 The printer of the present day is required to produce some- 
 thing more than the simple effects of one or two primary colours 
 combined with black. He must not only understand the laws 
 governing harmonious contrast, but is expected to bring into use 
 the great variety of new colours and shades, so as to continu- 
 ally present fresh and striking effects. These can only be 
 attained by study and experiment, as the misuse of one colour, 
 among half-a-dozen, may fatally mai* an otherwise tasteful piece 
 of work. 
 
 The popular taste exacts the use of bright or gaudy colours 
 to a great degree. As taste is becoming more educated the 
 tendency in that direction is less apparent. It is not many 
 years ago that a piece of printing in colours was considered in- 
 complete without the use of red and black. If more than one 
 colour was required, blue or green must be introduced ; but 
 beyond that few seemed willing to trust themselves. The simple 
 process of dividing an ordinary forme for colours, no doubt 
 admits of the display of taste and skill, but the more elaborate 
 treatment of relief printing by aid of tint blocks and colour 
 plates, and the numerous photo-engraving processes of repro- 
 ducing designs from pen drawings has opened up a wide field 
 for the display of artistic taste and skill. The typographer may 
 not be able to produce the soft blending of colours and tints 
 possible in work from the stone ; but in bold designs, and in the 
 sharp, clean, and firm impressions from the relief plate, he may 
 gain results which the lithographer cannot obtain. 
 
 The primary colours are red, yellow, and blue. From them, 
 with white and black, almost any colour or shade maybe pro- 
 duced. 
 
40 
 
 ARTISTIC PRINTING. 
 
 Two of the primary colours mixed or printed together pro- 
 duce a secondary colour, as yellow and blue make green ; red 
 and yellow give orange ; red and blue, purple or violet. In 
 forming the secondary colours, however, by printing one over 
 the other the strength of the different primaries must be taken 
 into account, as equal parts of the full colours will not give 
 satisfactory results. The proportions of the three primaries 
 necessary to make white light are held to be as follows : 
 
 Yellow ... 3 
 
 Red ... 5 
 
 Blue ... 8 
 
 Thus it will be seen that the proportion of blue is equal to both 
 the red and the yellow ; and if the three colours named are 
 used on a piece of work they should be used in the proportion 
 given to make a harmonious and well-balanced combination. 
 So, in printing one of these colours over another to obtain a 
 secondary colour — if green is desired, the strength of the blue 
 should be reduced, and the yellow printed over it ; if violet is 
 wanted, the blue should also be reduced, but not so much as in 
 the first case ; if orange be desired, the red should be reduced, 
 but less than the blue, as in the first-named instances. In 
 mixing inks before printing, to produce a secondary, the pro- 
 portion of each colour, as given above, will be found correct. 
 
 The proportion of secondary colours that will give a proper 
 combination, when used together, are 
 
 Purple ... 13 
 
 Green ... 11 
 
 Orange ... 8. 
 
 Tertiary colours are combinations of two of the secondaries, 
 and are olive, russet, and citrine. Olive is a combination of 
 green and purple ; russet is a combination of purple and orange ; 
 and citrine of orange and green. The proper proportion when 
 used together is 
 
 Olive ... 24 
 
 Russet ... 21 
 
 Citrine ... 19 
 
 The luminous or warm colours are the different shades of 
 yellow and red, also the light shades of brown, green, etc. 
 
 Normal grey is obtained by the mixture of yellow and black, 
 
PRIMARY COLOURS. 
 
 RED 
 
 YELLOW. 
 
 SECONDARY COLOURS. 
 
 A.— FROM MIXED INKS 
 
 ORANGE. 
 
 B.— BY TWO PRINTINGS. 
 
 BLUE OVER RED. BLUE OVER YELLOW. RED OVER YELLOW 
 
 TERTIARY COLOURS. 
 
 RUSSET. 
 
 CITRON. 
 
 Printed by L. Wilding, The Salop Art Press, 33 Castle Street. Shrewsbury, 
 WITH A. B. FLEMING and CO.’S INKS. 
 

 
ARTISTIC PRINTING. 
 
 41 
 
 and the coloured greys are made by the addition of a primary or 
 secondary colours, to the normal grey. 
 
 Colours are designated by artists as “ pure,” “ broken,” 
 ■“ reduced ” and “ dull.” Pure colours are the primary and 
 secondary colours and their different hues. Broken colours 
 are made by adding a little black to the pure colours, or by 
 mixing three or more colours together. Reduced colours, as 
 the term indicates, are produced by adding more or less white 
 to any colour ; and a dull colour is simply white and black 
 mixed with a pure colour. 
 
 The different tones of a colour are the various modifications of 
 the same, from the full colour down to any tint which the ad- 
 dition of white will give, without the addition of any other colour. 
 These different tones are generally called the scale when spoken 
 of collectively. 
 
 The word hue is used to designate a colour when its character 
 has been slightly changed by the addition of another colour. 
 Thus, the hues of green may be a bluish green or a yellowish 
 green, and the hues of a red may be a crimson red, a scarlet red, 
 or a yellowish red ; while the tones or scale of each are made by 
 the addition of more or less white. 
 
 By printing the three primary colours together black is 
 formed. As the printing of two primaries together will not 
 produce the same brilliant secondary as is made by mixing ink 
 from the natural pigment, it must be concluded that the two 
 compound printings produce more or less black, which is 
 intensified by the printing of the third colour. For this 
 reason the addition of some white to the stronger colours 
 gives better results as to the brilliancy of the secondary 
 •colours obtained by compound printing. 
 
 The best secondary colour thus obtained, is green, from print- 
 ing yellow over light blue. Blue being the coldest colour, and 
 yellow the warmest, their combination gives a decided green. 
 The colours of the spectrum, and those obtained by the mixture 
 of pure colours, cannot well be produced in printing, beyond 
 the secondaries. The brilliancy of the compound colours, 
 •obtained by printing, depends on the transparency of those used 
 in the combination. The varnishes and oils necessary to give a 
 proper working body to printing inks, render them more or less 
 opaque, and thus destroy, in great measure, the result gained 
 by mixing the pure pigments. 
 
42 
 
 ARTISTIC PRINTING. 
 
 The simplest class of printing in colours is no doubt that done 
 from type, rule, and borders, without the use of tint blocks or 
 colour plates. But even in this there is great opportunity for 
 skill and good taste. In such work full colours are generally 
 used, though where heavy borders or brass rules are utilized, 
 reduced colours may frequently be employed to great advantage. 
 The composition of such work is of the first importance, as it is 
 not often that a job originally designed for black can be satis 
 factorily arranged for colours without changing some part of it. 
 As a general rule, type having a moderately heavy face, with 
 some ornamentation, gives the most pleasing results. Light- 
 face type sometimes looks well, but only when printed with 
 strong colours ; and then the composition should be of light-face 
 type throughout. In this class of work, also, the harmony of 
 contrast in colours has better effect, in most instances, than the 
 harmony of analogous colours. Where a heavy border is used, 
 however, a pleasing result may always be obtaiiied by printing 
 the border in a lighter shade of the ink employed on the rest of 
 the sheet. This will also hold good in the use of heavy-faced 
 brass rule as a border, or for a brass rule in underscoring lines 
 of type. 
 
 Where but two colours are employed in this way, it is a com- 
 paratively easy matter to select such as will harmonize, some of 
 which may be named : scarlet and dark green ; deep red and 
 light green ; light blue and scarlet ; orange and light or dark 
 blue ; yellow and violet ; black and red ; black and yellow ; black 
 and light green ; black and light blue ; carmine and emerald 
 green ; or light and dark shades of any colour, unless it may be 
 the different shades of yellow. The last named colour, from its 
 near approach to white, should always be worked full. On the 
 other hand, blue (or any sombre colour), when printed with 
 black only, being a cold colour, and so near to black, should be 
 reduced to a light blue, otherwise both the black and blue are 
 weakened by the contrast. 
 
 The Selection of Paper is also an important matter in colour 
 printing. As a rule, paper of high finish will prove most satis- 
 factory. Where a paper of rough or antique surface is desired, 
 the composition should be in plain type, preferably old style, 
 black letter, or faces containing little or no ornamentation. Red 
 and black inks, and the various shades of brown, are considered 
 
ARTISTIC PRINTING. 
 
 4a 
 
 the most appropriate colours for work of this kind. In most 
 printing in colours, especially where tints or reduced colours are 
 introduced, white paper should be used. But in printing with 
 full colours, on rough or antique papers, they may be of quite 
 strong tints, often with better effect than white. 
 
 In printing with two colours, or rather a tint and full colour 
 of the same hue, very pleasing effects may be had, by using 
 paper of a still lighter shade than the lighter tint or colour of 
 ink used. But care should be taken to have both paper and inks- 
 of the same hue. For instance, should the paper be of a bluish 
 green, and the inks of a yellowish green, the combination would 
 be offensive to the eye, and the contrast inharmonious. 
 
 Where three colours are to be used on a piece of work, some 
 of the combinations that harmonize w ell, are : red, yellow*, and 
 blue ; vermilion, dark green, and light salmon ; carmine, 
 greenish -yellow*, and black ; blue, orange, and dark brow n ; 
 brown, yellow*, and purple; orange, light blue, and black; olive, 
 scarlet, and light blue ; raw sienna, sage green, and carmine. 
 
 In the more elaborate kinds of colour printing, w'liere six, 
 seven, or more tints and colours are employed, the combinations 
 possible are almost endless. The beauty of the work, in such 
 cases, must depend greatly on a natural or educated taste for 
 colour combination, and even with the best taste, it requires 
 much study. The different colours should be so arranged and 
 distributed that any single colour w*ill not be too prominent, or 
 at least not so leading that the others are nearly lost to sight. 
 The introduction of tints on this kind of work is absolutely 
 necessary as intermediates, to prevent the otherwise harsh 
 appearance of a number of full, bright colours in juxtaposition. 
 Where several bright, strong colours are required, tints made 
 from the same colours may be used to a great extent. For 
 instance, a pink tint will improve the appearance of red, or a 
 green tint wall heighten a full green colour of the same hue. 
 Where many tints cannot be used, care should be taken to 
 select those that will harmonize as w*ell as possible with the 
 colours employed. Grey, being a mixture of white and black, 
 may always be used, as it will harmonize with any colour and 
 always make the colour appear purer and brighter. A coloured 
 grey placed close to a bright colour will be influenced by the 
 proximity of the colour. For example, if a bluish grey be used 
 
44 
 
 ARTISTIC PRINTING. 
 
 close to orange, it will receive a perceptible increase of blue ; 
 and a yellowish grey will take a perceptible green tint in the 
 same place. In others words, the grey tint will reflect the 
 complementary of the colour used with it. 
 
 Some of the most pleasing results in colour printing are ob- 
 tained by what may be called the harmony of analogous colours. 
 By this we mean, the combination of various colours and tints 
 which will not present a strong or marked contrast. Broken 
 colours are generally the best for this class of work, and they 
 may be often lapped or blended in the printing so as to produce 
 very pretty effects. The introduction of a single pure colour in 
 a piece of work of this kind will often improve and brighten it 
 a great deal, however. For instance, take olive, raw sienna, and 
 scarlet as the leading colours. With these, use gold and dark 
 brown, and tints made from the colours named, which may be 
 lapped or blended in some parts of the work. If the colours 
 are properly distributed, the result of this and similar combina- 
 tions cannot fail to be good. 
 
 It is not the choice and distribution of colours alone, however, 
 that make a piece of work attractive. It often happens that the 
 .selection of colours for a job may be faultless, and, though they 
 may be also judiciously distributed, yet the whole thing will 
 present an unsightly appearance. A correct or graceful design 
 is of primary importance, and will go far towards simplifying the 
 arrangement of colours. 
 
 It will sometimes happen, also, that a design, which is with- 
 out any fault in itself, cannot be adapted to colours advantage- 
 ously. This remark, of course, applies mainly to ornamental 
 designs, and not to pictorial printing, or printing in colours 
 •entirely from engravings. In the latter class of work, when the 
 composition or picture is made up of figures, building, foliage, 
 etc., the colours are necessarily governed by the character of the 
 subject ; and, though a great deal depends upon the artist or 
 the engraver, it is not always possible to get an absolutely correct 
 or harmonious grouping of colours. In the purely ornamental 
 work, the task of arranging the colours is more difficult, as it is 
 almost entirely dependent upon the taste or judgment of the 
 printer or artist. In the former case, it is mainly a matter of 
 imitating something in nature, or copying the work of another; 
 while, in the latter, originality and a knowledge of the harmony 
 
ARTISTIC PRINTING. 
 
 45 
 
 of colours is called into use. In arranging the colours for print- 
 ing a picture one would hardly think of printing a dog green 
 to harmonize with a red brick house, or of printing the foliage 
 near the horizon orange to bring it in harmonious contrast with 
 a blue sky. The natural colours of the objects must be adhered 
 to more or less, while in a piece of ornamental work there may 
 be nothing to govern the choice of colours. 
 
 The use of white , grey , or black in combination with colours, 
 or for separating and intensifying them, requires judicious treat- 
 ment. Xo combination of primary or secondary colours with 
 black is disagreeable, but when a number of the sombre colours 
 are used, either white or grey is preferable to black as a back- 
 ground or dividing space. For the same reason black may be 
 said to give better results than white or grey when used with 
 the luminous colours. White, grey, gold, or black will serye as 
 an edging for any colour. A white ground has a tendency to 
 make colours upon it appear darker, while a black ground has a 
 contrary effect. 
 
 White, especially, preserves the character of each colour, and 
 exalts it by contrast, as it can never be properly taken foi* a 
 colour itself. Grey, on the contrary, may be, as it will reflect 
 more or less of the complementary of the colours with which it 
 is associated, thus softening the whole appearance of a piece of 
 work. A black ground will intensify the colours used with it, 
 especially those that are luminous, and from its character it will 
 not absorb or reflect a complementary. Grey, combined 'with 
 sombre colours, such as blue and violet, and with the broken 
 tones of luminous colours, produces harmony of analogy, but 
 does not have the same vigour as when those colours are used 
 with black. When a luminous and sombre colour are used to- 
 gether, grey may be used more advantageously than white or 
 black perhaps. When two colours must be used that accord 
 badly, it is important to take into consideration the height of 
 tone of the colours to determine whether it is better to separate 
 them with white, black, or grey. If the colours are of high tone, 
 white or grey is better than black. The effect of white with 
 red and orange is inferior to black. Although grey does not 
 associate so well as black with red and orange it produces a less 
 crude effect than white. The more colours are opposed, the 
 easier it is to select and combine them harmoniously. For this 
 
46 
 
 ARTISTIC PRINTING. 
 
 reason it is a more difficult task to select and combine a number 
 of colours for the purpose of bringing them into harmony of 
 analogy. In laying out a piece of work, a dominant colour may 
 be chosen, and so managed with analogous tints and colours 
 that an effect will be produced as if all the subordinate colours 
 w’ere illuminated by a light of the leading colour, or seen 
 through a glass of that colour. 
 
 In the association of two tones of one colour, the effect will 
 be to lighten the light shade and darken the other. The fact 
 that incongruous colours are often harmoniously combined in 
 nature is no guarantee that they may be similarly applied in art. 
 
 In colour printing, red and blue are the colours mostly in 
 demand. Yellow, however, is one of the most useful colours, 
 and is much used for shades and tints, and as a mixing colour 
 to lighten the tones of greens and browns. As a shade for 
 black it is effective, but is too feeble to be used in type work un- 
 supported. It may often be used to intensify and strengthen a 
 red by first printing it under the red. The most fiery effect, in 
 red, however, may be obtained by printing first a good vermilion, 
 and, after it is thoroughly dry, printing a cardinal red or car- 
 mine over it. 
 
 Printing Colours on Colours : — The custom of painters in 
 using two or more coats of paint may frequently be followed to 
 good advantage in printing. When a colour is weak, one coat 
 of paint will not be sufficient to produce a good effect. So in 
 printing bright colours, superior effects may be obtained by 
 duplicate printing, which will not only give a brighter colour, 
 but will produce a smoothness and depth which cannot be ob- 
 tained in any other way. It is better not to use the same 
 colour for both printings, but to lower the tone or change the 
 hue for the first printing. 
 
 In mixing colours to produce another colour or a tint, great 
 caution should be used, and the ink should be mixed in small 
 quantities until the desired colour is obtained. Colours are 
 made of mineral, animal, and vegetable substances, and are mixed 
 with various kinds and qualities of oils and varnishes, while 
 some are entirely devoid of oil or varnish. So, a lot of incom- 
 patible ingredients may be mixed together whereby the colour 
 may be spoiled, or the ink be made to work badly on type and 
 rollers. In mixing tints the colouring ink should be added 
 
AUTISTIC PRINTING. 
 
 47 
 
 gradually to the white until the desired tint is reached. An 
 inexperienced person would be likely to use an unnecessary 
 amount of colour, and so be compelled to mix much more of the 
 tint than is required. A very small quantity of strong colour, 
 such as bronze blue or carmine, is needed to make a tint. When 
 a pure tint is desired, great care in the matter of having every- 
 thing clean is of much importance. The merest speck of black 
 ink wall dim the brightness, or perhaps entirely spoil the whole 
 mass of tint. Of course, rollers, distributing apparatus, and 
 forme must also be perfectly clean and free from dust. 
 
 On all flat surfaces the ink must be thinned, for the sake of 
 economy, as well as to secure freedom of working. Varnish, 
 boiled oil, or turpentine may be used for this purpose, but must 
 be used with caution. 
 
 Good Rollers, should always be used for colour work. For 
 most colours, rollers a little harder are required than for ordinary 
 black work, and they should be smooth and unbroken. Some 
 printers still prefer the old-fashioned glue and treacle rollers 
 for all kinds of printing. Others believe that rollers containing 
 a proper quantity of glycerine are the most economical, and will 
 do better work. They do not pick up the dirt from the distri- 
 buting apparatus, and consequently give a cleaner rolling to the 
 forme, and produce a better impression. For the same reason 
 they do not need such frequent washing, and do not harden and 
 lose their suction so quickly. The only possible objection to 
 them is that in warm weather, when the air is excessively charged 
 with moisture, they will not distribute the better qualities of 
 ink so well as the glue and treacle composition. But this 
 objection may be overcome by rubbing some pulverized alum 
 over them before they are charged with ink. 
 
 The covering or extending properties of different coloured 
 inks vary so widely that it is advisable to keep a record of the 
 quantity consumed on work of different character, which will be 
 found very useful for reference in estimating the cost of large 
 jobs of colon r printing. 
 
 The above are the general principles of the art of colour 
 printing. As, however, some printers may not be able to devote 
 the attention to the subject which it certainly demands, it 
 may be convenient to give a kind of schedule of colours, consistent 
 with the theories propounded. Such a schedule is contained in 
 Noble’s “Colour Printing,” and we venture to reproduce it. 
 
48 
 
 ARTISTIC PRINTING. 
 
 (a) Combinations 
 ground : — 
 
 Bright green and vermilion red 
 
 of colour in two 
 
 workings 
 
 on white 
 
 Ultramarine and maroon 
 Ultramarine and warm brown 
 Light blue and bright orange 
 Purple lake and bright yellow 
 Crimson and blight yellow 
 
 Blight green and carmine 
 Blight green and purple 
 Bright green and warm brown 
 Bright green and orange 
 Ultramarine and carmine 
 
 (b) Combinations in two colours upon pale yellow grounds 
 which incline more to lemon than to orange : — 
 
 Bright green and red brown 
 
 Yellow green and carmine 
 Yellow green and maroon 
 Sage green and maroon 
 
 Bronze colour and carmine 
 Bronze colour and purple 
 
 Sage green and carmine 
 
 (c) Combinations in two colours upon pale yellow ground 
 which incline more to orange than to lemon : — 
 
 Bright pale ultra and orange 
 Bright blue green and orange 
 
 Bright blue green and carmine 
 Bright ultra and carmine 
 Bright ultra and maroon 
 Bright green and maroon 
 
 Bright ultra and bronze colour 
 Blight ultra and red brown 
 Bright ultra and red purple 
 Bright purple and orange 
 Bright purple and carmine 
 
 (d) Combinations in two colours upon pale purple grounds : 
 
 Blue purple and crimson 
 Ultramarine and carmine 
 
 Bed purple and ultra 
 Bed purple and blue green 
 
 (e) Combinations in two colours upon pale green grounds of a 
 bluish tone : — 
 
 Ultramarine and carmine 
 Ultramarine and red purple 
 Deep blue green and red purple 
 
 (/) Combinations in two colours upon pale blue grounds : 
 
 Deep blue green and carmine 
 Deep blue green and maroon 
 
 Bright green and red purple 
 Bright blue and red purple 
 
 Deep ultra and red purple 
 Deep ultra and carmine 
 Deep blue green and carmine 
 
 (g) Combinations in two colours upon pale green grounds 
 inclining to yellow : — 
 
 Bright green and carmine 
 Bright green and purple 
 Blight green and red brown 
 
 o o 
 
 Bright green and maroon 
 3en and either of 
 
 above 
 
 Sage 
 
 the 
 
ARTISTIC PRINTING. 
 
 49 
 
 (h) Combinations upon pale green grounds which have been 
 toned with brown — i.e ., sage green : — 
 
 Deep sage green and carmine Deep sage green and maroon 
 Deep sage green and red purple 
 
 (i) Combinations in two colours upon pale pink grounds : — 
 Carmine and bright ultramarine 
 
 Carmine and bright green 
 Carmine and blue purple 
 Carmine and bronze colour 
 
 Purple and bronze colour 
 Light ultra and bronze colour 
 Red purple and yellow green 
 
 (k) Combinations in two colours upon deep buff grounds : — 
 
 Maroon and deep blue green 
 Maroon and deep ultra 
 
 Deep purple brown and carmine 
 Deep blue purple and carmine 
 
 (l) Combinations in two colours upon light brown grounds: — 
 
 Red purple and deep green 
 Deep brown and deep green 
 Deep brown and black 
 
 grounds 
 
 of 
 
 Deep green and carmine 
 Black and carmine 
 
 Carmine and deep purple 
 Carmine and deep green 
 Carmine and black 
 Maroon and deep green 
 
 (m) Combinations in two colours upon green 
 medium strength : — 
 
 Deep green and deep purple 
 Deep green and maroon 
 
 The author says: “It will be noted in the foregoing examples 
 that the governing principle in most cases is that one of the 
 contrasting colours is a deeper tone of the colour of the ground. 
 If it is necessary to use gold instead of one of those contrasting 
 colours, the printer will always be right if he retains the colour 
 which is a deeper tone of the ground, and substitutes gold for 
 the other colours. Thus, in the combination upon a pale pink 
 ground, carmine and ultramarine are given. The blue should 
 be omitted, and gold used instead — and so on throughout the 
 whole series.” 
 
 All of these inks can be bought ready for use from the ink 
 makers. Beginners in colour printing would do well to buy 
 their inks in this way. 
 
 The combinations given are, however, nearly all of what 
 are regarded as “ strong,” “ positive ” colours. The artistic- 
 printer will not be satisfied with these effects. Taste, as we 
 have already said, is improving, and glaring contrasts are being 
 avoided. “ Art colours.” such as those used for dress and 
 
50 
 
 ARTISTIC PRINTING. 
 
 furnishing fabrics are now preferred. These art colours are 
 not supplied by the ink maker ; they must be mixed by the 
 printer himself. Happily they are not difficult to obtain or 
 compound. The printer who has a few reds, yellows, blues, 
 blacks and browns, can produce by admixture of any two or 
 more of them, and often with the assistance of a reliable white 
 ink, a palette of almost endless variety. 
 
 Art Colours. — The following formula? for mixing colours 
 
 may be found useful : — 
 
 Carmine and lake produce bright pink 
 
 If ff 
 
 blue 
 
 „ violet or purple 
 
 ff ff 
 
 yellow 
 
 ,, amber 
 
 ff ff 
 
 yellow and black 
 
 „ bright brown 
 
 Bed „ 
 
 green 
 
 „ olive 
 
 ff ff 
 
 orange 
 
 ,, brown 
 
 ff ff 
 
 yellow 
 
 ,, orange 
 
 ff ff 
 
 yellow and white 
 
 ,, buff 
 
 Blue „ 
 
 black 
 
 ,, dark blue 
 
 ff ff 
 
 yellow 
 
 „ green 
 
 ff ff 
 
 red, black, & yellow ,, olive 
 
 ff * ff 
 
 lead colour 
 
 „ pencil 
 
 Amber, white, „ 
 
 Venetian red 
 
 „ drab 
 
 Venetian red ,, 
 
 black 
 
 „ chocolate 
 
 Green ,, 
 
 black 
 
 ,, dark green 
 
 White, yellow, red, ,, 
 
 black 
 
 ,, umber 
 
 Lake, white, „ 
 
 vermilion 
 
 „ flesh colour 
 
 Reduced colours, by admixture with white : 
 
 Carmine 
 
 produces pink 
 
 Lake 
 
 
 ,, rose 
 
 Green 
 
 
 „ pea green 
 
 Yellow 
 
 
 „ straw colour 
 
 Ultramarine 
 
 ,, sky blue 
 
 Carmine, and ultramarine 
 
 ,, lavender 
 
 Black, blue, and white mixed in equal parts produce the 
 popular blue-black. 
 
 Black and white in varying proportions give a series of greys. 
 
 The principal ink makers supply, in addition to the 
 ordinary coloured inks, tint inks, which are tones or shades of 
 
Printed by L. Wilding, The Salop Art Press, 33 Castle Street, Shrewsbury, 
 WITH A. B. FLEMING and CO.’S INKS. 
 

 
7 - 
 
 PHOTO BROWN. 
 
 LIGHT OLIVE. 
 
 12 . 
 
 PHOTO BLACK. 
 
 Printed by L. Wilding. The Salop Art Press, 33 Castle Street, Shrewsbury 
 WITH A. B. FLEMING and CO.’S INKS. 
 

 
 
 
 
ARTISTIC PRINTING. 
 
 51 
 
 the others. The most useful are : — 
 
 Blue tint Brown tint 
 
 Pink „ Chamois „ 
 
 Green ,, Steel -grey „ 
 
 Grey „ 
 
 Theie may also be obtained, ready prepared, the “ white” 
 ink. This is of the very greatest importance to the printer, for, 
 mixed with other colours, it will produce almost any tone 
 required. Experiments might be made with 
 
 Pink tint and white, equal parts 
 Brown -lake, 1 part and white 2 parts 
 Grey tint and white 
 
 Chrome-yellow „ „ 
 
 Brown tint „ ,, 
 
 Green-black ,, ,, 
 
 Pink tint „ „ 
 
 Milori blue „ „ 
 
 A few examples of “ art ” colours are given in the accom- 
 panying plates. Those numbered one to six are easily produced 
 by combining turn of the following colours : 
 
 Bose-lake 
 Bronze-blue 
 Lemon -yellow 
 Black 
 
 in the following proportions : 
 
 No. on Plate : Constituents : 
 
 1. — One part rose-lake 
 
 One part black 
 
 2. — Two parts lemon-yellow 
 
 One part black 
 
 3. — One part rose- lake 
 
 Three parts black 
 
 4. — One part bronze-blue 
 
 One part black 
 
 5. — One part lemon-yellow 
 
 Two parts black 
 
 6. — One part bronze-blue 
 
 Three parts black 
 
52 
 
 ARTISTIC PRINTING. 
 
 Blocks may be printed on these colours. Nos.|l, 2, 3, and 5 
 are most suitable for printing warm landscapes, portraits, 
 furniture, &c. • 4 and 6 for winter and marine views, hard- 
 ware, machinery, &c. 
 
 Nos. 7 to 12 are made by combining three of the following: 
 Rose-lake 
 Bronze-blue 
 Lemon-yellow 
 Black 
 
 in the following proportions : 
 
 No. on Plate : Constituents : 
 
 7. — One part rose-lake 
 
 One part lemon-yellow 
 One part black 
 
 8. — One part rose-lake 
 
 One part bronze-blue 
 One part black 
 
 9. — Four parts rose-lake 
 
 One part lemon-yellow 
 One part black 
 
 10. — One part lemon-yellow 
 
 One part bronze-blue 
 One part black 
 
 1 1 . — One part rose-lake 
 
 Four parts lemon-yellow 
 One part black 
 
 12. — One part rose-lake 
 
 One part lemon-yellow 
 Four parts black 
 
 All of these can be used in place of black upon almost any 
 kind of work, with the effect of rendering it much softer than 
 if printed in a dead black. In using two colours upon a job, 
 including one of the above, the printer should always combine 
 with it a lighter colour than any shown, and one that will har- 
 monize with that selected. With No. 7 a yellow-green, green, or 
 blue-green will produce a good eflect; with No. 8 a greenish 
 yellow or yellow green ; with No. 9 a green, green-blue, or blue; 
 with No. 10, purple, red or orange; with No. 11 red, purple, 
 violet, red, or blue ; with No. 12 the light tones or hues of 
 green and blue. 
 
ARTISTIC PRINTING. 
 
 53 
 
 The smallest printer ought to keep on hand, at least 
 
 Bronze-blue 
 
 Rose-lake 
 
 Lemon-yellow 
 
 Black 
 
 He will then be able to make in a short time any one of the pre- 
 ceding twelve art colours desired, without being put to the 
 expense of buying inks he may seldom or never require. 
 
 In combining two or more colours the printer should bear in 
 mind the necessity of mixing them tJvoroughly upon a perfectly 
 clean stone or glass, with a clean ink-knife. 
 
 As the painter mixes his colours, so the printer should com- 
 bine his inks. Herein lies the success of colour printing. It is 
 only by repeated and careful experiments that any work worthy 
 the name of art can be brought to a satisfactory conclusion. 
 The printer should by patient and intelligent labour make him- 
 self master of the capabilities of every shade and tint in pro- 
 ducing the tones necessary for his design. Further, by noting 
 the results of his experiments he will always have at hand, 
 whenever necessary, a mine of knowledge into which he can dip, 
 to the great advantage of himself and his customer. 
 
 After the mixing process has been thoroughly studied, the art 
 printer may go on to the next important step in art — namely, 
 harmonizing or blending the tints he has obtained, and here his 
 taste will be exercised to the uttermost ; for in the due apprecia- 
 tion of harmony and contrast in colour lies the success or failure 
 of his conception. Nothing is worse than a glare of colour in 
 one portion of a job and the rest left either without colour at all, 
 or with a very weak colour to balance it. It should always be 
 borne in mind that it is more artistic to have little colour than 
 too much. Many jobs are ruined by over colouring in the 
 attempt to be effective. The great beauty of the best German 
 colour work is an instance, for the colour is often the charm of 
 the design. Everything with them is done with a purpose, 
 and that purpose the harmony of parts. There is no glare, no 
 crudity, but an intelligent working out of a fixed ideal, in which 
 the artist often hides his labour in the apparent simplicity of the 
 most intricate art. To attain this excellence study is necessary ; 
 there can be no “ art ” that has not been the result of much 
 thought and application. The learner must experiment for 
 
54 
 
 ARTISTIC PRINTING. 
 
 himself in the use of colours — how to make them, how to blend 
 them in harmony and contrast, what part colour ought to play 
 in the development of the design : how it is affected by paper — 
 and the other points bound up with the subject. 
 
 It is a great help to anyone who wishes to study this sub- 
 ject to have a box of good water or oil colours, which he can 
 use at his leisure. With these he can mix, contrast, and compare, 
 ad infinitum , and the many beautiful effects he will obtain will 
 well repay him for his pains. 
 
 Mr. J. Gr. Crace, the eminent decorative artist, suggests the 
 following contrasts to be used in coloured fabrics, but they will 
 be equally useful in colour printing : — 
 
 Black and warm brown 
 Violet and pale green 
 Violet and light rose 
 Deep blue and golden brown 
 Chocolate and bright blue 
 Deep red and grey 
 Maroon and warm green 
 Deep blue and pink 
 Chocolate and pea green 
 Maroon and deep blue 
 Claret and buff 
 Black and warm green. 
 
 Rainbow Printing may be readily done on platen jobbing 
 machines having either cylinder or disc distribution, by remov- 
 ing the vibrating rollers of the former or making the disc 
 stationary in the latter. Apply the ink in strips, being careful 
 to confine each colour throughout the working of the job 
 to the original narrow space allotted to it. By a judicious 
 selection of colours very pretty effects may be produced. Blue 
 and yellow placed side by side will give a green at the point 
 where the two colours meet. Blue and red will in the same 
 way produce a purple streak ; and thus, by the application of 
 three or four colours, twice that number of shades may be ob- 
 tained. A streak of bronze powder laid on across the page will 
 improve the general effect. The colours may be worked straight 
 across the page, or, by locking the forme diagonally in the chase, 
 the streaks will have a corresponding slant on the paper. The 
 cylinder distribution is the best for this kind of work, as there 
 is less danger of the colours getting mixed. 
 
ARTISTIC PRINTING. 
 
 55 
 
 CHAPTER VI. 
 
 Working Red Ink — Dulness and Deterioration of Colour, and how to prevent 
 it — Consistency of Ink. 
 
 The most rudimentary kind of colour woik is that in which red 
 is used in contrast to black, either for an initial or one or more 
 lines. With the method of making up the two formes for two- 
 colour work, the reader is supposed to be acquainted. The chief 
 difficulty in using red ink is the dulness and deterioration of the 
 colour which often arises, and cannot be attributed to the right 
 cause. The following rules, if observed, will prevent this, 
 occurrence. 
 
 1. Be sure that the ink is the right quality, and properly 
 ground. It should be bought only from respectable makers, 
 and the best qualities should be selected. “ The best is the 
 cheapest ” is a true adage in buying printing ink. 
 
 2. Use a polished iron table for distribution, as it can be 
 easily and thoroughly cleaned. Rough iron is likely to retain 
 foreign matter, and is difficult to clean. Some people think 
 that an iron table injures the colour, but this is a mistake. 
 Many skilled pressmen, however, use thick plates of smooth 
 glass for mixing or reducing their finer inks. 
 
 3. Cleanliness is an absolute necessity. Not a speck of dirt 
 nor shade of grease should be on the rollers, or on anything they 
 touch. If benzoline or turpentine is used as a detergent, it 
 should be carefully wiped from rollers, inking and distribution 
 surfaces, and forme, with a very clean and dry cotton cloth. A 
 moderate solution of potash is the best detergent, as it infallibly 
 removes the oil from the type. The only objections to lye are 
 that it dries too slowly on the forme, and if used on rollers is 
 liable to make them more tacky than is needful, with consequent 
 undue reaction of shrinkage in drying, besides being liable 
 to injure the surface of the letter if entrusted to other than 
 careful hands. 
 
 4. Never work red ink on an ordinary electrotype, for the 
 copper of the plate is certain to effect a chemical change in the 
 colour from the moment the ink comes in contact with the forme, 
 producing a dirty brownish red instead of the rich and brilliant 
 colour desired. Many printers have been disappointed in this 
 way, and have never suspected the source of the trouble. 
 
56 
 
 ARTISTIC PRINTING. 
 
 5. Electrotypes intended for red ink work, or for any of the 
 aniline colours — the most brilliant, but the most sensitive of all 
 our pigments- — should be ordered to be nickel-plated ; or, in the 
 case of electrotypes that have been already worked in black or 
 other non-sensitive colours — being now intended for a colour 
 with a chemical affinity for copper, — they should be nickelled 
 or silvered over. 
 
 Every printer should keep at hand a silvering solution for 
 this purpose, made from the following formula, the ingredients 
 of which can be procured very cheaply : — 
 
 Nitrate of silver ... 2 drs. 
 
 Water 37 ,, 
 
 Sal-ammoniac 1 „ 
 
 Hypo -soda 4 ,, 
 
 Precipitated chalk ... 4 ,, 
 
 It should be thoroughly shaken before use, and applied with 
 brush or cloth so as to cover all the printing surface. The electro- 
 type should be cleaned and dried before applying the solution. 
 
 6. A bad habit with many pressmen is that of thinning out 
 their ink with too much varnish, with the object of making it 
 work freely and go further. It actually injures the tone, and is 
 especially noticeable in reduced reds, which, instead of present- 
 ing those rich and striking contrasts to be expected from the 
 most brilliant of all the colours, looks pale, sickly, and attenuated. 
 The inks of our best modern makers are intended for direct use 
 as delivered to the printer, and seldom, if ever, need to be re- 
 mixed or in any way tampered with. Those who are not con 
 versant with inks and their composition should beware of the 
 thinning or reducing process. 
 
 7. The costlier red inks are always stiffer in body than the 
 cheaper kinds, and have a tough consistence. They also become 
 heavily skinned over when laid aside for some time, besides 
 becoming lumpy, hard, and dry. The pressman, unless he is 
 acquainted with this tendency, and how to remedy it, is more 
 than likely to throw away the ink in despair after vainly trying 
 to get it to work. 
 
 To prevent skinning in the can, pour a thin layer of glycerine 
 over the ink. 
 
 To remedy lumping and hardening, work the ink freely a few 
 minutes with a strong knife, using a very little of No. 2 varnish 
 as a softener. This will smooth away the lumps and restore the 
 
ARTISTIC PRINTING. 
 
 57 
 
 working quality of the inks. The remedy applies equally well 
 to all inks that become hard, lumpy, or gummy, and by means 
 of it the contents of the can can be used to the last. 
 
 So important a part does printing ink play in artistic typo- 
 graphy that every printer should endeavour to learn all he can 
 in regard to it. There is a woeful lack of information on the 
 subject among printers generally. The following, from the 
 American Bookmaker , contains useful hints conveyed in a 
 humorous fashion : — 
 
 44 I was much amused recently, when calling on an ink manu- 
 facturer, at hearing some instances of the want of knowledge 
 displayed by some of his customers. And as the recital of what 
 was said may be of help to others, I will just jnention some parts 
 of it, as nearly as I can remember. 
 
 One day a printer went round to the ink-maker to complain 
 that some black ink he had purchased would not dry quickly 
 enough, and threatened never to buy again from that firm. 
 
 4 What is the nature of the work you have been doing ? ” 
 asked the ink-maker. 
 
 4 Oh, just an ordinary circular.’ 
 
 4 What kind of paper did you use ? ’ 
 
 4 Book paper, extra-sized and calendered.’ 
 
 4 How long did you expect it would take to dry ? ’ 
 
 4 Why, I allowed about two hours, and when I had the 
 circulars straightened up they set off frightfully.’ 
 
 4 Well, and what else could you expect ? Any man who sup- 
 poses that ink will dry on a hard, calendered paper so as to be 
 straightened up in two hours has something to learn.’ 
 
 So I should think. 
 
 Another man called to ask how he could use some ink which 
 was too thick. 
 
 4 Why, you need to reduce it,’ said the ink-maker. 
 
 4 What with ? ’ 
 
 4 Why, reducing varnish.’ 
 
 4 How much shall I need.’ 
 
 4 Oh, that depends upon how thick the ink is, and how thin 
 you want to make it.’ 
 
 4 But if I send it round, won’t you reduce it ? ’ 
 
 And he did. 
 
 Another man came to ask what proportions he needed to use 
 of certain colours to make a certain tint. Another enquired how 
 
58 
 
 ARTISTIC PRINTING 
 
 it was that some days his ink would run freely, and other days 
 it would not run through the fountain at all. And another 
 asked whether the condition of his rollers would affect the 
 working of the ink. 
 
 Some would send ink back with the message that it was no 
 good, and afterwards receive the same in a new can and find no 
 fault with it, the mixing up which the ink received in being 
 changed from one can to another being all that was needed. 
 
 One man complained that his ink had no body in it, and that 
 it was not stiff enough. Another can of the same ink was sent 
 direct from a cool cellar which pleased him immensely. The 
 only trouble was that he had allowed the ink to stand too long 
 in a warm place. • 
 
 Another man went round to complain of some brown ink he 
 was using, and said it was not properly ground, and that it filled 
 up the cuts, which had to be washed out every thousand 
 impressions. 
 
 It came out that he was running process plates on a paper 
 that was not very hard, that his rollers were rather old, and yet 
 he expected that his brown ink would not fill up. 
 
 Other cases were cited, but these about cover the general scope 
 of them all. And any good pressman will know that the above 
 questions and difficulties arose from ignorance of the first 
 principles of the pressman’s business. And when I came away, 
 I could not but feel that the ink maker's, with all their faults, 
 deserve some pity. 
 
 Now, all this shows clearly enough that there is much room 
 for improvement in our knowledge of ink. At the same time it 
 must not be supposed that I wish to class all printers alike, or 
 to imply that these remarks can apply to any of my readers, 
 or even to myself. Oh, dear, no ! But we all of us can 
 point to the man to whom they do apply. And so I want you 
 to tell him, when you next meet him, how he can learn more 
 about this subject. Just tell him that all printing ink must 
 have time to dry, but that the ink-makers are doing their best 
 to find out how to make it dry before the sheet leaves the 
 cylinder, though they have not succeeded yet. That is, not in 
 all cases. 
 
 But, seriously, the subject is worth studying, and we ought to 
 begin at once. There is no commodity used in our business* 
 which the majority of us know so little about as printing ink. 
 
ARTISTIC PRINTING. 
 
 59 
 
 and I have come to think that an ink-maker who is honest 
 ought to have a monument, considering his temptations and 
 opportunities for taking advantage of our ignorance. 
 
 How often it happens that one pressman will condemn an ink 
 which another will praise, and not always because he has been 
 bribed either. Nor is it simply from a disposition to be captious. 
 Nine times out of ten it arises from ignorance of the merits or 
 demerits of the ink. Both men form their ideas from the fact 
 of whether it appears to work favourably or otherwise, though 
 their success or failure may depend on something entirely apart 
 from the ink.” 
 
 CHAPTER VII. 
 
 Bronze Printing. — Essentials to Good Work — Selection of Rollers— 
 The Size or Composition — Applying the Bronze — Dusting off — Cautions 
 and Miscellaneous Hints. 
 
 Every printer is acquainted with the general principles of bronze 
 printing.* There is no bronze ink ; a composition of the kind 
 is used sometimes in America, but it is not satisfactory, and the 
 colour soon turns black. The only plan as yet available is ta 
 print the forme in a glutinous preparation, and on this to dust 
 the bronze. When dry the bronze that is superfluous — that is, 
 on the parts of the paper on which the preparation is not 
 deposited, can be rubbed off. 
 
 Simple as this appears, it is only quite lately that good bronze 
 work has been done in this country. The improvement has 
 been effected by several causes. Manufacturers of bronze 
 powders have done much to help the printer by producing good 
 bronzes at reasonable prices, and ink manufacturers have given 
 us easily workable and tenacious preparations. The difficulties 
 of printers have usually arisen from want of acquaintance with 
 the peculiarities of the metals used in the manufacture of the 
 bronzes, and the properties of the paper or card to which the 
 bronzes are to be applied. 
 
 * In “Practical Printing,” Chapter IX., full instructions are given for the 
 use of bronze powders and for bronze printing generally. The matter above 
 must be taken as supplementary to that in “Practical Printing,’’ and not as 
 superseding it. J 
 
ARTISTIC PRINTING. 
 
 . 60 
 
 Failures in bronze printing usually arise from one or all of 
 these causes 
 
 1. Want of suitable gold preparation. 
 
 2. Want of good quality bronze. 
 
 3. Want of well-finished paper. 
 
 To this may be added that the rollers selected should be well- 
 seasoned. They should be of the old fashioned glue and treacle 
 composition, not glycerine, as the latter cannot be worked with 
 water. Sponge the rollers a minute or two with water before 
 using. 
 
 The preparation or size can be obtained from any ink maker. 
 It ought to be well ground, not too thin nor too stiff. It must 
 work free and cover with a close and even surface when rolled. 
 Distribute the preparation well before applying it to the forme, 
 and bray out no more than is absolutely necessary for the job. 
 In cylinder ink-ducts arrange that no more composition will be 
 communicated to the rollers than is required to cover evenly the 
 printing surface and hold the bronze on the paper. When too 
 much of this preparation is used, rough and bad work will result, 
 no matter how thoroughly the bronze powder may be rubbed on. 
 
 Some printers try to dispense with the use of the preparation, 
 merely printing the forme in black or red, and then dusting- 
 over the bronze while the ink is comparatively tenacious. This 
 plan never gives brilliancy in the result, nor even permanency. 
 
 The Size. — Most of the ink manufacturers now supply 
 a special size for bronze printing which meets every require- 
 ment. To those who want to make their own size may be 
 recommended a recipe given by a writer in the British Printer * 
 44 Take equal parts of brown lake, light and chrome yellow, add 
 to them about one-tenth their weight of middle tint varnish, 
 and about one-twentieth of extra strong litho varnish ; mix 
 well together. This preparation does not fill in the fine lines 
 of the type, but works free and clean, and will be found to 
 .answer well for most kinds of paper.” f 
 
 * We would especially recommend this beautiful bi-monthty, almost every 
 page of which is an object lesson in artistic printing. 
 
 t If bronze will not stick when dry, a little mucilage or liquid gum may 
 be put into the size and it will often prove efficacious. Mix only a little at a 
 time, and wash up frequently the rollers and the disc, if a jobbing platen 
 machine is being used. 
 
ARTISTIC PRINTING. 
 
 61 
 
 Some of the size supplied by ink makers gives much trouble to 
 printers. It dries on the rollers and the forme, on the sheets 
 before the bronze can be dusted on, and the poorest bronze has 
 to be resorted to. It fills up the finer lines of engravings and 
 shaded letters, giving a dirty muddy effect, as though too much 
 ink had been used. This must inevitably result where such an 
 extra-glutinous and quick-drying pigment is constantly thick- 
 ening and hardening on the delicate hair-lines, necessitating 
 frequent slops and washings-up. 
 
 This serious drawback to fine work can be easily remedied by 
 the employment of a substitute, in use at the office of the 
 American Art Printer.* It is made as follows: — “Take three 
 parts of lemon yellow ink and one part of No. 2 varnish and mix 
 them well ; add about one-twentieth of the above quantity of 
 copal flock varnish and mix perfectly. This size will run all 
 day without washing up, works freely on or off the rollers, and 
 allows sheets to be longer without bronzing ; and altogether 
 cleaner and brighter work is produced, showing fully covered 
 instead of only half bronzed lines. Slow to set, it gives the 
 bronzer a better chance to cover his job. and for this reason 
 holds more firmly and permanently every grain that is spread 
 upon it. 
 
 The preparation having been mixed thoroughly, a little is 
 worked up at the machine. The forme has now to be made 
 ready. The British Printer advises that care should be taken 
 that a surface impression is obtained. For this purpose four 
 sheets of printing paper, with a cardboard underneath, will form 
 a good packing for a platen machine. Any low rules or types 
 in the forme should either be changed or underlaid : a perfectly 
 flat and even impression Avill then be the result. 
 
 Ill Selecting the Bronze to be used, the operator must be 
 governed by the class of paper on which the job is to be printed. 
 If it be enamelled or hard surfaced, choose a finely ground 
 powder, as this will wipe off readily ; but for paper of a soft 
 nature and porous surface, a coarse grained powder should be 
 preferred, which will not readily bury itself in the texture of 
 
 * We would particularly recommend the study of this beautiful serial to all 
 who are interested in the subject of our compilation. It is published 
 monthly by Mr. C. E. Bartholomew. 22, College Plata', New York, and most 
 ably edited by Mr. lb S. M. Monro. 
 
<62 
 
 AUTISTIC PRINTING. 
 
 the paper : always remembering that “ the best is the cheapest.” 
 Good bronzes cover a much larger surface, and do not readily 
 tarnish, whilst common powders are never satisfactory. 
 
 Keep no more ink on the rollers than is simply needed to 
 cover the form thoroughly. Too much will cause the fine lines 
 to look thick, and the job generally to have a blurred and 
 smudgy appearance. Too little will prevent the job looking 
 even and solid ; the bronze will not hold properly, and what 
 little does adhere will lack brightness. 
 
 Applying the Bronze.— -Many printers consider that the 
 best thing to apply the bronze with is soft cotton wool, as it leaves 
 no scratches across the work. This is really the most important 
 and artistic part of the operation, for, of all stages of failure to 
 execute good bronze printing, this is the one at which neglect is 
 most apt to show itself. Take a piece of the cotton, large enough 
 to fill the hand, carefully round off the ragged edges, and dip it 
 in the bronze, slightly shaking back the superfluous powder that 
 may adhere. Then apply to the work, gently going over all 
 the printed portions until covered, and the cotton wool pad slips 
 along more easily. Then increase the pressure and briskness of 
 motion in rubbing over the work for a few seconds, as if polish- 
 ing, and the desired effect is readily produced. Brilliant and 
 even work is only accomplished by the method stated, and by 
 the efficacy of a little lively rubbing. 
 
 Bronze powder is usually put on with too great a pressure. 
 This causes blue and unsightly marks on the paper or card. 
 Some badly compounded bronzes, yet with apparent good colour, 
 will inevitably produce a like result, no matter how carefully 
 they may be applied. Such a quality should be cast aside, as it 
 will become tarnished in a short time. 
 
 In using bronze powder with a cotton wool pad, too much 
 should not be taken up at a time, as an over quantity tends to 
 irritate and crowd the portion which has adhered to the printed 
 part of the work, thus leaving an unpolished surface, as well 
 as causing a large waste of powder. Neither should the fingers 
 be allowed to touch the printed parts, before or after bronzing ; 
 nor should too much of the work be allowed to remain piled 
 up, or be set in a damp place, for both will cause damage by 
 tarnishing the work. 
 
ARTISTIC PRINTING. 
 
 63 
 
 To maintain the brilliancy of a well- working job, fresh pads 
 should be used from time to time, as continued use of any one 
 of them contracts dampness and dirt, which are detrimental. 
 Occasional rubbing off of the forme with a rag dipped in benzo- 
 line will also assist in keeping up brilliancy. 
 
 Miscellaneous Hints. — Mr. Thomas Hailing, Cheltenham, 
 writes : “ Bronze work is very seldom what may be termed as 
 satisfactory work. Its failure, as a rule, rests in the inability 
 to fix it firmly on the paper. Of course rolling is the most 
 reliable remedy, but as you may not happen to have a rolling 
 machine, nor the inclination to invest in one, adopt the follow- 
 ing method : Work the forme with gold size and apply the bronze 
 in the usual way : when the number required is completed, 
 simply take all the rollers off the machine, clean the forme, but 
 don’t disturb it, and run the sheets through the machine again 
 off the clean forme. The appearance of the work is so greatly 
 improved by this process that we get better results from bronze 
 at 3s. 9d. per lb. than we would get under the old system from 
 bronze at 20s. a lb. 
 
 Mr. F. Buehring remarks that the printing of an underground 
 or foundation colour for bronzing is generally regarded by 
 printers as a very simple process, requiring less experience and 
 care than any other printing. They find, as an excuse, that all 
 the ink * will be covered with the bronze, therefore they think 
 it will make no difference what colour is printed under the 
 bronze, or in what condition it is. In this they are mistaken. 
 Printing the foundation colour for bronzing requires just as 
 much experience as, and even more, than any other printing. 
 
 Printing on a regular book, or writing paper of an under- 
 ground, for bronzing is not so very difficult as on the various 
 enamelled papers, but there are some points connected with it 
 that require attention. 
 
 There are three facts which have to be observed under all 
 circumstances : — 
 
 1. We want solid bronzing. 
 
 2. We want to show the bronze in its natural clean or pure 
 
 appearance. 
 
 3. We want the highest gloss on it. 
 
 o o 
 
 * That is, of course, the size or preparation. 
 
64 
 
 ARTISTIC PRINTING 
 
 To obtain a perfect solid bronzing it is necessary that the ink 
 should be in a condition to print solid, and to hold the bronze 
 so that it cannot be dusted off when the impression is dry. 
 
 To obtain the bronze in its natural colour it is absolutely 
 necessary to print a foundation colour which is in harmony 
 with the colour of the bronze itself. 
 
 To obtain the highest gloss, it is necessary that the impression 
 should be printed smoothly, solidly, and with no more ink upon 
 the rollers than is absolutely necessary. 
 
 As to bronzing on well-sized book or writing paper. For an 
 underground use gold size. This mixed with No. 2 varnish, for 
 reducing, is perfectly adapted to the purpose. Large establish- 
 ments, which have their own grinding mills, may take two parts 
 of burnt sienna and one part of chrome yellow, ground with 
 No. 3 varnish, all in a very stiff condition, and mixed afterwards 
 to the right consistency for printing with No. 2 varnish. 
 
 For silver bronze this size would not do, as the colour has 
 too yellowish an appearance, which destroys the original silver 
 colour, and this should not only be avoided, but the colour im- 
 proved as well. The so-called silver bronzes are a composition 
 metal, and far from having a silver-like appearance. Therefore 
 use twenty parts of heavy white, and one part of milori blue, 
 ground as above with No. 3 varnish and mixed with No. 2 
 varnish. For copper and crimson bronze use pure sienna, with 
 a trifle of red Vienna lake, ground and mixed as above. For 
 nickel or genuine silver bronze use only heavy white, ground 
 and mixed as before. 
 
 As to bronzing on enamelled or glazed papers. Herein many 
 difficulties arise from the poor quality of the paper. Enamelled 
 paper is manufactured in different grades — with a glossy 
 appearance, with a lower gloss, with a trifle of a gloss, and with- 
 out any gloss, and with only a smooth and dull enamelled 
 coating. The glazed paper with its very glossy appearance has 
 a hard gloss surface, and requires very little ink. Only No. 3 
 varnish should be in the ink and a little copal varnish should 
 be mixed with it, as the ink remains on the surface without 
 soaking into it. The lightest touching will rub the ink off and 
 spoil the work ; copal varnish prevents this. Paper with a 
 lower gloss requires the same as above, but less copal varnish. 
 Half -glazed paper should be printed with No. 2 varnish in the 
 ink. Ink for enamelled paper without any gloss should be 
 
ARTISTIC PRINTING. 
 
 65 
 
 mixed with No. 3 varnish. On cold winter days, No. 2 varnish 
 would also answer, but no thinner varnish should be mixed with 
 the ink at all, as the thin varnish soaks into the paper in a few 
 seconds and no varnish will remain on the surface to hold the 
 bronze. On the highest glaze paper only No. 4 varnish should 
 be used on warm days, and No. 3 varnish in the winter. 
 
 These directions apply if the paper is in a good state and fit 
 for printing. Not all papers, however, have a good coating, 
 enamelled with material that will stand the manipulations 
 above mentioned. When the paper is poor, it will peel off 
 through the adhesiveness of the ink and the stiff varnishes. 
 Here it is that the printer gets into difficulties. Strong ink 
 should be used, otherwise the varnish will not stick ; but strong 
 varnish, makes the poor paper peel off*, and the impressions 
 are spoiled thereby. Mixing thin and stiff varnishes would 
 not answer the purpose, any more than mixing a thin and a 
 stiffer varnish would make a medium varnish, as many printers 
 think. One will always have a mixed ink 'with thin and stiff 
 varnish, and the result is the same — thin varnish will soak into 
 the paper, and stiff varnish will make paper peel off ; while a 
 medium varnish will not hold the bronze on the impression. 
 
 The first thing is always to keep stiff varnish in the colour, 
 and no thin varnish whatever. Mix as much lavender oil as 
 necessary with the ink. This softens the ink and prevents 
 peeling off ; but use no more of it than is absolutely necessary. 
 Begin with a trifle, and add more gradually, until you see that 
 the paper does not peel off any more. Lavender oil softens the 
 ink and then evaporates, and therefore the ink will dry as 
 quickly as without it. 
 
 The article in the British Printer already alluded to, says : 
 — “ In the matter of using the pad a little discretion is needed. 
 If the forme is simply one of type, give the pad a circular 
 movement when laying on the bronze ; but if brass rules, move 
 it along on the lines, not across them. If rules run both ways, 
 let the pad be worked from left to right, and from top to 
 bottom. This will keep the lines clear and fine. 
 
 “After the sheet is printed let there be no delay in covering 
 it with bronze. It is at this particular stage that failures often 
 occur. All enamelled surfaces have a tendency to absorb the 
 preparation, and unless the bronze is dusted on quickly it will 
 fail to hold properly and will have a patchy look. A good rule 
 
 F 
 
6G 
 
 AUTISTIC PRINTING. 
 
 to adopt is this — never let the printer get more than one im- 
 pression ahead of the bronzer, and in the case of enamelled 
 paper and cards, the latter should be ready to go for the sheet 
 the very instant it leaves the printer’s hands. Run the machine 
 slower than usual, and let the forme be double rolled for each 
 impression. If a large surface has to be covered, have two- 
 persons at work in order to keep pace with the machine men. 
 
 “ Gold immediately attaches itself to any moist spot on the 
 sheet, so great care should be taken to avoid leaving finger 
 marks while bronzing. A bit of gummed paper on the finger 
 tips of the left hand will be of service. 
 
 “ As the sheets are bronzed let them be placed comparatively 
 straight in small piles, say from 50 to 100, and left in that con- 
 dition until dry. They can then be cleaned without any fear 
 of smearing or scratching the gold. An old silk handkerchief 
 is, an effective duster.”* 
 
 CHAPTER Till. 
 
 Tint Work — Advances recently made in the Process — Definition — Antiquity 
 of the Method — Materials available as Surfaces — Metal, its Advantages 
 and Disadvantages — Cutting away or Routing the Plate — Boxwood — 
 Various Methods of using Paper and Millboard Surfaces — Tint Blocks 
 with Patterns — Emery Cloth, Sand Paper, Bookbinder’s Cloth, Artificial 
 Leather — Imitation Leather Papers — Patent Leather — Walnut and Ash 
 Woods — Lace, Thread, Ribbon, Cord, Perforated Tin — Sheet Brass, &c,, 
 — Ruled Tints — Labour Saving Tint Blocks — General Hints. 
 
 In no branch of printing has there been greater development 
 during the last few years than in that of Tint work. About a 
 dozen years ago, almost always when a tint ground was wanted,, 
 recourse was made to the lithographer, who printed the tint from 
 a stone. The average printer knew little or nothing about the 
 methods employed abroad, especially in America, for doing such 
 work on the ordinary letterpress machine. He was unacquainted 
 with the process of making the blocks, of mixing the tint inks, 
 and the proper plan for securing register, which are the three 
 
 * References to some useful hand appliances and machines for bronzing will 
 be found post. 
 
ARTISTIC PRINTING. 
 
 07 
 
 essentials to the satisfactory execution of this description of 
 printing. All this is changed now, and in nearly every town 
 where good printing is done there are offices prepared to under- 
 take tint work ; yet a knowledge of what is required for its 
 successful production is still comparatively and unnecessarily 
 limited. Some practical instructions, therefore, may be of use 
 to a large number of printers who appreciate the advantages of 
 this style of ornamentation, one which gives striking results 
 with comparatively small expense or trouble. 
 
 Tint blocks, sometimes called ground blocks, are used for 
 colouring or tinting portions of the paper or ground on which 
 printing is done. A tint block may cover nearly the whole of 
 the sheet, or several blocks may be used, each worked in a 
 different colour of ink, giving the effect of panels, bands, ribbons, 
 circles, etc. Such blocks may be shaped or cut out in parts, 
 exposing the colour of the paper itself, and such' may be used 
 for relieving, shading, or throwing up the typographical com- 
 position, or the “ lights ” in an engraving or ornament. 
 
 Antiquity Of the Method. — The principle on which tint 
 block printing is based was known to some of the earliest printers 
 and engravers. Prints in which this kind of ornament is used, 
 produced in the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries, are in 
 existence, some of them by designers such as Albert Diirer 
 being of great artistic merit. John Baptist Jackson, in 1754, 
 published “ An Essay on the Invention of Engraving and 
 Printing in Chiaro-Oscuro, and the application of it to the 
 Making of Paper Hangings of taste, duration, and elegance.” 
 The “ invention ” was printing in water and oil colours from 
 wood engravings and tint blocks. Savage, in 1822, issued his 
 “ Practical Plints on Decorative Printing,” which was a method 
 of imitating water-colour drawings by the use of suites of 
 separate wood blocks for outlines, colours, and tints. One of 
 these consists of a suite of twenty-nine blocks, in one of which 
 two colours were introduced, making thirty distinct tints in 
 the working. In this way very beautiful pictures were pro- 
 duced, but at such a cost that the plan was a commercial failure. 
 Each page is about the size of a crown quarto — that being the 
 largest size of block which a hand press would print. Machines 
 were not then in use. As about 200 per hour was the utmost 
 produce of the press, the expense of printing a sheet thirty times 
 
ARTISTIC PRINTING. 
 
 <68 
 
 over (the whole of the working being spoiled if even one impres- 
 sion was out of register) was such as to render prohibitive such 
 a method in illustration. It practically remained in abeyance 
 until about 1845, when G. C. Leighton revived the method for 
 the production of the chromo pictorial supplements of the 
 Illustrated London JVeivs* 
 
 This revival was achieved under many advantageous condi- 
 tions. The steam-printing machine was in general use, and 
 with its aid a set of eight 01 * more blocks, the size of Savage’s, 
 could be printed at once, at the rate of upwards of 1,000 per 
 hour. Ink making and wood engraving had been greatly 
 improved, and stereotyping and electrotyping had been invented ; 
 while the discovery of lithography facilitated the production of 
 tints. These pictures became most popular, and the printing 
 of chromo types, as they were at first called, soon became an 
 extensive business. 
 
 All these efforts were in the direction of multiplying copies 
 of pictures. Tint printing for the ornamentation of typo- 
 graphical composition, although based on the same principle, is 
 of much later introduction. It is said to have been practically 
 originated by James Glaestaeter, of Hew York, between 1865 
 and 1872. Tint printing has since been brought to great per- 
 fection in America, and especially in Germany. In England, 
 it owes its origin to the development of the typographical art, 
 which set in about 1875. 
 
 The demand for colour printing of this kind in America has 
 created a new field for the typographer. The system is simple, 
 and its principle is to secure the greatest effect with the least 
 expenditure of time or material. It is in sharp contrast with 
 the prevailing style of the best German printers, in which forms 
 and colours are elaborated, and many gradations of tone with 
 much minuteness of detail are employed. For general printing, 
 the American style is preferable, as it produces a piece of work 
 in three or four colours that will attract more attention from 
 the public than the seven or ten coloured jobs that emanate 
 from German houses. 
 
 There are two kinds of tints used in letterpress printing. 
 1 . Solid tints printed from a surface which if inked black would 
 
 * See “ Chromotype, or Printing in Colours, - ’ in Report of the Juries, 
 Great Exhibition of 1851, p. 403, for further historical details. 
 
ARTISTIC PRINTING. 
 
 69' 
 
 be one entire 'mass of black. 2. Tints with patterns, including 
 ruled tints. 
 
 In dealing with the subject it may be convenient to consider 
 
 1. The materials of the “ block ” itself. 
 
 2. The shaping and preparation of the block, and the 
 
 making of the transfers for colour blocks, when 
 several tints are introduced into one composition. 
 
 A great variety of materials are available as surfaces for 
 printing tint grounds. Some of the most useful and convenient 
 are referred to subsequently. 
 
 Metal Or Wood. — Opinions differ amongst colour printers 
 as to the relative advantages of metal plates or wood — usually 
 boxwood — blocks. 
 
 The use of metal is open to the objection that it sometimes 
 dulls and darkens certain colours. This disadvantage does not 
 appertain to boxwood. It is more difficult, too, to clean plates 
 than ivood from one colour to another. But the latter has the 
 following faults : — 
 
 1. Its liability to swell, warp, or shrink, and to throw the 
 tint out of register.* 
 
 2. Its tendency to unevenly absorb the colour and show the 
 grain of the wood in the impression, especially in fine work or 
 delicate tints. 
 
 Maple and beech are nearly as serviceable as boxwood, and 
 much cheaper. 
 
 After being printed, such blocks should be cleaned and 
 wrapped in dry paper, and placed on edge upon a shelf in a dry 
 place. 
 
 Metal Plates.— First Method.— By cutting away or 
 “ routing a Metal Plate. — The job is completely set up and 
 made ready for press. A proof is taken, and the printer 
 indicates the particular parts of the forme he desires plates for. 
 These plates are supplied by the electrotyper or stereotyper, 
 and may be of type or stereo metal. 
 
 One method of cutting the block to the desired pattern is as 
 
 * Messrs. Cooper & Budd, of Peckhara, who are very successful tint printers, 
 say that they do not find the wood to warp or shrink if it is well seasoned 
 when cut up, but if new it may do so, and it then also shows the grain, because 
 it is more absorbent, and soaks up the ink between the grain. 
 
70 
 
 ARTISTIC PRINTING. 
 
 follows: — The printed proof is fixed to a sheet of type metal 
 sufficiently large, about a quarter of an inch thick, perfectly 
 smooth and free from holes. It is necessary that the proof should 
 not move when it is once fixed on the plate, and it will not do 
 to wet the sheet with gum or paste, as the moisture would cause 
 it to shrink when dry, and it would be out of register with the 
 forme. There are various methods of securing the sheet to the 
 plate, but the following is fairly successful. The sheet should 
 be laid evenly on the plate, without any wrinkle. Holding 
 one end of the sheet with the tip of the finger, the other 
 end should be raised and the plate lightly touched with gum 
 on one or two places where the tints are to fall. This will 
 prevent the sheet from slipping while the plate is being cut out, 
 and it should be carefully but lightly pressed down. Then, 
 after the remaining end of the sheet has been similarly treated, 
 the edges should be carefully turned over and lightly gummed 
 to the back of the plate. When the gum has become dry, and 
 the sheet is finally fixed to the plate, all that is necessary is to 
 cut away to the depth of about an eighth of an inch all that 
 part of the metal not wanted for the tint plate. 
 
 The only tools required are a few gravers for the close work, 
 and chisels for the open spaces. The backs of old electros may 
 be used for practice. The backs of these or old stereoplates 
 when planed answer well for printing from. 
 
 This plan is only applicable for producing tints in rectangular 
 bands or panels extending right across the sheet, or occupying 
 the centre of it, as the design is reversed by the cutting being 
 done from an impression, which, of course, is a reverse of the 
 original. When the design would not be suitable if thus 
 reversed, recourse must be had to transferring it, as described 
 in connection with the next process. 
 
 Mr. Haight thus describes his procedure in printing a design 
 the outlines of which are made up of rule work and the spaces 
 between filled up with various tints.* 
 
 The first thing of course is the composition of that part 
 printed in black. We have a small imposing stone intended 
 especially for this kind of work, wdiich is free from the vibra- 
 tion inseparable from handling and locking up formes on the 
 larger stones. First of all a pencil sketch is made the exact 
 
 * British Printer, No. iv., p. 15. 
 
ARTISTIC PRINTING. 
 
 71 
 
 size desired, and most of the rules and ornaments to be used 
 are specified. This saves unnecessary experimenting, especially 
 if another is to do the composition. A chase with room for 
 conveniently locking up the forme is first laid up, and an 
 opening, surrounded by metal furniture large enough for the 
 forme, is left for the composition. In this the rule work is 
 gradually built up, leaving the type lines till the last. 
 
 After the design is in shape, so that a proof can be taken for 
 approval or improvement, the forme is justified, and afterwards 
 filled with plaster to within a thick lead of the face of the type 
 and rules. When dry, it is put on a press and underlaid, so as 
 to bring everything up as evenly as possible. The forme is now 
 ■sent to the foundry, and two electrotypes made — an extra one 
 for use in case of accident. 
 
 The next thing is to get transfers for the tint or colour plates. 
 For this purpose, when there is no fine engraving, the writer 
 generally uses metal plates. These are first washed in strong 
 lye, to remove any oil or grease which may be on the surface, 
 and to give them a good face for the transfer. A better transfer 
 is secured in this way than by using a coat of Chinese white or 
 any similar preparation. 
 
 First get a few good black proofs of the electrotype on thin, 
 highly-calendered paper, clipping off each corner just down to the 
 print to serve as a guide for laying the sheet on the metal plate. 
 Then lay the metal plate on the bed of the cylinder press and 
 put the printed sheet on it face downward, and run it under 
 the cylinder. This will give a clean sheet for transfer, which 
 will dry quickly, and is not easily rubbed off. Three transfers 
 are made for this, one for each colour. Three sheets printed from 
 the electrotype are taken, on which to make the colour scheme. 
 They are laid side by side, and on each one is printed, with water- 
 colours or coloured pencils, the desired colour by itself. In this 
 way the overlapping or combination of the different colours is 
 easily kept in view, and the safe guide for the engraver and 
 router is also made. In some cases, it is well to paint roughly, 
 with the colour to be used, those parts of the plates to be left in 
 relief. 
 
 Mr. Haight shows a piece of work in ten tints done by over- 
 lapping from three colours only. Although somewhat out of 
 place, as directions for choosing the colours and making the tints 
 will be found in the next chapter, we may give his scheme here. 
 
72 
 
 ARTISTIC PRINTING. 
 
 Tints: 1, Liglit Blue. 
 
 2. Dark grey. 
 
 3. Lemon. 
 
 First, second, and third printings : the original tints. 
 
 Fourth ,, 1 and 2 overlapped. 
 
 Fifth ,, 2 and 3 „ 
 
 Sixth „ 1 and 3 ,, 
 
 Seventh „ 1,2, and 3 „ 
 
 Some of the panels were “ ruled ” — that is, shaded by hori- 
 zontal lines made of brass rules. Hence the following effects. 
 Eighth printing : A panel ruled in No. 2 was overlapped with 
 No. 3. 
 
 Ninth ,, A centre panel ruled in No. 1 and overlapped 
 
 with No. 2. 
 
 Tenth ,, A panel ruled in No. 3 and overlapped with 
 
 No. 2. 
 
 Before printing the colours, several sheets of the black or 
 outline forme are printed in the proper position on the paper, 
 to be used as register sheets, to work in the colours in their 
 proper places, and this, technically the “ key-plate,” is printed 
 in the same place after all the colours. 
 
 In addition to the three tint colours, and for the purpose of 
 giving a peculiar tone to the whole job, is worked a rule block, 
 covering the entire printed surface. This does not add to the 
 variety of colours, bub softens the appearance of the whole thing, 
 and gives a pleasing texture to the different tints. 
 
 Wood Blocks.— Second Method— Use of Boxwood — 
 
 Instead of the plan of affixing the proof to the block as above 
 described, get a transfer in reverse of the design on the block. 
 This is the process recommended by the great American colour- 
 printer, Mr. J. F. Earliart : 
 
 Put a very thin coat of Chinese or flake white on the surface 
 of the wood, then take as many impressions from the job as 
 there will be blocks required, on sheets of good cream wove 
 writing paper, using a good supply of black ink. Before print- 
 ing these transfers, take an impression on the tympan, so that 
 the sheet will set off when being printed. (The object of this 
 is to have a guide when rubbing.) Then take the block for the 
 first colour and fasten one of the transfers upon it face down- 
 wards with small tacks or drawing pins. Be sure to stick the 
 
ARTISTIC PRINTING. 
 
 7a 
 
 pins in those parts of the wood which will be cut away. Then 
 take a bone burnisher or folder, or the handle of a tooth-brush, 
 and rub hard upon those parts of the job which are intended 
 for that particular colour. If care be taken, the transfer will 
 be almost as sharp as the original print, and besides it will 
 be absolutely accurate. Then engrave the blocks. In London 
 there are several wood type manufacturers and engravers who 
 will rout out the boxwood for printers at a very slight cost when 
 supplied with the transfer. After they are engraved, rub their 
 faces thoroughly with a soft cloth saturated with boiled linseed 
 oil, then wipe them dry, and they are ready for use. 
 
 This plan may be adopted with pieces of stereoplates planed 
 smooth. Clean off any grease there may be upon them before 
 laying down the transfer by washing them with strong lye. 
 
 Instead of using the burnisher, it may answer the purpose to 
 place the proof downwards on the metal, and with the press or 
 machine pull a good impression ; a clear and perfect outline 
 will generally be thus obtained of what is wanted to be cleared 
 away. 
 
 Another way . — Instead of using a coat of Chinese white or 
 any similar preparation on the plate, first clean it as already 
 mentioned with lye ; then get a few good black proofs of the 
 job on highly-calendered paper, clipping off each corner just at 
 the print to serve as a guide for laying the sheet on the metal 
 plate. Then lay the metal plate on the bed of the machine and 
 put the printed sheet on it face downwards, and run it under the 
 cylinder. This will give a clean sharp transfer, which will dry 
 quickly and is not easily rubbed oft’. When work in different 
 colours is required, make one transfer for each colour. 
 
 Third Method . — In many cases where there is no time for 
 transferring the impression and cutting the block, plates may 
 be cast or electros taken of the job, and these may be engraved, 
 by cutting out superfluous parts in the several workings, as 
 described under Colour Printing. 
 
 The directions in Mr. Kelly’s Model Printer are as follows : 
 “ To prepare the block or plate for engraving,” he says, “ is a 
 very simple matter. Take a fully inked impression of the job 
 for which the tint is intended on a hard or sized paper, and 
 while the ink is fresh, lay it upon the block or plate inked side 
 down, and 1 offset ’ (or transfer) the impression with a heavy 
 pull. The pull must be very heavy, or it will give such a light 
 
74 
 
 ARTISTIC PRINTING 
 
 transfer that it will be difficult to follow the lines. There is 
 also the danger with such a pull that the sheet may slip and cause 
 a slur, the transfer being such that it would be impossible to cut 
 a close tint from it. The better method is to whiten the surface 
 of the block with tube white, thus making a ground upon which 
 the faintest lines will stand out bold and clear. Upon this 
 surface a transfer can be made by a gentle pull that will show 
 all the rule lines the exact width they were in the first impression, 
 and from which a uint can be cut that will register within the 
 thickness of a hair. Do not damp the sheet or use a damp 
 overlay at any stage of the operation, or the impression will be 
 drawn out of register. If the transfer is properly made you 
 will have a clearly-defined reverse impression of the job on the 
 plate. 
 
 “ It is now ready to be engraved, which means to take a sharp- 
 pointed engraver’s tool and carefully outline the particular part 
 of the design desired for the colour, leaving on all sides sufficient 
 shoulder on the outline to lap a little on each colour ; then cut 
 away such portions of the plate as are to appear white in the 
 work. A little skill in the use of engraving tools, sufficient at 
 least to cut a tint, is most valuable to the printer, and it is very 
 easily acquired. Two or three tools are all that are necessary, 
 and these should be in every printing office.” 
 
 Paper and Millboard. — Fourth Method. — Paper and 
 
 Millboard surfaces for tint blocks. 
 
 Take a very smooth and even glaze board, such as is used in 
 pressing and glazing sheets after they are printed. Out a few 
 pieces out of it a little larger than the intended tint block. A 
 similar piece is cut out of common pasteboard, well sized and 
 perfectly smooth. Form the whole into a layer with the best 
 glue, and stick it, also with best glue, on a wooden board, such as 
 a piece of oak or an old wooden stereo mount, so as to form a 
 type-high block. Put the block into a letter copying or other 
 press, or even under boards and heavy weights, to let it dry 
 under heavy pressure. Take care that the pasteboards are well 
 united to each other and to the wooden block, as the result 
 depends on it. When the wood and paper block is completely 
 dry, the transfer may be made. 
 
 The cutting may next be proceeded with. It is best effected 
 with a shoemaker’s knife or a mount-cutter’s knife, a penknife, 
 
ARTISTIC PRINTING. 
 
 75 
 
 or small chisel. The pressing board should be cut through to 
 the wood. Care should be taken to cut in an outward slanting 
 direction, as if bevelled, to give the printing surface on the 
 block a larger and stronger basis. When the cutting is finished 
 the block is ready for planting. Should the number of copies 
 be large, it is better to give it first a coating of shellac. A coat- 
 ing of shellac, diluted in alcohol, applied twice, proves most 
 effective and will stand the printing of ten thousand copies 
 before any change can be observed. 
 
 In cleaning, lye must be avoided, and only a little paraffin or 
 turpentine rubbed over with a smooth rag. 
 
 This method is very similar to Messrs. Kampe’s “New Tint 
 Block Process,” which consists mainly in the use of a specially 
 prepared cardboard, composed of sundry layers of paper. The 
 surface of this board is covered thickly with a special kind of 
 enamel, which can be easily manipulated, and a special solution 
 serves to harden the surface before printing from it. 
 
 When requiring the plates for use, a piece, according to the 
 size of design to be produced, is cut from the plate. This piece 
 is glued on a wood block, as used for electros or stereos, made of 
 the proper thickness to correspond with the height of the type. 
 Care must be taken that the glue is perfectly liquid. After 
 glueing the board on the block, the surface is covered with a 
 sheet of paper and then subjected to gentle pressure, by putting 
 it in a copying press or hand press until dry. 
 
 In order to transfer the design on the tint-plate, the key- 
 block, consisting either of brass rules or complete ornaments, 
 into which the tints are to fit, is inked with printing ink. An 
 impression on good paper of medium thickness is then taken 
 and placed face downwards on the tint-plate. By means of a 
 hand-press, litlio-press, rolling machine, or, for small jobs, by 
 rubbing the back of the paper with a paper-knife, the impres- 
 sion is transferred on the tint-plate, which, owing to the 
 peculiarity of its surface, will show the design in clear 
 outlines. 
 
 After completing the transfer and mounting the plates on a 
 wood block, the design is cut out. First, the outlines of the 
 design are engraved into the surface by means of the engraving 
 needle, utilising an ordinary ruler for straight lines, and a com- 
 pass for circles. After having thus marked the outlines, the 
 other tools, chisel and scraper, come into use. The chisel, witli 
 
ARTISTIC PRINTING. 
 
 70 
 
 its straight edge against that part of the design which is to 
 remain, is pressed downwards, thus separating entirely the 
 design from all the superfluous parts. The latter can be easily 
 removed from underneath with the chisel. 
 
 In order to clear away any raggedness of the outlines, they 
 can be smoothed by drawing the flat surface of the chisel along- 
 side the edge. The outlines of complicated designs require the 
 use of the scraping knife. The use of the scraping knife is 
 preferable. It is easily handled in a similar way to an ink- 
 erasing knife, and requires very little skill. 
 
 The explanation given for preparing the plain plates applies 
 more or less to plates with ornamental surfaces. 
 
 By means of the engraving needle, scraping knife, and com- 
 pass, a great many designs may be engraved on the tint-block. 
 As the surface of the plate, in its original state, is quite soft, it 
 will allow all kinds of designs to be worked either by engraving, 
 or by 'pressing them in from existing ornaments of type metal. 
 Many ornaments may thus be utilized for negative printing by 
 impressing them on the plate. The process of impressing the 
 design into the board will also come in use for coloured borders 
 or designs in which the right side is exactly the same as the left 
 one. 
 
 As regards the depth to which the plates are to be cut or 
 engraved, it will be sufficient for thin lines if they are cut in 
 the surface coating only. Broad lines or spaces ought to be cut 
 down to the bottom layer of* paper of the board, or right down 
 to the wood block itself. 
 
 After finishing the design of the block and having it mounted 
 on the wood block, the surface has to be covered with a special 
 solution. This serves to make the block hard and protect it 
 against the pressure and the effects of the ink. 
 
 Messrs. Kampe’s tint-plates have the great advantage that 
 they admit of corrections being made on the plate. If the 
 transfer is not successful, the outlines of the drawing may 
 be wiped off by using a wet sponge. After drying it, and 
 rubbing it over with fine emery cloth, it is once more ready 
 for use. 
 
 Any mistakes in the cutting or engraving can be remedied by 
 means of “ correcting paste.” The cake of paste is wetted with 
 a few drops of water, and after thus softening the paste, it is 
 applied to the crack or cut by means of a camel-hair brush until 
 
A RTISTIC PRINTING . 
 
 77 
 
 it is filled up. The surface is then rubbed even by fine emery 
 cloth, and the design cut in again. 
 
 The plates after using are cleaned by means of a piece of 
 flannel saturated with paraffin or turpentine. 
 
 Various Surfaces. — A writer in the Printing Times makes 
 the following suggestions : — 
 
 “ Nature furnishes an infinite variety Of products and pro- 
 cesses from and by which printing surfaces may be obtained ; 
 each kind repeating itself somewhat in general appearance, but 
 never in detail ; each beyond the ordinary powers of man to 
 imitate, and most of them exceedingly beautiful so as to admit 
 of being used in ordinary ornamental work. Take for instance 
 a little sulphate of magnesia (Epsom salts). Make a strong 
 solution, cover the face of a piece of plate-glass, and let it 
 evaporate very slowly. The glass will be covered with a foliated 
 network of crystals, somewhat like window-glass on a frosty 
 day, except that when properly done the crystals will be 
 separate, and not connected at the edges. A mould can be 
 taken by pressure on wax, from which the salts can be washed 
 out by water, and an electro taken from this, which in turn can 
 be printed from, and you have a most beautiful picture of 
 crystallisation. Oxalic acid similarly treated gives a much finer 
 crystal, but the depth of the plate must be increased chemically, 
 or used only on rolled paper, with the very best ink. 
 
 “ Coarser, in the sense of larger, but still exquisite crystals 
 may be obtained by soaking a slab of marble in water all night, 
 and in the morning wiping the top dry, and packing it in a 
 freezing mixture or refrigerator. The water forced up to the 
 top by the contraction of the marble, under the influence of the 
 cold, will freeze in beautiful foliated shapes. The mould from 
 this might be taken preferably by the plaster process, but if by 
 wax, the wax must be cold. 
 
 “ Again, make a solution of gum tragacantlfias in the marbling 
 of paper. Have one oily solution and one solution of ox gall, 
 which sprinkle precisely as for paper ; if you like, you may add 
 a few iron filings to one or both solutions. These solutions will 
 spread just as colours do. Having got a surface to your mind, 
 take it up on a piece of zinc instead of paper, expose the zinc 
 to acids, the oil-covered parts will not be affected, and you will 
 have a beautiful marble ground. The process to be followed in 
 
78 
 
 ARTISTIC PRINTING 
 
 transferring to stone or zinc and etching is as described in 
 previous note on reproduction. 
 
 “ Take a sheet of gutta-percha, warm it, sprinkle iron filings 
 on it, fold it overin the nature of folding a sheet of 8vo, knead 
 it slightly, let it cool and get hard, then cut carefully in two 
 across the folds, and you will have a layer, or rather a series of 
 layers of a variegated design of gutta-percha and iron filings,, 
 the beauty of which will depend upon your skill in manipulating 
 them. Try again, if not pleased at first, and when suited dip 
 the smooth face into nitric acid, which will eat out the iron and 
 leave the gutta-percha untouched. Take a plaster mould from 
 this, and print from stereo. Wax is unsuitable. 
 
 “ Take a block of some knotty, irregularly-grained wood, and 
 have it planed across in the direction in which the grain is most 
 distorted. Then soak it in sulphuric acid, and the softer parts 
 of the wood will be chaired away faster than the hard ones, so 
 that the grain will appeal' in ridges and hollows. This may be 
 duplicated by a plaster cast and stereotyped. 
 
 “ If a pane of glass be firmly held at one corner and sprinkled 
 with fine sand or lycopodium seed, and then a violin bow be 
 drawn across the edge so as to produce a musical note, the seed 
 or sand will arrange itself into very curious figures, stars, 
 squares, triangles, and so on, very much after the nature of a 
 kaleidoscope. This effect can be reproduced by plaster or by 
 wax mould, the seed being eaten out of it by acid before taking 
 an electro.” 
 
 An American technical journal says : — 
 
 “ A pretty and attractive tint plate is made in the following 
 simple manner : 
 
 “ Saturate thoroughly a piece of blotting paper with water, 
 after which put it in a stereotype casting box, and pour in 
 melted type metal as though making a stereotype plate. The hot 
 metal coming in contact with the wet paper will cause a peculiar 
 formation of pattern. Great care should be exercised to prevent 
 the hot metal from splashing on the operator. TJse a very long 
 handled ladle to pour from, and stand well back from the casting 
 box. 
 
 “ Some six years ago this process was first discovered, but has 
 been carefully guarded as a secret from the public. The most 
 attractive and unique borders, tint plates, and designs for colour 
 printing can be produced in this way.” 
 
ARTISTIC PRINTING. 
 
 
 An Ameiican writer who has used this kind of leather for a 
 flesh tint in a portrait says — 
 
 “ Patent Leather is excellent for tint blocks, and besides being 
 cheap, has the advantage of being easy to prepare. Having 
 first mounted a piece of patent leather an inch square on a 
 block of wood, I toox a proof of the cut on hard paper, using 
 plenty of ink. I next laid the patent leather block, face up, 
 on bed of hand press, and, having cut off the head part of the 
 proof of cut, I laid it ink-side down on the surface of the 
 leather, and pulled an impression, which left a reverse print, or, 
 as we might say, an off-set on the leather ; and after dusting 
 bronze powder on the same, and having allowed it to dry, I 
 proceeded to carefully cut away all leather not included in face, 
 following closely the outline of ear, forehead, collar, &c. With 
 this block I printed the tint, following with the cut, in a darker 
 colour, observing accurate register. In mixing the tint, I laid 
 out sufficient white ink, adding a little yellow, and enough red 
 to give the mass a pink colour.” 
 
 Grained Woods . — Different grained woods, such as oak, ash, 
 and sycamore, may be used to advantage in fancy printing. 
 Tint blocks are easily made from these woods, which may be 
 cut to any desired shape. 
 
 Sandpaper may be cut out in odd designs and mounted on a 
 block of wood and used for embossing paper. The sandpaper 
 may be of a fine grade ; or a coarse sand makes deeper punctures 
 and will please better, perhaps. 
 
 Emery Paper . — Take a strip of engraver’s wood and lay on it 
 a piece of fine emery paper. Then, after laying on the top of 
 the emery paper several pieces of cardboard, take an impression 
 upon it either on a platen or cylinder machine. 
 
 A mottled appearance may be obtained by printing from a 
 wood engraving which has previously been given a crushing 
 impression directly on the rough surface of ^arse sandpaper, 
 thus puncturing the face of the cut, and c^usMig it to print in 
 the mottled style. >- c L * 
 
 Perforated Tin makes good material for tint blocks, and may 
 be easily cut into any shape desired by using sharp tin shears. 
 
 Figured Sheet Brass , which may be had in a variety of odd 
 and unique designs, will present a wide field for the ingenious 
 printer. This may be procured of dealers in sheet metals, or the 
 tinsmith can procure it. 
 
80 
 
 ARTISTIC PRINTING. 
 
 Ribbon of different designs is useful. It is glued to a block 
 and then printed in colours. It may be run across the top and 
 bottom of a circular or across the corner of a programme, or 
 it may be printed in tint as a panel on which to work a line 
 of type in darker colour. 
 
 From a piece of bookbinders' cloth direct, a stereo cast can be 
 made in an ordinary casting box. Before making the cast, take 
 a piece of ivory cardboard and lay it on the bottom of the box, 
 while the latter is in a horizontal position. Then lay on the top 
 the piece of cloth, adjust the type-high bars or gauges to the 
 width desired upon the cloth, fasten on the lid of the box, and 
 make the cast. Be careful to have the metal of about the same 
 temperature as in ordinary stereotyping, and pour quickly. 
 Saw the casting off' to the length desired for the job in hand. 
 
 Ruled Tints are made by putting together as many brass 
 rules (as thin as possible) as will cover the space to be tinted. 
 Some German and American printers produce very good effects 
 in this way. 
 
 Labour Saving* Tint Blocks. — The following are American 
 methods of producing what are called “ labour-saving tint 
 blocks : ” — 
 
 In ordinary work of this class special colour blocks have to be 
 provided for each job, which are useless for any other purpose. 
 Besides this, it is usually considered necessary in such jobs to 
 work the tints before the black, and this involves a great deal 
 of preliminary work, as the black and colour formes must be 
 made to register exactly before the press can be started on the 
 first colour forme. By using labour-saving tint blocks, as 
 described below, the expense is greatly reduced, as the same 
 pieces can be used over and over again for different jobs, and, if 
 ordinary care is exercised, the black forme can be worked off at 
 once, and the trouble of getting exact register is reduced to a 
 minimum. 
 
 In displaying a job to be worked in colours in this manner, 
 put the prominent lines in panels of brass rule or border, taking 
 care to have the enclosing rules an equal number of picas or 
 nonpareils apart. Then put the job on the press and run it off, 
 special care being taken, of course, to feed the sheets squarely 
 to the gauges. For this work we have found nothing equal to 
 
ARTISTIC PRINTING. 
 
 81 
 
 the old-fashioned quads pasted to the tympan sheet. Gauge 
 pins and other patent contrivances are liable to slip or work out 
 of place, as the pressman often finds to his sorrow. 
 
 The black or key forme having been printed, the next opera- 
 tion is to cut pieces of labour-saving tint blocks to fit the panels, 
 and justify them so as to fall into their proper places on the job. 
 It is well to put one or two leads and strips of cardboard all 
 round the blocks, so that they can be shifted slightly from one 
 side to the other, or up and down, when the chase is unlocked, 
 without disturbing the rest of the forme. 
 
 When the ink from the first forme is dry, the tints selected 
 can be worked over the black, or whatever colour may have 
 been used. To get good results it is necessary to use magnesia 
 ink in mixing the tints, since ordinary white ink has so much 
 body that it dims the lustre of the colours over which it is 
 worked. In mixing up tints with magnesia* it is necessary to 
 make the colours much darker than they arp> intended to appear 
 on the paper, since the ink is so transparent^ that what appears 
 to be a strong positive colour on the ink sla^beeoines a beautiful 
 tint when transferred to a sheet of paper. |Pink, blue, and the 
 various shades of yellow and brown, make the most suitable 
 colours for use in this manner. We would strongly impress 
 upon those who are tempted to try their n^ntls at this kind of 
 work to use very light shades. Half- th^, cblour jobs turned out, 
 even by printers who profess to makb ^speciality of such work, 
 are spoiled through the use of too positive t&es in the tints. In 
 using tints, the ink disc and rollers mu^ffbe 1 perfectly clean. It 
 is a good plan to distribute a little of the colour on the press, 
 wash up with clean waste or rags, and then put on a fresh supply 
 of ink to work off the job. 
 
 By transferring the principal line in a job to a tint block and 
 cutting out the letters a very tasty effect may be secured. The 
 characters of a combination border can often ‘be substituted for, 
 or used in connection with, a tint block in various ways. A very 
 neat effect is produced by working a job in two shades of the 
 same colour. 
 
 A printer will find a knowledge of the use of engravers’ tools 
 a, great advantage, for although he may not attain the skill 
 necessary for making a fine cut, still he will be surprised and 
 pleased, after a little practice, in finding himself able to turn out 
 very creditable work. A set of tools may be bought at any 
 printers’ warehouse for ten shillings. 
 
 G 
 
82 
 
 ARTISTIC PRINTING. 
 
 General Hints. — Mr. Earhart gives further hints, which 
 coming from such a master of tint-printing are entitled to great 
 consideration. He says : — 
 
 “ For colour or tint blocks, the writer prefers boxwood to any- 
 thing else. For labels, show cards, &c., stereotype metal answers 
 the purpose just as well ; but for fine work, in which delicate 
 tints are needed, boxwood is certainly the best. The stereotype 
 metal is sure to have a bad effect on some tints, making them 
 duller than when printed from boxwood. You have to be more 
 careful with the wood than with the metal, to prevent it from 
 shrinking, warping, and swelling, either of which would cause 
 the block to be out of register.” 
 
 Mr. Earhart recommends the method already mentioned in 
 association with his name, and goes on to say : After the blocks, 
 are engraved, rub their faces thoroughly with a soft silk cloth,, 
 saturated with boiled linseed oil, then wipe them dry and they 
 are ready for use. 
 
 After the printing is done, the blocks ought to be wrapped in 
 dry paper and placed on edge upon a shelf in a dry place. 
 
 During the last few years the author has received many hun- 
 dreds of specimens of colour printing, and, while many of them 
 were beautifully printed, the register of the colours in nine out 
 of ten was bad. In some cases it was evidently due to the 
 blocks being badly cut — possibly the transfers were bad ; in 
 other cases it was due to a lack of knowledge of the proper way 
 to commence the printing of a job in colours. 
 
 The complete method for obtaining perfect register in a job- 
 in colours is as follows : Make the forme ready, and set the 
 
 guides very carefully ; then print forty or fifty register sheets or 
 cards, and be sure that every one is down to the guides before 
 printing. It is best to print the cards or sheets with a grey ink. 
 It is of the utmost importance that they should be fed to the 
 guides with absolute accuracy. You can then register each 
 colour in its proper place, with a certainty of getting a per- 
 fectly registered job, if the pressman knows his business. 
 
 Among the samples were many from Germany, among which 
 were some of the most harmonious combinations of delicate tints 
 the writer has ever seen, but the beauty of many of them was 
 marred by bad register and lack of proper attention to detail in 
 press work. 
 
ARTISTIC PRINTING. 
 
 83 - 
 
 CHAPTER IX. 
 
 Tint Work continued . — Selection of Colours and preparation of Tint Inks. 
 
 Selection of Colours. — In this, great care is required to 
 secure harmony. The softest tints, on this account, are those 
 in which the primary colours do not appear — such, for instance, 
 as drab, buff, etc. Indeed for a ground work of much surface, 
 a primary colour can very seldom be used with good effect. 
 
 When the type work is in several colours, the tints should 
 always be subdued, and “ quieting ” in their effects. 
 
 Where a single tint is used as a groundwork of the text, its- 
 colour should be made to depend on that of the ink used for the 
 text. If much black, blue, or other dark ink is used, the tint 
 may be “ warm,” such as buff, orange, pink, or purple. If warm 
 colours are used in the text, a cool tint, such as drab, grey, or 
 slate may be employed, always seeking to preserve a balance and 
 harmony in the whole. 
 
 To be effective, a tint — especially if it be light or pale — 
 should have a well-defined boundary of a darker colour than 
 itself. This is usually accomplished by working a tint to fill a 
 prescribed space, defined by rules or border. In this case ac- 
 curacy of register is all important, as the tint over-running or 
 falling short of the boundary presents an unsightly appearance. 
 
 Tints are of two kinds : — 
 
 1. Opaque Tints are for completely changing the colour of 
 the ground, as when on a white sheet panels are to be worked 
 in several different colours. 
 
 2. Transparent Tints are used in combination with others 
 to produce additional colours. 
 
 Opaque tints are chiefly made by reducing ordinary coloured 
 inks with Cremnitz white, or “ tint ink ” as sold by the ink- 
 makers. Transparent tints are made by mixing dry colours 
 with varnish or some special preparation. 
 
 Ready made Tint Inks of certain colours are sold by the 
 ink manufacturers. They include : pink, ultramarine blue, 
 purple, salmon, flesh, green, lavender, orange, lemon, cream, 
 blue, olive, deep and light grey, pearl, dark and light brown, 
 brown, sage, buff, and light buffi 
 
84 
 
 ARTISTIC PRINTING. 
 
 These cost from 2/6 per lb. upwards. It is, however, 
 inexpedient — in fact impossible — to keep a stock of tints on 
 hand, and the most satisfactory plan is to make them from 
 ordinary coloured inks as may be required. 
 
 Preparation of Opaque Tint Inks.— This consists, as 
 .already pointed out in modifying, or reducing with white, the 
 tones or degrees of intensity of coloured inks, or dry colours, 
 made into an ink with varnish. 
 
 As the simplest and most usual plan is to buy the coloured 
 inks from the ink-makers, we begin by showing some of the 
 modifications to which they are susceptible when reduced with 
 white. 
 
 Modifying or reducing Coloured Inks with White. — 
 
 The following table shows how some of the most useful tints 
 are produced from the coloured inks named : — 
 
 Chrome lemon q 
 
 Raw sienna 
 Yellow ochre 
 Orange chrome 
 Orange chrome yellow 
 V ermilion 
 Carmine 
 Scarlet lake 
 Magenta lake 
 Purple lake 
 
 Pink 
 
 Buff 
 
 Flesh or Salmon. 
 
 for Yellow tints. 
 
 Lilac or 
 
 Mauve 
 
 Lavender. 
 
 Carmine and Blue 
 Ultramarine 
 •Cobalt 
 Chinese Blue 
 Beep green lake 
 •Green 
 
 Lemon chrome 
 Prussian blue 
 Burnt sienna 
 Burnt umber 
 Blue ink 
 Indian red 
 Orange chrome 
 Purple lake 
 
 1 
 
 ) 
 
 Reddish Brown 
 Blue. 
 
 Purple brown. 
 
 Green. 
 
ARTISTIC PRINTING. 
 
 85 
 
 Grey, made from an admixture of the white with black, may 
 be modified into slate and other tints by the addition of 
 purple or lake, Indian red or carmine. Indigo and white 
 give a good cold grey. 
 
 A tint quite similar to the sepia so much used in water- 
 colour painting is made with equal parts of blue and black 
 added to white. It is a decidedly cold tint, and its chief value 
 is in producing the effect of shadows, and to soften the harsh 
 effect of too brilliant colouring. 
 
 This list is by no means exhaustive, for with white may be 
 combined almost every ink to produce a tint. The range of 
 practical and useful inks is nevertheless comparatively limited, 
 as a tint which will harmonise well with one colour in a job may 
 be painfully out of taste when the next colour is added. It is 
 safest for beginners to be very cautious in seeking varieties of 
 tints. Frequently jobs, otherwise almost faultless, have been 
 entirely ruined from an artistic point of view by a single tint 
 that was out of harmony with some prominent line, or some 
 positive colour in the job. 
 
 The safest tints, as already mentioned, are the quiet and 
 neutral ones, inasmuch as they harmonise with all the positive 
 or bright colours, and furnish a pleasing background for them. 
 If the tint itself is to be made to give prominence to a line, it is 
 usually best to employ a bright or warm tint, although the 
 effect is often as pleasing if a neutral tint is employed, 
 especially if adjacent to bright colours in the job. 
 
 One of the most serviceable tints, for its general effect and 
 adaptability, is green in its various hues. Its use is in harmony 
 with the recognised principle ; the primary colours should be 
 avoided as ground works — green being, of course, a secondary 
 colour, or actual combination of blue and yellow. If the 
 primaries are employed, however, as will sometimes be found 
 advisable, the lettering over them should be sharp and bold, 
 preferably in black. 
 
 The following remarks relate to some of the combinations in 
 the above table. 
 
 Buff . — It may sometimes be desirable to add a trifle of red to 
 deepen the shade. A beautiful bull, however, is made by adding 
 sienna ink to white. 
 
 Pink . — The best colour to produce pink is a pale carmine. 
 It requires but little of the ink to obtain the desired hue, as its 
 
86 
 
 ARTISTIC PRINTING. 
 
 colouring power is strong. This tint should not be extensive in 
 surface nor deep in colour. 
 
 Lilac . — This may be made with purple ink direct, and white, 
 or the careful admixture of carmine and blue with white. The 
 latter is preferable, as the colour, though not permanent, is apt 
 to be more lasting when made of good carmine and indigo, or 
 Prussian blue ink. 
 
 This shade is also susceptible of an infinite variety of grada- 
 tions, from the delicate lavender to a deep violet, according to 
 the proportions of red and blue employed. This last, in its 
 various modifications, while not “ loud,” is quite warm, and may 
 often be used with pleasing effect where no strong or bright 
 colours are employed. 
 
 Green . — This tint is susceptible of many gradations, as well 
 as great delicacy of manipulation, as yehow or blue may be 
 added to produce the almost infinite variety of shades for which 
 green is celebrated. 
 
 The well-known antagonism of green and blue may be har- 
 monised by employing just the right shades of each ; but it 
 cannot be done by rule, only the educated eye can accomplish this. 
 
 Brown . — The various shades of brown may be made by the 
 employment of black, red, and orange inks in different propor- 
 tions, or by the use of such brown inks as are now supplied by 
 the ink makers. 
 
 Blv,e . — White and good blue ink, in any desired quantity, 
 produce the various blue tints. Delicate shades of blue, as 
 tints, are preferable ; and a little yellow added to produce 
 that uncertain stage of colour between blue and green is often 
 most effective. 
 
 An infinite variety of tints may be made, of course, in 
 addition to the above, but the leading and most desirable ones 
 are given. The rest may be left for the printer to produce by 
 experiment, simply adding that any and all must be “ mixed 
 with brains.” 
 
 Of ready-made inks, the best are usually the cheapest. 
 Only the smallest quantity should be purchased at a time, as 
 they generally deteriorate in keeping. A stiffer ink than is 
 actually necessary should be selected, as it can be reduced 
 according to requirements with varnish. 
 
 The White. — Flake white is commonly used for this 
 
ARTISTIC PRINTING. 
 
 87 
 
 purpose (price at the colourman’s about 6d. per lb). Zinc 
 white is also used. The drawback to flake white is that the 
 white oxydises on exposure to the air, hence inks made with it 
 are liable to lose their brightness of tone. Zinc white is 
 permanent, but does not work so well, and is not therefore 
 much used for the purpose. 
 
 Mix the white well, in an earthenware or stone mortar, with 
 strong varnish (about 1/6 per pint), till the mixture is quite 
 stiff. A sufficient quantity for the job in hand only should be 
 mixed at a time. If the ink made for this does not take well 
 to the forme, a piece of soap the size of a nut to each pound of 
 ink may be added. Soap, however, is injurious to certain colours. 
 
 Mander’s Transparent Tinting Ink is recommended where 
 delicate, fine, and permanent tinting is required, as much 
 superior to flake or zinc white. It does not impair the 
 permanence or the brightness of tone of a colour. Other inks 
 •of the same character are referred to at the close of this book. 
 Mander’s is also claimed to be superior to varnish as a medium 
 for tinting, inasmuch as it works sharper, is more solid, and 
 retains its stiffness in working. 
 
 To produce a tint ink with this preparation, it is only 
 necessary to add a small quantity of the proper coloured ink to 
 as much of the tinting ink as will make the shade required. 
 The price is 2/6 per lb. 
 
 The mixing of tint inks by the use of dry colours, varnish, 
 and white will be referred to presently, as the method is used 
 for both opaque and transparent tints A 
 
 Transparent Inks : how to prepare them. — As already 
 stated, these are made from transparent pigments, ground only 
 in varnish. They are more difficult to use than opaque tints. 
 
 The artists’ golourmen sell artists’ oil colours in tubes, and 
 when pale tints are required these are very convenient, as 
 they are thoroughly ground. All that is necessary to make 
 the ink is to mix these colours with strong varnish. They 
 have not, however, great depth, and are too expensive for large 
 jobs. The tubes which will be found most usefui are : — 
 
 Medium chrome, orange chrome, raw sienna, burnt sienna, 
 
 * .It need hardly be said that these tint inks are not alone used for grounds. 
 In many of the most beautiful specimens now produced the whole of the letter- 
 press is often printed in tint inks. 
 
88 
 
 ARTISTIC PRINTING. 
 
 carmine, ultramarine, cobalt, indigo, Chinese blue, Indian red, 
 Roman ochre, burnt umber. 
 
 By admixture with the colours named and varnish, may be 
 compounded : — 
 
 Deep greens of different shades 
 Indian red and medium chrome 
 Purple lake and medium chrome 
 Indian red and crimson lake 
 Umber of various kinds 
 Indigo 
 
 Green. 
 
 Yellow brown. 
 
 Brown. 
 
 Indigo and lake 
 
 Grey. 
 
 Opaque tints dry harder than transparent ones, hence are 
 most useful for printing upon. 
 
 In drying, light colours mixed with white, become paler. 
 
 With the exception of sienna, umber, and Prussian blue, 
 varnish tints require the addition of dryers. 
 
 As already stated, inks of nearly all kinds can be obtained 
 from the ink makers, and as a rule it is as economical as it is 
 convenient to procure them ready made. 
 
 The colours may, however, be bought, The first thing to be 
 done is to get them ground to an impalpable powder. They 
 have then to be mixed. 
 
 Mixing Powder or Dry Colours for tint grounds. — 
 
 Put about a dessert spoonful of varnish on the slab, and put as 
 much colour to it as can be worked into it with the palette 
 knife. Then grind it with a muller, having a slightly rounded 
 face. Grip the muller with both hands and rub it backward and 
 forward over as much of the slab as is convenient. In a little 
 while it will be found that the ink becomes thinner and will 
 carry more pigment. Sprinkle a little more over it, and again 
 use the muller. Proceed in this manner until as much pigment 
 is incorporated with the varnish as is consistent with the use of 
 the muller, which at this stage will be found to pass over the 
 ink with difficulty, but yet without much tendency to displace 
 it. The ink should now be scraped into the middle of the slab,, 
 by means of a stiff palette knife, and ground again. Repeat 
 until the ink appears to work quite smoothly, and shows a 
 surface free from any appearance of grittiness when the palette 
 knife is drawn across with a sideways motion. 
 
 It is now too stiff for use, and if attempted to be distributed 
 
ARTISTIC PRINTING. 
 
 89 
 
 on the roller would be in patches. To render it suitable for 
 printing more varnish must be added. The more pigment the 
 varnish will carry, without destroying its printing properties, 
 the better working the ink will be. 
 
 Thin varnish gives a free working ink, but has a tendency to 
 clog the work. If too much is added, it will tear soft paper in 
 being lifted from the forme. 
 
 For preparing large quantities of colours grinding machines 
 are used. They will be referred to in the Appendix. 
 
 American Method (Mr. Kelly’s directions). — Having in a 
 previous chapter given Mr. Kelly’s instructions for making the 
 plate, we append his views as to mixing the tint ink. 
 
 “ The basis of the ink is white, composing from three-fourths 
 to nine-tenths or more of its entire body, according to the 
 depth and character of the colours employed in tinting it. For 
 fine work only the best white ink should be used. This should 
 be made of proper working consistency by the use of varnish 
 before adding the colour, as the mixture of the latter is thus- 
 more readily insured. 
 
 “ Difficulty is often experienced with tint inks, caused chiefly 
 by the use of a poor quality white. This becomes apparent by 
 a chalky film which accumulates on the plate and the rollers- 
 while working, and by the work drying with a chalky surface, 
 causing the colours that may be printed over them to crawl, and 
 otherwise work badly. On some kinds of paper this is difficult 
 to avoid, even with the best of inks, and in such cases it is some- 
 times advisable to use magnesia white, or flake white, or even a 
 clear varnish as a vehicle for the colour — the latter in most cases- 
 working very effectively. 
 
 “ The amount of colour used in the tint will depend on the 
 amount of ink required in working the black. It is better to 
 use only enough to produce an even surface, well covered, rather 
 than a large quantity put on thickly. This will be governed 
 very much by the paper or card used. If the latter is hard and 
 highly finished it will require less ink to cover a smooth surface,, 
 in which case it should be mixed stronger, both in consistency 
 and colour.” 
 
 Miscellaneous Hints and Cautions . — The following are from 
 a German source. The excellence of German tint work and the 
 
90 
 
 AUTISTIC PRINTING. 
 
 good taste nearly always displayed in it entitle the views here 
 .given to careful attention. 
 
 “ Tints ought to be used to bring forward separate parts of a 
 job, or to serve as a background for the whole or for single sec- 
 tions of it. As regards harmony, the tints which are least 
 liable to violate it are those in which the principal colours do 
 not appear in a pure state — such as grey, green, tan, blue-grey 
 and flesh. For a large surface it is very rarely that a 
 tint made from a primary colour can be used with good effect. 
 If a job is printed in several bright colours, the tint must always 
 be quiet and dull. In printing with type or borders on a tint, 
 the latter must be dependent upon the colour of the work printed 
 over it. If we use a cold colour, such as black, blue, green, for 
 the forme, we must use a warm colour, such as yellow, brown, 
 •orange, rose, for the tint, and vice versa. 
 
 “ If we print the forme in blue, we should use a warm tan for 
 the tint ; if in green a rose tint. In most cases grey for the 
 neutral colour, in various gradations as blue-grey or green-grey, 
 will produce a good effect. Black harmonises equally as well 
 as grey with nearly all colours, but it is well to remember that 
 with black we should use light, luminous colours. 
 
 “To be efficacious, a tint surface, especially if it be faint or 
 light, should be surrounded by outlines printed in a heavier 
 colour than the tint, as otherwise that tint would lose itself in 
 the colour of the paper. Accuracy of register is of course 
 absolutely necessary, since nothing looks uglier and is more 
 •disturbing than a tint forme which does not match exactly. 
 
 “We should not select natural colours, if avoidable ; thus glar- 
 ing Prussian blue or grass-green are out of the question. The 
 beginner should be especially careful in this respect. This rule 
 is the more imperative from the fact that a large number of 
 people of artistic culture maintain that natural colours do not 
 satisfy the artistic taste. 
 
 “ Though tint inks can be obtained ready made from the 
 manufacturer, artistic printers generally mix their own. This 
 may be done in two ways. First we may reduce the colour with 
 white. For this purpose we take of the best dry white, and 
 grind on a slab, if we do not procure it already ground. Then 
 we add a small quantity of weak varnish, enough to form a 
 dough-like mass, which must be ground and mixed thoroughly, 
 meanwhile adding more varnish until the desired consistency is 
 
ARTISTIC PRINTING. 
 
 91 
 
 obtained. To this we add very small portions of the colour 
 'desired for the tint. In doing this we must be very careful. 
 A quantity of colour the size of a pea — especially of the darker 
 shades — will give the ink quite a decided tinge. Should this be 
 insufficient, we add extremely small parts of the colour until the 
 ■desired tint is arrived at, in the meantime constantly grinding 
 the mass. This is better than to risk adding too much colour 
 all at once, in which case an addition of more white or varnish 
 would be necessary to bring the" combination down to the 
 required degree of tint that is wanted, and would also result in 
 •one having more of that tint than we need for use, the remainder 
 often spoiling on our hands. Considering the high price of good 
 coloured inks and varnish, waste is to. be avoided. 
 
 “ The second method of obtaining tint colours is that of adding 
 varnish without the white. This method is preferable to the 
 former. First, because we are not in danger of spoiling the 
 colour through the addition of impure white ; secondly, because 
 the tint lies clear and transparent upon the paper and does not 
 appear — as is often the case when white is used — as if it were 
 •covered by a layer of chalk. Thirdly, because we are enabled to 
 print such a tint easily over nearly all dark colours, excepting 
 perhaps red, without affecting the forme colour of the rules, 
 borders, or type faces, when these are printed beforehand, which 
 is of great importance in obtaining a correct register. By this 
 method we can also change the depth of the tint much easier 
 .and better, and bring it into greater harmony with the forme 
 •colour, than if we print the tint first, and are then obliged to 
 alter the principal colours to match the tint. Especially in 
 hurried work, where we have no time to spare for experi- 
 menting with colours and tints, is this method superior to 
 the first in assuring a more harmonious result in the colour 
 .combinations. 
 
 “ The mixing is done in the same manner as with ordinary 
 colours, except that the quantity of varnish added is much 
 larger. It is not so easy, however, to judge the exact shading 
 •of the tint, because the colour does not, as in cases where 
 we add the white, become lighter, but appears almost as 
 dark on the stone as the forme colour. The best way to 
 judge the depth of the tint is to spread it smoothly over 
 the stone. The more transparent it appears the lighter is the 
 tint. 
 
92 
 
 ARTISTIC PRINTING!. 
 
 “ In printing the tint, we are careful to see that the shade is of 
 the proper depth, and we do not try to make it heavier by adding 
 
 more ink ; this affects the purity of the tint. 
 
 a n 
 
 we do not care to incur the danger of arriving at a 
 result contrary to our wishes, we do not begin the printing of a 
 tint job until we have first made a complete proof, showing 
 the effect of the colour combinations ; as it is often the case 
 that a colour, which harmonises perfectly with one or two others, 
 will greatly offend the eye when a third enters into the com- 
 bination. Nothing remains then but to experiment with other 
 colours, and by such groping about in the dark we lose much 
 valuable time, perhaps much more than would have been neces- 
 sary to obtain a complete proof in the first place, and still the 
 job is likely to be but moderately satisfactory. Many examples 
 of work, which though faultless in all other respects, are com- 
 pletely spoiled by the mere addition of colours which do not 
 harmonise with the others,” 
 
 In regard to the second plan of doing colour work as men- 
 tioned above, Messrs. Parsons, Fletcher & Co. manufacture a 
 colourless transparent tinting medium for letterpress printing, by 
 which tints may be printed over the coloured lines, even black 
 and red, without interfering with their brightness. The medium 
 is sold at 2s. 6d. per lb., and is certainly a great convenience and 
 advantage to colour printers who wish to try this method. 
 
 CHAPTER, X. 
 
 Owltype, Chaostype, and Selenotype — Origin — Method of producing them. 
 
 The styles of typographic embellishment known as Owltype, 
 Chaostype, and Selenotype consists of an irregular kind of design 
 formed in type metal by the stereo process. The block, which 
 may be printed in colours and in gold, resembles marble, clouds, 
 and other forms of a crude and odd, and apparently accidental 
 character, producing a striking and sometimes weird effect. 
 
 Owltype and chaostype were invented in America. We are 
 not here called upon to decide the very much disputed point 
 which of the two systems was first practised, and which of them 
 seems to have suggested the idea of the other. The late Mr. 
 S. Reed Johnston, of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, brought out- 
 
ARTISTIC PRINTING. 
 
 93 
 
 Ovvltype about 1877, and has stated that, while experimenting in 
 printing white on a black or very dark background, he stumbled 
 on a process he had never seen or heard of,* and christened it 
 Owltype after the trade mark, an owl, which had been adopted 
 a year or two previously as a distinctive sign of the firm, Messrs. 
 Eichbaum and Co., for whom he acted as printing superinten- 
 dent. Chaostype was brought out by Mr. J. F. Earhart, of 
 Cincinnati, several years later. He was experimenting with 
 Owltype but abandoned it, when he came upon some specimens 
 done by W. J. Johnstone and Co. which incited him to renewed 
 effort, and the result was his chaostype. He does not claim to 
 be the originator of this style of printing, but the inventor of 
 the process which he called Chaostype, and for which he was 
 awarded a patent. He defends his claim to originality on this 
 specific ground in the American Model Printer, September, 
 1883, and his contention was not traversed, reiterating it in the 
 Superior Printer , January 1888. The name chaostype aptly 
 indicates the result obtained by the method. In 1883 some 
 specimens of Mi*. Earhart’ s chaostype attracted the attention 
 of Herr Anton Halauska, of Hallein, Austria, who after many 
 experiments brought out Selenotype, which he so named from 
 its resemblance to the jagged illumined surface of the moon, seen 
 through a telescope. Its effect is rich and brilliant. For his 
 invention he received a gold medal and certain privileges from 
 the Austrian government. The method is now largely used 
 throughout Austria and Germany. It is also used in France, 
 where it is called Plombotype. 
 
 Owltype. — The following is the method, as communicated 
 by the late Mr. Johnston. Take a piece of thick glazed and 
 coloured cardboard. If it is enamelled, pass a damp sponge or 
 rag over the surface to remove the superfluous glaze. Then 
 take China white, or any other fine clay, and mix it with water to 
 make a paste about as thick as treacle, adding a few drops of 
 liquid gum to a wine-glassful of the softened clay. The less gum 
 used the better, though some is required to prevent the clay 
 peeling off the cardboard too easily. Use a rag, small camel-hair 
 
 * It is right to mention that Mr. W. J. Kelly, of New York, produced in 
 1876 beautiful effects by a method of his own, printing in oil colours many 
 imitations of conglomerate stones, woods, shells, etc., by one impression. 
 
94 
 
 ARTISTIC PRINTING . 
 
 brush, or anything similar, in applying the softened clay to the 
 cardboard. The design is obtained by this process. All open 
 spaces or spots left on the cardboard uncovered by the clay will 
 produce the solid, because the high relief parts, when printed. 
 The clay dries rapidly, so that when this is used as the matrix 
 it may be placed in the stereo casting box almost immediately. 
 After casting the plate it should be trimmed, and it will then be 
 ready for going on to the machine. A matrix may be made 
 in the space of two minutes. 
 
 The printing follows, and the peculiarity of the process largely 
 consists in the remarkable effects obtainable by successive over- 
 lapping printings of the block. Suppose it is to be a circular 
 one. First of all make a dead ground the exact size, and print 
 it in red like a tint, but in full colour. Then print upon this 
 the veined Owltype block, in gold preparation and bronze it over. 
 When this is dry and hard, print the block again upon it in 
 ultramarine blue. Let the working, however, be shifted a little 
 out of register, and the outline of the veins, streaks, spots, etc., 
 will be left in bright bronze, while the surface generally — except 
 in the parts painted over in the cardboard matrix, which will be 
 bright red — will be a bluish bronze. An outline of the shape, like 
 a rule border in black, should be printed afterwards. 
 
 Another ivay of printing . — First work the solid ground colour, 
 covering all the space to be occupied by the Owlplate, and let 
 that dry. Next print the Owltype on the top of this colour in 
 black, shifting a little to one side for an edge, and let the work 
 dry thoroughly. Next print the same plate on top of the black 
 with gold size, shifting the sheet the other way to get a black 
 edge, and dust on the fine gold bronze. Sometimes a second 
 bronze is used, generally a green, when the sheet is shifted 
 further for the other gold bronze, so as ro leave room for the 
 green to get an edge of gold on one side and black on the other. 
 
 There is hardly a limit to the possibilities of arrangement, 
 either alone or in combination, with type formes or rule formes. 
 
 Another way. — In this way, suggested by Mr. P. S. M. Monro, 
 editor of the American Art Printer , the use of bronze is dis- 
 pensed with. 
 
 The ground work, under the Owltype plate, is a pale green tint, 
 thus made : — - 
 
 Emerald green ink ... ... ... 1 part 
 
 White ... ... ... ... 10 parts 
 
OW LTY P E 
 
 SLENOTYPE 
 
 Printed by l. Wilding, The Salop Art Press, 33 Castle Street, Shrewsbury, 
 WITH A. B FLEMING and CO.’S INKS. 
 
. 
 
 
 V 
 
 
 
ARTISTIC PRINTING. 
 
 95' 
 
 Let the Owltype block be printed in a claret brown, which can 
 be obtained by mixing the following inks : — 
 
 Carmine lake ... ... ... ... 5 parts 
 
 Loyal purple ... ... ... ... 2 ,, 
 
 Lose lake ... ... ... ... 1 ,, 
 
 Bronze blue ... ... .. ... 1 ,, 
 
 Such a piece of Owltype would be improved by being worked 
 with a buff border, made with these inks : — 
 
 Law Sienna 
 Lemon yellow 
 White ... 
 Black . . . 
 
 2 parts 
 
 1 „ 
 
 8 „ 
 
 Chaostype. — Mr. Earhart’s private process is, we believe,, 
 still peculiar to himself, but its general outlines are known ancl 
 are frequently adopted. It seems to vary from Owl-type 
 practically in the method of making plates. It is worked on a 
 flat ground tint. To form the chaostype block a small stereo 
 apparatus is used. On the interior of the casting box, not heated, 
 oil or water is sprinkled. Then the molten stereo metal is 
 poured, or rather dropped in ; where the water or oil has 
 lodged there will, of course, be declivities in the cast. 
 
 Much of the peculiar appearance of chaostype is produced 
 during the casting. The colder the plate the better the cast. 
 A wavy appearance may be produced by the hot metal being- 
 flowed over other metal which is already cooling. 
 
 Mr. E. J. Walshe, of London, writing to a trade journal, the 
 British Printer, points out how the stereo casting box may be 
 dispensed with, and the plate made in an ordinary treadle- 
 platen machine. Make up a forme the size of the intended 
 plate, with a piece of deal board, a pica lower than the type 
 and surround it on three sides with brass rules. Place on the 
 machine, which close up as if an impression were to be taken. 
 Previously, however, place a piece of glazed brown paper over 
 the board inside the rule border. Oil the latter and the platen 
 to prevent the metal sticking. The side of the forme without 
 the rule should be uppermost. Drop the water or oil into the 
 platen of the machine as before described. Then pour for the 
 intended plate. If the stream is irregularly poured, all sorts 
 of varied and diversified patterns can be obtained. 
 
D6 
 
 ARTISTIC PRINTING. 
 
 Selenotype. — Herr Karl Kampe gives the following 
 instructions in his Stereotypeur. 
 
 The features of this are a series of large and small holes, 
 not the veins that distinguish the other methods. They are 
 obtained by the use of resin. A space equal to the size of the 
 required plate is built round with stereo clumps on a smooth, 
 clean, imposing stone. In this space, a thin layer of powdered 
 resin is strewn, and among it some grains not larger than a 
 pin’s head. The layer must be a very thin one, for if it is too 
 thick the surface of the plate cannot be printed from. The 
 dust forms the characteristic little dots, the larger grains the 
 bigger holes. Type metal is now melted* and poured into the 
 frame. The ladle must be carried over the whole 
 surface and the metal not allowed to run from one part 
 to another. The plate will now have to be planed down on the 
 back, the surface, of course, being very uneven. 
 
 When there are no conveniences for this, the following plan 
 may be tried. Take a wood block of the size of the required 
 plate, and drive nails into it so that their heads project about 
 a pica above the surface. Hip this plate and the nails down- 
 wards into the metal while still fluid, and level any inequalit’es 
 between the plate and the wood by pouring additional metal in. 
 As it is difficult to hold the block so that the surface is 
 absolutely level, it may afterwards be levelled up in sealing wax. 
 
 Another kind of Owltype. — Mr. E. J. Walshe has tried 
 satisfactorily, the following plan. Instead of the plate 
 formed by marbling as it were the cardboard with the clay com- 
 position, the printing may be done from thin pieces of cork, such 
 as boot soles are sometimes made of. Form the solid tint with 
 cardboard, cut to the size required, and glued on a type-high 
 wooden block. To get a smooth surface, lay the two, cardboard 
 side downward, on a piece of glass, with a weight at the top 
 until the glue is quite dry. 
 
 For the Owltype block, select a piece of cork, with plenty of 
 holes in it. Other holes and marks can be made by picking them, 
 out with a penknife or bodkin. Then place this cork on a 
 wooden block which has been painted over with hot thin glue, 
 and let the two dry hard. The pattern wanted must be got by 
 
 * The test of proper heat is that when a strip of white pap^r is dipped into 
 it, the paper should turn a pale brown. 
 
ARTiSTIC PRINTING. 
 
 97 
 
 reversing the cork ; that is, by placing the side selected next to 
 the wood, otherwise the pattern would be the opposite to that 
 intended. 
 
 In printing, use the cardboard first for the solid block, in red. 
 When dry, print with the cork block in gold or silver bronze. 
 When again dry, print once more in dark blue with the cork 
 block, the lay being shifted to give the edge outlines about a six- 
 to-pica lead. 
 
 By the exercise of a little ingenuity many other surfaces of 
 this kind may be produced. Some processes have been 
 advertised in this country under the names of Cloudtype, 
 Dadotype, Metamorpliic, Marbled-type, etc., it being claimed by 
 their “ inventors ” that they were known to them years before 
 Owltype was brought out. We are not in a position to form 
 any decided opinion as to their originality. 
 
 CHAPTER X. 
 
 Initials. — Origin of this kind of Book Embellishment — Selection of Initials — 
 Having regard to Style and Size — Proper Position in the Page — Lining 
 with Type — Indentation of the Matter following Initial Ornaments — Two 
 Colour Initials. 
 
 An Initial is the first letter of a word. As used by printers 
 the word has a more restricted meaning, being confined to the 
 first letter of the first word of a chapter, paragraph, or other- 
 portion into which the text is divided, and which is desired to 
 be emphasized by the use of a larger character than the capitals 
 of the text-type. 
 
 Initials may be of two kinds ; plain, such as two-line roman 
 letters, or letters embellished with various designs. The latter 
 kind, which may be distinguished as ornamental initials, when 
 appropriate in design and correctly placed, embellish almost any 
 description of typographic composition. Up till quite recently 
 their use has been mainly confined to book- work. Plain initials 
 have always been used in newspapers to mark with distinctness 
 the beginning of a separate advertisement, but their value in 
 this class of work need not be here dealt with. Practically, the 
 book printer has almost up to the present possessed a monopoly 
 
 H 
 
98 
 
 artistic printing. 
 
 of artistic letters for the purpose. Of late years founders have 
 supplied highly-ornate characters of the kind suitable for almost 
 any class of jobbing work, and printers have not been slow to 
 avail themselves of them. ' 
 
 The use of initials is older than the art of letterpress printing. 
 In manuscript books, which preceded the typographic ones, and 
 served as their models, this kind of ornamentation was nearly 
 always employed. It diversified the stiff and monotonous 
 appearance f a page, and afforded an opportunity for the 
 miniature painter to exhibit his skill. Sometimes the letter 
 itself formed an illustration appropriate to the text. 
 
 In what is considered the first printed book — the Latin 
 Vulgate Bible of Gutenberg — the initials are very elaborate 
 indeed, but they were not printed, being painted in by hand. 
 Several magnificent works subsequently issued were embellished 
 in the same way, the printers resorting to the scriveners and 
 manuscript illuminators, whose business it was to supply such 
 work. Some of it was gorgeously painted, and showed a high 
 conception of artistic taste both in the treatment of the 
 ornaments and the choice of the colours. There has, indeed, 
 never since been anything of the kind produced which surpasses 
 this, done in the very cradle-time of typography. Lively 
 contrasts of pigments were ventured upon to produce gay and 
 striking effects ; gold and silver were used in abundance to 
 intensify the result ; and the device was seldom carried to the 
 extreme of vulgarity. The men who painted these initials were 
 artists, not merely mechanics. There is much to be learned by 
 the modern printer from these books. 
 
 In some volumes which have been preserved, a large blank 
 space is found with a very small letter of the size of the text in 
 the centre. Such books show that it was the custom to publish 
 books not ornamented in this fashion, leaving it for the pur- 
 chaser to have the initial painted in according to his taste and 
 means. The small letter was left to guide the artist, who was 
 not unfrequently an illiterate man. It was afterwards covered 
 with the painting. 
 
 This method of decorating the text was a very costly one. 
 It is analogous to the continental system of issuing books in 
 paper covers (brochures) in order that the purchaser may have 
 them bound according to his own taste. The printers accordingly 
 soon began to seek mechanical methods by which this work 
 
AETISTIC PElNTlNG. 
 
 99 
 
 could be accomplished. It took a long time to get book-buyers 
 to approve and to become accustomed to this expedient. When 
 coloured initials were used, there was great difficulty in obtaining 
 register, owing to the mechanical shortcomings of the old hand 
 press, with its yielding tympan. The variety of colours was 
 abandoned, and red alone accompanied the black of the letter- 
 press. As cheapness prevailed, this second colour was dispensed 
 with, and the whole of the book was printed in black. 
 
 The adoption of this single colour plan had another effect. 
 An initial in black had a heavier and more massive effect than 
 one printed in red ; hence it was necessary to reduce the size of 
 the initials. This reduction was further carried out as type of 
 smaller sizes became used for the body letter. 
 
 In the style of the initials another change took place. When 
 the initial was set into the type matter, it was more convenient 
 when square, or rectangular. Hence the long runners or stems 
 of plants, tendrils, vine ornaments, and other forms which added 
 to the gorgeousness of the early Gothic initials had to be dis- 
 pensed with. Artists provided the printer designs composed 
 either of figures of animals or plants, or a combination of both. 
 These were varied according to treatment. Some were letters 
 and ornaments which appeared white on a dark, stippled, or 
 shaded background ; others were in black on a white back- 
 ground ; others were outlines on white or black backgrounds. 
 
 Then succeeded a general decline of the art of book-printing. 
 About a hundred years ago it became customary to form initials 
 by surrounding a capital letter of the same size as the text with 
 what were called “ flowers,” on a sort of panel. These flowers 
 were pieces of ornaments which were used for running borders. 
 Specimens of them, “from the foundry of William Caslon,” are 
 given in Luckombe’s “ History and Art of Printing ” (London, 
 1771). The flowers are very poorly designed, and consist chiefly, 
 not of floral shapes, as the name might imply, but of ordinary 
 conventional ornaments. 
 
 Within the last twenty-five years the popular taste, which 
 showed a downward tendency, has made a decided change for 
 the better. The founders have supplied the printers with a 
 great number of novelties in initials which follow the styles of 
 the old masters. These can be readily brought into harmony 
 with modern tendencies in regard to artistic printing. The 
 evolution of the style of the modern initial is a subject fraught 
 
100 
 
 Artistic printing. 
 
 with interest, and one whose study may be commended to all 
 who aspire to execute decorative typography. Hence the 
 preceding historical outlines are not out of place in a practical 
 book like the present. 
 
 Selection Of Initials. — Styles . — As all readers will be aware, 
 there are two styles of ornament — the natural and the con- 
 ventional. In the former, natural objects are represented with 
 some regard to fidelity and accuracy ; in the latter, such objects 
 are treated in an imaginative manner, with little regard to 
 reproducing the form of the original, the chief aim of the artist 
 being to secure flowing, symmetrical, and pleasing lines and 
 subtle curves. Symbolism is often sought after, while veri- 
 similitude is intentionally neglected. This statement of the 
 difference of the two styles is extremely crude, owing to 
 exigencies of space. Readers desirous of understanding the subj ect 
 may be referred to the many books on design which are now 
 published, some of them at a very low price. 
 
 The styles of initials may be roughly divided in the same 
 way as that of ornamentation generally is divided — into natural 
 and conventional. The conventional design is appropriate to all 
 kinds of composition with certain limitations to be hereafter 
 mentioned. The natural design seems appropriate only when it 
 bears relation to the subject of the text. This, however, is not 
 the opinion of all printers. Yet it would seem most fitting to 
 use floral rather than animal forms for a book on botany, and 
 vice versa for a book on zoology. 
 
 Similarly, an initial or other ornament which is perfectly 
 proper in a humorous or an imaginative book may be quite 
 inappropriate in one on science or theology. 
 
 As far as possible, the whole of the initials throughout the 
 book should be of the same style of ornament. Uniformity in 
 this respect is necessary. Hence designers are told to work 
 out some particular design throughout a whole alphabet.* 
 
 Size. — In selecting an initial care should be taken in the 
 
 * In buying a set of French initials the printer should ascertain if there is 
 the letter W comprised in it, for although so much used in English it forms 
 no part of the French alphabet. If the fount is deficient in this respect the 
 printer will have to get a letter cut specially. 
 
ARTISTIC PRINTING. 
 
 101 
 
 first place that it is not too large, and is proportionate to (1) 
 the size of the page, (2) the size of the text letter. 
 
 No rule can be laid down on this point — the matter must be 
 left to the taste of the compositor. If too large, the initial will 
 have a disagreeable, overloaded appearance. 
 
 By its size or style the initial should not detract from the 
 effect of any engraving, headpiece, tailpiece, or vignette in the 
 page. It is essential that the initial selected should harmonise 
 with these embellishments. 
 
 The whole page should be regarded, in considerations f size 
 of initials ; not the width of a single column, if the matter is 
 broken up into columns. 
 
 The size of the initial is often modified with regard to the 
 openness or otherwise of the composition. The more “white” 
 there is in the page, the larger may be the initial. 
 
 As a general rule there should not be more than one initial 
 in a page. 
 
 For plain bookwork, or for matter like it, in which display is 
 avoided, a plain two-line letter may be large enough. For a 
 large quarto page or a circular a much larger initial may be 
 permissible. 
 
 For ordinary plain bookwork, indeed, initials of the same cut 
 of face as the text are as a rule those most approved. 
 
 In this kind of work, the initial should not exactly range 
 with the second line ; it should have a beard or counter slightly 
 removing it from the third line of text. 
 
 In Germany, where both the Gothic ( or Black ) letters and 
 the Roman are in use as text letters, Black Letter initials are* 
 used in conjunction with Black Letter text, and Roman initials 
 with Roman text. Many good printers in this country do not 
 always observe this rule, adopting for Roman text almost any 
 design of initial letter. 
 
 Position. — The initial should, whenever possible, not be 
 placed too low down in the page. 
 
 p RACTICAL PRINTIN ^ 
 
 Never put, in the commonest advertisement or jobbing work 
 a big letter at the end of a line with the view of balancing the 
 initial at the beginning. Such arrangements as that just given 
 are monstrous. 
 
102 
 
 ARTISTIC PRINTING. 
 
 Great care should be taken that the correct initial is used. 
 Sometimes German text letters, especially when of a very 
 ornamental character, are substituted for each other, owing to 
 the resemblance of some of them ; as E and 0, C and G. In 
 ordinary plain faces of Black, C E G and 0 are quite commonly 
 interchanged. An .alphabet of such should be set up and proved, 
 as soon as the type comes from the foundry. By referring to 
 the proof the letter may be correctly identified. 
 
 Lining 1 . — The top of the head of the initial should line with 
 the top of the type, as 
 
 pRACTICAL. 
 
 Exception 1 . — If the letter is enclosed in a square or geometric 
 figure, the top of the figure itself should range with the type, as 
 
 RTISTIC PRINTING 
 
 and without reference to the position of the letter itself. 
 
 Exception 2. — If the letter is adorned with flourishes, foliage, 
 figures, &c., the letter itself — not the top of the initial — must 
 range with the first line, as 
 
 RTISTIC 
 
 Indentation of Type Matter. — The indentation of the 
 lines adjoining the initial is determined by its shape. 
 
 If the initial is rectangular, the beginning of the first line 
 must be brought as closely as possible to the initial, which, 
 indeed, forms a part of it. The subsequent lines must be 
 indented. What indentation may be necessary must be 
 determined by the taste of the compositor. In an open and 
 wide measure it should not be less than an em of the body of 
 
ARTISTIC PRINTING. 
 
 103 
 
 the text. The first text letter will then stand out from the rest of 
 the text, attached only to the first line. 
 
 The first word, if in Roman, must be set in capitals or 
 small capitals. Some printers set more than this in capitals ; 
 the “ rule of the house” or the “style of the work” will 
 determine this. Herr Winkler, quoted in the Artist Printer , 
 says : — “ Many controversies have arisen, and are constantly 
 arising, as to the propriety of such a custom. I will therefore 
 endeavour to cast a little light on the subject and aid in bringing 
 about a solution of the question. The old printers, that is of 
 the Renaissance period, when they made use of an initial, 
 usually set the whole first line in caps. Later on many were 
 satisfied by having the first word, and others again by having 
 only the first letter following the initial in caps. In latter days 
 the second custom has found much favour, and to my mind it 
 surpasses the others. If we should desire to break away from 
 the antique, and give to custom no authority whatever, we must 
 still admit, after careful study of the subject, that the use of 
 caps for the first word is the best way of indicating the connection 
 between the initial and the balance of the word. This is the 
 ground on which I plead for this rule. Of course I would 
 include the variation of sometimes setting it in small caps, as a 
 long word in caps added to the initial does not make a good 
 effect either. Could we always have a long word at the 
 beginning of an article and a square initial, we could perhaps 
 do without the caps, but we all know what an ugly appearance 
 a word of two or three letters in lower case would make when 
 set next to initials like A, L, I, when these are not provided 
 with sufficient ornamentation to form a square and fill an em 
 body.” Of course, if the text is in Black Letter the first word 
 must be in lower case. The Black Letter caps are only to be 
 used as initials. 
 
 The lines should never be set straight down the side of the 
 initial when it is of a rectangular shape ; the first line must be 
 distinguished from the rest. 
 
 A space must be left at the foot of the initial equal to that 
 at the beginning of the text lines before the full measure is 
 resumed. 
 
 If the initial is of irregular shape this rule must be modified. 
 
 If the pendant is of gradually diminishing size, from the left 
 hand of the letter, the matter may be kept in steps, preserving 
 
104 
 
 ARTISTIC PRINTING. 
 
 approximately the same distance of the beginning of each line 
 from the design. 
 
 If the pendant descends from the centre , the matter should 
 not follow the design, but maintain a straight margin so that 
 the white on each side of the pendant may be properly balanced. 
 This rule, however, is not of universal application. In the case 
 of very large initials and very close text, it sometimes leaves too 
 larg e a white space on the page. As a general direction, how- 
 ever, it should always be borne in mind. 
 
 When a new paragraph begins in the narrow measure caused 
 by the introduction of the initial, it should have the same 
 indentation as the paragraphs in the text. 
 
 In Jobbing Work several of these rules are not invariably 
 observed — sometimes with good effect. For instance, a large 
 initial letter may be placed in the centre of a line to “ throw 
 up” some particular word. As to this, again, no directions can 
 be given — the application of the principles already indicated 
 may be left to the taste and judgment of the compositor. Any 
 error of judgment in this respect is, however, fatal to the general 
 appearance of the job ; hence, it is well to experiment before 
 completing the composition. Proofs of the job without initial 
 may be pulled and proofs of the initial. By pasting the one on 
 the other the effect may be estimated. 
 
 Mr. De Yinne says : “ In open display work a large initial 
 letter may be used entirely out of line with good effect.” This, 
 obviously, is an important exception to the rules above, which 
 apply more particularly to solid matter. 
 
 Decorative initials may be made out of many of the combination 
 ornaments now cast by the founders, especially in conjunction 
 with letters from fancy founts. Some of the latter by themselves 
 make good initials. It is, however, somewhat extravagant as a 
 rule to use letters from a fount for the purpose, as if much worn 
 they may not be fit to be replaced, and thus spoil the fount. If 
 such an initial is used, it should be several removes larger than 
 the size of the text. 
 
 Initial Ornaments are now frequently cast. They consist 
 of a design with an open space, pierced or mortised, to admit a 
 type. These ornaments may be used in connection with various 
 letters, and are to that extent economical. The chief objection 
 to them is that if repeated too frequently they are apt to 
 
ARTISTIC PRINTING. 
 
 105 
 
 become monotonous. The printer who intends to use such 
 designs ought to procure a sufficient number for variety sake. 
 
 Two Colour Initials. — A great variety of initials for 
 printing in two colours are now supplied by the German and 
 some other founders. The letter forms one piece and the 
 ornamentation another. These initials can be worked as two 
 
 colour letters, or the character may be printed in bronze. In 
 the former case, red and black, for instance, may be used — when 
 the ornament will be in red, as a rule, 01* in two harmonising 
 tints. In the latter, the character will be in bronze. Such 
 initials produce very beautiful effects, when the colours used 
 are clean and the register accurate. 
 
106 
 
 ARTISTIC PRINTING. 
 
 CHAPTER XI. 
 
 Borders. — Evolution of the Border — Classification — Line Borders — Repetition 
 Borders — Combination Borders — Justifying — Hints and Cautions. 
 
 Borders (German, Einfassungen or Bordilren; French, Bordures 
 or Vignettes d Combinaisons ) are characters 'forming when 
 composed symmetrical or ornamental designs for the purpose of 
 surrounding and embellishing pages of text, or blank pages (as 
 in covers). 
 
 Some borders are extremely simple, while others are as 
 complicated and elaborate. They may consist of fancy rules of 
 brass, zinc, or type metal ; or a repetition of certain characters 
 such as full points, hyphens, asterisks, and daggers found in 
 ordinary Roman founts ; or of types with an ornamental 
 design cut on their face, instead of letters. When a border is 
 placed round a page it bears, in one sense, some relation to it 
 as the frame does to the picture ; but in another sense it 
 materially affects, by heightening if judiciously selected, or by 
 reducing if unsuitable, the artistic effect of the rest of the 
 composition. 
 
 Evolution Of the Border, — Modern borders are a 
 development or an imitation of what were formerly called 
 “ Flowers.” In his History of the Old English Letter 
 Foundries, Mr. Talbot B. Reed says (p. 82) : “ Type ornaments 
 and flowers began, like the initials, with the illuminators, and 
 were afterwards cut on wood. The first printed ornament or 
 vignette is supposed to be that in the Lactantius , at Subiaco, 
 in 1465. Caxton, in 1490, used ornamental pieces to form the 
 border for his Fifteen O’s. The Paris printers at the same time 
 engraved still more elaborate border pieces. At Venice we find 
 the entire frame engraved in one piece ; while Aldus, as early 
 as 1495, used tasteful head pieces, cut in artistic harmony with 
 his lettres grises. Of the elaborate woodcut borders of succeed- 
 ing printers we need not here speak. As a rule they kept pace 
 with the initial letters, and degenerated with them. Early in 
 the sixteenth century we observe detached ornaments and 
 flourishes, which have evidently been cast from a matrix, and 
 the idea of combining these pieces into a continuous border or 
 
ARTISTIC PRINTING. 
 
 107 
 
 head piece was probably early conceived.* Mores saysf that 
 ornaments of this kind were common before wood engraved 
 borders were adopted, and MoxonJ speaks of them in his day 
 as old fashioned. In Holland, France, Germany, and England, 
 however, these 1 type flowers ’ were in very common use during 
 the eighteenth century, and almost every foundry was supplied 
 with a considerable number of designs cast on the regular 
 bodies. Some of the type specimens exhibit most elaborate 
 figures constructed out of these flowers, and as late as 1820 
 these ornaments continued to engross a considerable space in 
 the specimen of every English founder.” 
 
 A most interesting specimen, which is readily accessible to 
 the printer, is that from the Caslon Foundry, contained in 
 Luckombe’s “History and Art of Printing” (1771). The 
 “ flowers ” occupy four pages (165 to 168), and are cast on the 
 following bodies : great primer, English, pica, small pica, long 
 primer, brevier, and nonpareil. Examples are given of com- 
 binations forming head pieces. After giving some historical 
 particulars as to the origin of flowers — similar to those quoted 
 above from Mr. Peed’s book — Luckombe contents himself by 
 remarking that “ their size should be proportionable to the 
 face of the characters ; since it would be as wrong to use great 
 primer flowers with long primer letter, as it is improper to 
 embolden the look of great primer by long primer flowers.” 
 “ Flowers being either of a rectangular, angular, circular, or 
 square shape, they are used accordingly in making them up for 
 head pages.” His own book contains specimens of this use of 
 flowers. He adds : — “ But as the construction of flower head 
 pieces entirely depends upon the fancy of a compositor, it would 
 be presumption in us to direct him in this point : we therefore 
 leave the displaying of flowers to his own judgment, and to the 
 variety of materials for this purpose.” 
 
 In Stower’s “Printers’ Grammar,” 1808, we are told (p. 98) 
 that “ flowers were formerly considered of the first importance ; 
 and the ingenuity of the compositor in forming devices with 
 different kinds and sizes of flowers was completely put to the 
 
 * A curious collection of these may be seen in the Qiiincuplex Psalter him, 
 printed by Henri Estienne I., at Paris, in 1513, 
 
 t 1778. 
 
 t 1683. 
 
108 
 
 ARTISTIC PRINTING. 
 
 trial. Master printers have now reason to rejoice that the 
 present improved mode of printing has eased them of the burned 
 of expensive founts of letters and cases. They are still used in 
 some of the country towns of England, but principally as 
 borders to cards.” This is the first mention, I think, of the 
 word “border” in a typographical work. Pages 100 to 127 
 are occupied with a most interesting collection of specimens from 
 the foundry of Fry and Steele. In four-line-pica there are three 
 specimens ; two-lme-English three, double pica seven, great 
 primer thirty-three, English thirty-four, pica thirty, small 
 pica thirty-three, long primer fifty-one, brevier thirty-one, non- 
 pareil eighteen, pearl fourteen. Following are thirteen pages 
 of designs of a very ingenious and sometimes most elegant 
 character, made up from the flowers. 
 
 Johnson, in his “ Typographia ” (1824), speaks (vol ii., p. 73) 
 of the “ disuse ” some years previously of flowers, which he 
 attributed to either of the following causes : “ First, the heavy 
 expense incurred in the purchase of them ; secondly, the want 
 of taste evinced by the founders in the selection of their 
 patterns, which certainly are little calculated to suit the general 
 taste of a refined public who are in the daily habit of beholding 
 some of the most beautiful productions of the fine arts.” Johnson 
 adds : “ The founders have nearly taken the whole range of 
 fancy in the cutting of different types ; but they have not kept 
 equal pace in the improvement of flowers, which, with all their 
 defects, are now held in great estimation, and we are convinced 
 that they would again come into pretty general use were the 
 founders to improve by the hints which we have here presumed 
 to suggest.” 
 
 These extracts have a practical bearing as well as an historical 
 interest. Founders and designers would certainly do well to 
 examine and adopt some of the antique specimens to which 
 reference has been made, and compositors may find many useful 
 suggestions in the designs presented. 
 
 It is only within the last few years that the revival foreseen 
 by Johnson has become an actual fact. The several books of 
 the British founders teem with specimens of borders, the word 
 “flower” being now universally superseded. The French, German, 
 and American founders have displayed even greater enterprise 
 (if not always more taste) in the production of this kind of 
 typographical embellishment. In this work we cannot attempt 
 
ARTISTIC PRINTING* 
 
 109 
 
 to give specimens of even the most characteristic borders at 
 present in use. To do so, indeed, would be almost unnecessary, 
 as nearly every printer has an opportunity of seeing a copy of 
 one or other of the books issued by the founders. All we can 
 do is to give some general rules for the proper use of ornaments, 
 with an occasional example when it may be desirable to illustrate 
 our meaning. 
 
 Classification of Borders. — It is impossible to accurately 
 classify the borders at present in use, as the several classes over- 
 lap one another. No terminology is generally accepted ; different 
 borders are variously described by different founders. Roughly 
 dividing the multitudinous designs, according to the nature of 
 their elemeniary parts, we may say these borders are of three 
 classes : 1. Line or Rule Borders ; 2. Repetition Borders ; 
 3. Combination Borders.* 
 
 Line Borders are those now generally made up of what are 
 called “ Combination Brass Rules.” An account of their inven- 
 tion, with specimens of their use, will be found in “ Practical 
 Printing.” These may or may not be used in conjunction with 
 type metal corners. 
 
 These rules were first invented by Mr. Edward Pechey, the 
 London representative of Messrs. Stephenson, Blake, & Co., of 
 Sheffield. In the specimen book issued by this firm will be 
 found some scores of designs of rules, and illustrations of 
 hundreds of the combinations of which they are capable. 
 Nearly all of these combinations form neat, effective, and often 
 handsome borders. The Caslon Specimen Book also presents a 
 large and admirable assortment of combination rules. 
 
 Simple borders of this kind possess many advantages peculiar 
 to themselves. Being made in brass, they are more durable 
 than borders made of type metal. The latter, if not perfectly 
 accurately spaced, work off their feet, destroy the appearance 
 of the job, and become themselves spoilt for further use. Com- 
 bination brass rules may be had cut up to specified lengths. It 
 
 * There are, of course, Borders cut or engraved in lengths, according to the 
 size of the page to be ornamented. These, however, hardly come within our 
 present heading, as they are examples of engraving rather than of composition 
 of moveable and interchangeable characters. 
 
110 
 
 ARTlSTlC PRINTING. 
 
 is advisable to buy tliem thus cut up. A piece of composition 
 can be surrounded with them in a few minutes, and in a fraction 
 of the time necessary to set up and justify an ordinary type 
 border. The rules also brace up and strengthen the composition, 
 and are in other ways convenient to use and pleasing to look at. 
 No more useful and convenient invention has been made in the 
 business of printing within the last few years than that of 
 combination brass rules. 
 
 Repetition Borders. — We have had to coin this term, as 
 there is no current name which distinguishes ordinary borders 
 from “ combination” borders. In such borders there are only 
 a few different characters, and these are repeated till they make 
 the length of border required. They may have corners or not. 
 Sometimes, to prevent an appearance of monotony, such borders 
 are broken up in places and an ornament or vignette introduced. 
 
 Combination Borders. — These consist of a large number 
 of separate characters, some German ones extending to 500. By 
 combination, an almost infinite variety of designs is possible. 
 Less elaborate borders, such as the English founders produce, 
 run very seldom to more than thirty or forty pieces, and so 
 much ingenuity has been expended on some of them that they 
 can be adapted to almost any ordinary job and suit almost any 
 taste. Simpler borders still, with perhaps only half-a-dozen 
 characters, are obtainable which give an excellent effect if 
 judiciously and skilfully used. 
 
 No instructions need be given for setting the rule border. 
 Combination rules are, as already mentioned, usually sold in 
 lengths of so many ems. The most useful sizes are 
 
 2, 3, 4, 10, 12, 17, 18, 20, 22, 24, 26, and 35 ems. 
 These lengths will form borders of all the regular sizes from a 
 small card to a demy 4to, and generally without piecing. 
 
 It is most important to buy this kind of rule from one of 
 the best houses. It requires greater care in manufacture and 
 more costly plant than ordinary brass rule, and the smaller 
 firms are consequently at a disadvantage in producing it. 
 There is a great deal of inferior rule of the kind in the market. 
 Such material is a constant source of annoyance, and even a 
 loss to the printer. 
 
ARTISTIC PRINTING, 
 
 111 
 
 If the compositor cannot, or prefers not to, make an original 
 design of his own, he can copy one from the sheets of examples 
 usually supplied with assortments of rule. Each face of rule is 
 distinguished by a number. With combinations, are given the 
 numbers of the rules of which they are made up. 
 
 To buy rule in lengths, and to cut it up for a job as wanted, 
 is very wasteful and unsatisfactory. Not infrequently it will be 
 found that the pieces do not combine, and they have to be 
 clipped and shortened to secure the points which ought to 
 meet in each rule coming together properly. 
 
 Metal Rules . — These are cast in type metal instead of being 
 cut out of brass. The Caslon Foundry ( Caslon Circular , 1875) 
 says that it has for many years held the opinion that the 
 merits of metal rules have been overlooked or underrated. The 
 prevailing impression seems to be that, from its nature, metal 
 rule is pre-eminently liable to batter. This is mostly the 
 result of prejudice and exaggeration. Metal rule, it may be 
 admitted, requires more careful manipulation than brass ; but 
 the difference between the price of brass and type metal would 
 much more than compensate for an occasional mishap, being 
 only about Is. 2d. per lb. Messrs. Caslon have now about 200 
 sizes and patterns of these rules, and they are supplied in any 
 length up to 36 in., cut or mitred to order. 
 
 Repetition Borders . — These borders should preferably have no 
 “ beard ” or open space at one side. If the design occupies the 
 whole of the shank, the border can be used close up to matter 
 as necessary, or may be spaced with leads. 
 
 If the border may not be used either side up indiscriminately, 
 it ought to have a nick as an ordinary fount of type. 
 
 In selecting a border of the repetition kind, see that it will 
 justify to the measure of the job. Very few indeed can be 
 spaced out without destroying their effect. The introduction 
 of a bit of other border to justify the length is generally an 
 unworkmanlike expedient and has an effect as of “ fudging.” 
 The face added seldom harmonises with the rest of the line, 
 and its presence can be detected at a glance. 
 
 To obviate this difficulty, nearly all borders of the kind have 
 pieces of two different widths, although the design is merely 
 repeated. With some others centre pieces are supplied, which 
 
ii2 ARTISTIC PRINTING. 
 
 3 4 
 
 assist justification. In the above specimen the centre pieces 
 are at 1, 2, 5, 6; 3 and 4 are corners. Only one centre piece 
 need have been used. 
 
 The corners, it will be seen, are of two designs, to be used at 
 opposite sides. Some corners are interchangeable, and however 
 placed, continue the design of the border. 
 
 This may be regarded as a plain repetition border, because it 
 consists only of one piece, the corners and centre pieces being 
 of the nature of adjuncts. 
 
 The next example is a very simple specimen indeed of the 
 combination border. It will be seen that in addition to the 
 centre piece 1, and the corner 3, there are three pieces of 
 different design, which are used in combination. These pieces 
 are of differing lengths, enabling a line of almost any length to 
 be formed, without extra spacing. 
 
 The corners of this border, it will be noticed, are interchange- 
 able. Unlike those in the previous illustration, they can be 
 turned round to a proper position at any of the corners. 
 
AUTISTIC PRINTING. 
 
 113 
 
 In the first illustration the design is complete when the 
 border is set up. In the second, the characters have been 
 supplemented with a plain rule at the inner and outer sides. 
 This is a characteristic of nearly all combination borders. 
 
 Combination Borders are almost unlimited in their variety, 
 as already mentioned. The pieces vary as much almost in size 
 as in design. Such borders are costly, but not so much so as 
 would appear at first sight. If we take, for instance, Messrs. 
 Caslon’s popular combination border, series No. 15, we find that 
 it consists of ninety-two different pieces. Some of them are as 
 thin as a si-x-to-pica rule ; others as large as two-line great 
 primer. A complete fount costs about =£7, but it really includes 
 many founts, as most of the pieces themselves may be repeated 
 and thus become capable of indefinite variation. From such a 
 series can also be obtained head and tail pieces, and groundwork 
 for tint printing. 
 
 Justifying Borders. — It is of the very first importance in 
 setting any border — except the brass rule borders above men- 
 tioned — that it be justified with absolute accuracy. This can 
 never be neglected with impunity. If the line of border is too 
 long — that is, if it be loose — there is a danger that when locked 
 up in the chase, the type inside it will drop out — the forme will 
 not “ lift.” If it has been got as far as the machine, several 
 things may happen. The rollers may draw out some of the 
 types inside, as they will be loose. The border itself may, on 
 the other hand, “ spring,” especially if, as is often the case, the 
 mallet and shooting-stick are brought into requisition in a futile 
 attempt to remedy carelessness in composition by extra tight 
 locking-up. If the border, on the contrary, and not the type, 
 is not long enough, it will be “ on the loose,” and equally objec- 
 tionable results may ensue. It will soon get off its feet, and 
 one side of the stem will be higher than the other, presenting a 
 saw-like appearance, instead of the perfect alignment necessary 
 to good printing. The side that is higher will get all the 
 pressure, and it will ultimately get worn down. If there arn 
 heavy runs over it in this condition it will be useless for any 
 other job, and fit only for the meTing-pot. At the same time 
 the printing will be pal$ in the depressed part, and black in the 
 elevated part. Careless justification often leads to a shameful 
 
114 
 
 ARTISTIC PRINTING. 
 
 destruction of costly material. No pains should be spared to 
 have the border exactly justified. 
 
 Sometimes, however, this is a difficult matter to accomplish. 
 If the lines of type within the border are not properly justified 
 themselves, the latter cannot be properly justified. If the leads 
 are bad, and, above all, if quads of different gauges or from dif- 
 ferent foundries are used, proper justification will be next 
 to impossible. 
 
 In setting combination borders, as in setting repetition 
 borders, thorough justification is of paramount importance. 
 Combinations, however, generally require, in addition to good 
 workmanship, thought, resourcefulness, and taste. 
 
 Hence in ordinary offices, especially those in which work has 
 to be undertaken at a low price and executed with all possible 
 despatch, repetition borders are to be preferred to combinations, 
 and line or rule borders to both. 
 
 Makeshift borders can be produced by the use of various 
 characters to be found in the ordinary Roman case. There is 
 nothing new in the idea. Smith’s “ Printers’ Grammar ” (1775) 
 gives several designs made out of type and brass rules. The 
 idea may be carried out to almost any extent. Here are a few 
 suggestions from the American Superior Printer : — 
 
 
 ****************** 
 
 ooooooooooooooooooo 
 
ARTISTIC PRINTING. 
 
 115 
 
 rjr.ir.nMr.ir.ir.n\ii*Ji\n\irjrjr.ii-jr.iiMr,n*.n , .nMiM 
 
 696969696969696969696969696969696969 
 
 AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA 
 
 )-( )-( )-( )-( )-( >-( )-( 
 
 xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxo 
 
 These are ingenious, which is about as much as can be said 
 for them. They expose at once their make shift character. Far 
 more attractive, simple, and legitimate, are the “ old style ” 
 borders brought out recently by some of the founders. The 
 following are from Messrs. Stephenson, Blake, and Co. : — 
 
 \j/ \Ls \ls \is \1/ \ls d/ \j/ \k \j/ \j/ 
 
 ^ ^ // T V 'T' 'T' 'V' 
 
 
 For old style printing these borders are more appropriate than 
 those of a floral or naturalistic character, and in judicious hands 
 they are very effective. They are easily set, and the cost of a 
 
116 
 
 AUTISTIC P HINTING. 
 
 supply of hearts, diamonds, crosses, triangles, and the like, is 
 trifling. They are used, of course, in conjunction with the quads 
 and rules contained in the office. They can be spaced out as 
 desired, within of course reasonable limits, and with some 
 regard to the openness or otherwise of the text. 
 
 In the selection of corners, unless they actually belong to the 
 border fount, care must be taken. The effect of a really pretty 
 border is often spoiled by inharmonious and incongruous corners. 
 Nothing, hardly, so obviously exposes the incompetent workman, 
 or the poverty of a printing office, as the use of wrong fount 
 corners. 
 
 If the design is a running one, the corner must not disjoint 
 it, but connect the end of the horizontal portion with that of 
 the perpendicular. If the lines of the pieces interlace, there 
 must be no break. If the pattern is a geometric one, that of 
 the corner must be the same ; if a “ natural ” ornament, a 
 “ conventional ” corner must be avoided. 
 
 Even if similar in style, a corner disproportionate in size to 
 the border should be avoided. The compositor of course cannot 
 always use his own discretion as to this, as he must take the 
 corner supplied by the founder. Some .corners are not only 
 too large, but give much trouble in arranging the lines inside. 
 They have a square or mortised body with large open spaces 
 inside. These interfere with the lengths of the first few lines. 
 
 Some of the very simplest of border patterns are the most 
 pleasing, besides offering the greatest facilities in manipulation. 
 Some of these are of a pattern that may be used up and down 
 alternately, giving a variety of appearances. Several which may 
 be had are based on the well-known Greek key pattern. These 
 can be generally used in a multitude of ways, although so 
 simple. 
 
 The preceding remarks as to the necessity of harmony of the 
 style of the corner and the border apply to the centre pieces 
 also. They are of the nature of corner pieces, but are placed in 
 the middle. If w T ell chosen they agreeably break the monotony 
 and relieve the bareness, especially of a long line of narrow 
 border. If not harmonious, they simply ruin the effect of the 
 neatest border. 
 
 Small vignettes are often used in place of centre pieces. 
 They must be chosen with the utmost care and judgment. 
 
ARTISTIC PRINTING. 
 
 117 
 
118 
 
 AUTISTIC PRINTING. 
 
 As an instance of a simple and pretty combination border r 
 capable of great variety, tliat on the preceding page, from 
 the foundry of Messrs. P. M. Shanks and Co., 31, Red Lion 
 Square, W.C., may be given. It consists of six pieces only. 
 
 From these six pieces can be made the various designs shown, 
 and many other borders. These borders are simplicity itself in 
 regard to composition. They are each on an em or an en of 
 pica, and are suitable not only for borders, but for groundwork 
 for tints. 
 
 CHAPTER XIII. 
 
 Letter, Word, and Line Ornaments — Their Designs, Composition, and 
 Justification — Cautions against Injudicious Use, 
 
 With the exception of the flowers referred to in the preceding 
 chapter, printers had formerly no kind of ornaments for letters, 
 words, and lines. Hence the jobbing work of the early part of 
 the century presents a remarkable contrast to that of the 
 present day. Its leading characteristic is bareness and mono- 
 tony, while modern type-founding products have rendered it 
 capable of being compared, to some extent at least, with the 
 freehand design of the lithographic artist. These ornaments 
 are of three kinds, viz.: Letter ornaments, word ornaments, 
 and line ornaments. 
 
 Letter Ornaments usually consist of pendants to letters, 
 which in effect constitute them initials. The Caslon 44 Open 
 
 Anglo-Saxon” furnishes an example. There are about half- 
 a-dozen different ornaments. Most of these can be applied 
 to any letter of its own width, but one is so designed that it 
 
AUTISTIC PRINTING. 
 
 119 
 
 can extend under several letters of an entire word. Care 
 has to be taken that the pendant and the letter join, as though 
 the ornament of the two were continuous. This is the only 
 caution necessary in selecting one of the pendants. 
 
 The use of such ornaments is limited. The pendant involves 
 the leaving of a large white or blank space under the line. If 
 the job is not a very widely-set one, this space gives it an un- 
 synnnetrical and ill-balanced appearance. The ornament, too, 
 is liable, from its fine lines, to wear out very quickly. The 
 pendant works blacker than the type, and the joining is obvious. 
 The latter is a decided defect. Accordingly the type itself has 
 almost gone out of fashion among tasteful printers, and indeed 
 is seldom used at the present time. 
 
 Word Ornaments. — Far more useful in various ways is the 
 type supplied by several founders under the various names of 
 “Monumental,” “Glyptic,” etc. This fount is accompanied 
 with ornaments for placing between words and at the 
 beginning and end of lines. The most rudimentary ideas of 
 
 design will suggest the proper shapes to be selected, and the 
 oidy caution that need be given is to put plenty of space 
 between the words. If the ornament gives a crowded appear- 
 ance to the line, its effect is destroyed. 
 
 Messrs. Day and Collins introduced a few years ago a series of 
 ornaments for large wood letters used in placards. Many of 
 these are very suitable and have an excellent effect. In fact, 
 the greatly improved character of recent placard printing may 
 be attributed to the production of these ornaments. 
 
 Probably one of the first of the letter and word ornaments 
 was Filigree — a fount of American origin. 
 
120 
 
 ARTISTIC PRINTING. 
 
 A fount of Filigree comprises type as well as ornaments. Messrs. 
 Caslon supply four different sizes : 
 
 Capitals. Small Caps, Ornaments. 
 
 No. 1. 4-1. pica 2-1. pica 4-line, 2-line and pica 
 
 „ 2. 2 1. gt. prim. 2-1. bourg. 2-1. gt. prim., 2-1. bourg. & bourg. 
 
 „ 3. 2-1. pica pica 2-1 pica, pica, & nonpl. 
 
 „ 4, 2-1. lg. prim. 2-1. pearl 2-1. lg. prim., 2-1. pearl, & pearl 
 
 The ornaments consist of about twenty pieces. It will be 
 seen that the justification is somewhat complicated. Indeed, it 
 cannot be done without quads, <tc., of Messrs. Caslon’s standard. 
 When properly used, Filigree produces a beautiful effect. In 
 composing it, the chief point is not to overdo the ornament and 
 thus impair the legibility of the type. It ought to be very care- 
 fully distributed, so that the edges of the face be not damaged, 
 in which case the joinings of the line will be painfully apparent. 
 In the latest specimen books of Messrs. Caslon and Co. are shown 
 several new and decidedly handsome applications of this fount, 
 which, although so much used, possesses capabilities not as yet 
 fully realised. 
 
 Line Ornaments. — These are intended, of course, for use 
 between the lines, and to fill up what would otherwise be an 
 open space. They are too well known to render necessary an 
 illustration. 
 
 The compositor should be enjoined to be very sparing in their 
 use. If used too freely and lavishly, such ornament detracts 
 from the legibility and the attractiveness of the type lines. 
 Some of the line ornaments, too, are so awkwardly designed, 
 that the printer has great difficulty in making up with them 
 a legitimate embellishment for his work — one in which the 
 elementary principles of the art of design aie not ignored. 
 
 Typographical purists often say that type ornaments of this 
 kind are not legitimate at all; that they are introduced for the 
 purpose of imitating lithographic or copperplate lettering, which 
 have laws of their own. Imitation of this kind, it is said, is not 
 commendable, and is out of place in letterpress work, which 
 should always declare its time character of being a composition 
 of moveable interchangeable type. These views need not be dis- 
 
A RTI S TI C Pit IX TI XG . 
 
 121 
 
 passed here. They would not be so frequently enumerated, we 
 may perhaps say, if ornaments of the kind were used with more 
 moderation and discrimination than is often the case at present. 
 
 Type Ribbon- — This style of ornament, invented by Mr. 
 Pechey, of the firm of Stephenson, Blake, and Co., is akin to the 
 line ornament already spoken of. It is made in three sizes — 
 .great primer, pica, and brevier. There are only four different 
 
 characters, and the justification is not attended with difficulty. 
 Brass rule has to be used, but need not be cut up for each job, 
 as with a little ingenuity ordinary cut lengths will be found 
 available. 
 
 Ornamental Dashes belong to the category of line orna- 
 ments. The leading founders supply many beautiful designs, 
 which greatly embellish a piece of composition if judiciously 
 selected. 
 
 If several of these dashes are used in one job, care should be 
 taken that they are not inharmonious. They need not neces- 
 sarily be a repetition of one figure ; but if various, ought to belong 
 to the same style of ornament. They should not be too large, 
 or they will overpower the lines they divide. 
 
 Combination Dashes are dashes formed of several pieces: a 
 centre and two ends, for instance. These also require to be 
 judiciously selected, in order to produce a correct and tasteful 
 effect. The joinings should not be apparent. If the dash 
 consists of a centre design and two lengths of rule, the latter 
 should be chosen so as to match, in its thickness, that of the 
 face of the ornament. 
 
122 
 
 AUTISTIC PRINTING. 
 
 Scroll Corners. — These may be included among line orna- 
 ments. They were first brought out by Messrs. Stephenson, 
 Blake, and Co., and at once met with favour. They consist of end 
 pieces and curved rules. Each is on a rectangular body, so 
 that justification is simple. The compositor should see that 
 his corners are right side up — otherwise the shadow will fall 
 incorrectly. A. scroll of this kind, worked as a tint, often gives 
 a pleasing effect, and entails little trouble in printing. 
 
 Scroll End Pieces are manufactured by Messrs, Caslon and 
 Co, They consist of two pieces — right and left ones, the lines 
 forming them consisting of ordinary brass rule. They are very 
 easily justified, and give a good effect in many cases. 
 
 Frame Corners belong to the same family as the last, 
 unless they may be regarded as of the nature of borders* 
 
 The reading matter, when the job is composed, appears to bo 
 printed on a tablet, affixed to a frame by four screws. The set 
 of characters consists of eight pieces to represent the frame, and 
 four for the screw heads. The only point that the compositor 
 need be reminded of is that the proper perspective ought to be 
 rigidly observed, all the shadows, for instance, falling the same 
 way. A variation of this design imitates a scroll pinned on to a 
 panel or other shape. The outline is formed with brass rules ; 
 the only other characters being the pins, which are in two parts, 
 one representing the head, the other the stem. 
 
 It is not necessary, we think, to enumerate the great 
 number of American and German conbinations which are 
 procurable from English agents of the respective foundries, 
 such as Messrs. Powell and Son, Mr. Ullmer, Mr. Wesselhoeft, 
 and Mr. Schilling, from whom specimen books and sheets may 
 be obtained on application. 
 
AUTISTIC PRINTING. 
 
 123 
 
 CHAPTER XIY. 
 
 Vignettes. — Corner Ornaments — Headpieces — Tailpieces — Woodcuts as 
 Ornaments — their Use and Abuse. 
 
 Vignettes. — These are small blocks in outline or shaded, 
 supplied by the typefounders and others, for the purpose of 
 ornamenting pages of text and of filling up open spaces which 
 would otherwise be unsightly. If altogether black they are 
 known as silhouettes ; these are generally of a humorous 
 character .' * 
 
 An ornament, pure and simple, may be regarded as a vig- 
 nette, whatever shape it takes — a shield, a medallion, or any 
 other figure. But the word “ vignette ” is not applicable to 
 diagrams, initial ornaments, or “ illustrations ; ” that is, designs 
 which “ illustrate ” or throw light upon the text. The sole 
 purpose of the vignette is the decoration of the text. 
 
 In the choice of vignettes, provided the printer is in posses- 
 sion of a sufficient variety of material, everything depends upon 
 the degree of good taste he displays. Suitability or unsuit- 
 ability may destroy the effect of the cleverest piece of composi- 
 tion ; and it can only be based on the judgment and artistic 
 perception of the compositor. Vignettes have only being sup- 
 plied to the printer in their present form during the last few 
 years. There is a distinct tendency, we fear, to abuse them. 
 They are brought into a piece of work because it does not fill 
 enough of the space, often regardless of their incongruousness 
 An office with a very limited stock of such blocks uses them 
 whenever they can be thrust into a job. They are often used to 
 distract attention from clumsy and incorrect composition and 
 display. “ Fools,” the trite saying runs, “ rush in, where angels 
 fear to tread.” An immature apprentice now-a-days often 
 uses a vignette without thought of the effect it will produce, 
 
 * In Mr. Harding’s treatise on Design in Typography, he points out that the 
 word “ Vignette,” or “ little vine,” was originally applied to small copper-plate 
 engravings, used to embellish short pages, it being the fashion of French 
 engravers to surround such designs with a curving border of vine leaves. 
 The word is still specifically applied to the small engraving on a title-page, 
 though the vine-leaf border in such a position has long since being discarded. 
 In photography the word is applicable to such portraits or views as are 
 softened off at the margins. 
 
124 
 
 ARTISTIC PRINTING. 
 
 provided it be sliowy and fills the space. Our best printers, 
 on the contrary, are the most chary in adopting such devices, 
 and invariably select them with thoughtful care. Many printers, 
 indeed, decline to use them at all ; and it is perhaps a good 
 general rule which enjoins, “ When in doubt, leave out.” Some 
 of the vignettes supplied by the founders are also irredeemably 
 bad in design and quite unsuitable for typographic ornamen- 
 tation. 
 
 Perhaps the best counsel to be given to the compositor is : 
 Be sure you get appropriate vignettes, and then do not use too 
 many of them. This is, confessedly, merely appealing to his 
 taste, intelligence, and common-sense. Yet little further can be 
 said. Every job must stand on its own merits, and almost 
 every one requires different treatment. What would be very 
 good in one kind of card would be altogether out of place in 
 another. 
 
 Where a page is surrounded by a heavy or very elaborate 
 border, extra care must be taken in choosing the vignette. It 
 must not overpower the bol der ; the border must not over- 
 power it. It must, as far as possible, harmonise in design with 
 the border. It must not be too close to the border — there must 
 be a due allowance of white space around it. Its position, as 
 well as its character, as will be mentioned presently, must be 
 considered. 
 
 Corner Ornaments and Fill up Devices. — These, also 
 comparatively recently introduced, are of the nature of vig- 
 nettes. It may be said of them, that they either distinctly make 
 beauty or mar it. If abused, they ruin the effect of the 
 entire piece of composition in which they appear. 
 
 In an admirable series of articles which appeared in Typo in 
 1888, the vignettes supplied by the various founders, American, 
 German, English, etc., are classified into, (1) Japanese, (2) 
 Egyptian, (3) Combination, and (4) Allegorical vignettes. The 
 origin of each of these is carefully traced, and their artistic 
 qualities judiciously criticised. Mr. Harding, the author, inci- 
 dentally reminds the reader of an important consideration, too 
 frequently overlooked. Speaking of architectural designs such as 
 are common in Germany and America, he points out that there 
 are obvious reasons why such designs can never be satisfactorily 
 worked out in type. u Magnificent combinations have been 
 
ARTISTIC PRINTING. 
 
 125 
 
 designed, containing pillars, pediments, friezes, and architraves, 
 bnt it is only within a limited range that they can be satisfac- 
 torily used. Type-borders must be applied to different sizes of 
 page, and the least expansion or contraction in other directions 
 of a well-balanced architectural device, destroys the proportion 
 of the whole, and spoils the design. Another difficulty is that 
 it is absolutely impossible to indicate perspective in moveable 
 type ; and a third objection is, that whenever a ‘ picture ’ is at- 
 tempted with types, every piece being reckoned independently 
 as regards light and shade, one of the first essentials in 
 any general design — that the illumination should proceed from 
 one point — is necessarily neglected. The casual observer may 
 not know where the defect lies, but he is conscious that it does 
 not look right. The untrained compositor finds none of these 
 difficulties. It is the same to him, when he builds a pillar in 
 sections, if it is a squat structure an inch high, or a telescopic 
 erection six inches in length. A frieze adapted to a small 
 octavo he will cheerfully expand across a large quarto — either 
 side up — and will use it with equal satisfaction as foundation or 
 superstructure. He will guard the steps of a Grecian temple 
 with a Japanese dragon, and arrange the camel and driver and 
 pigtailed Chinaman in the same landscape, with perfect com- 
 placency. It is the artistic compositor who m~st fully realises 
 the fact that the ornament must be subsidiary to the matter. 
 Hence he rarely builds up a landscape, no matter what tempta- 
 tion the abundant characters may offer, but contents himself 
 with a small central group, or corner vignette — no great result 
 from such elaborate and expensive design.” 
 
 There is much sense in these remarks. About twelve years 
 ago the most dreadful contortions ever seen in the realms of 
 typography were quite popular among a certain class of printers. 
 These were the so-called u Japanesque ” or Japanese ornaments. 
 They were really not Japanese in any sense — no more than 
 butterine is the product of good milk ; and they bear the same 
 resemblance to the real thing as the stage Irishman does to poor 
 “ Pat,” or Punch's John Bull to the ordinary English gentleman. 
 \V ith a supply of these the compositor got it into his head that 
 he could make up a picture. They were really as capable of 
 making a picture as a quantity of scraps cut out of anillustrated 
 journal and pasted upon a screen. There was neither propor- 
 tion nor composition, harmony nor perspective, to be got out of 
 
126 
 
 ARTISTIC PRINTING, 
 
 them. In the majority of the productions thus made up there 
 was a credulous individual always “ a getting upstairs,” stairs 
 which led to nowhere ; birds were seen swarming in the sea, and 
 fishes soaring up into the air. A balloon was drawn along on 
 terra firma, and a coach pursuing its way in the heavens. A 
 fan in the distance appeared five times as big as a human figure 
 in the foreground. Storks a mile high, and butterflies as big 
 as a horse, were quite common. Especially marvellous were the 
 arrangements in colours. Black apples appeared on pink trees ; 
 yellow plants in green pots, and blue boats sailing in an atmo- 
 sphere of brilliant bronze powder. Such stupid anachronisms 
 soon nauseated people of taste. Yet the mere workmanship in 
 many of these abortions was excellent. The colours were clearly 
 printed and in good register. An infinity of pains was taken to 
 ■“ justify ” such enormities, and to bring them up properly. The 
 mechanical paid of the business was well done — it was where the 
 artistic faculty was required that the deficiency, the incapacity 
 of the compositor, was apparent. 
 
 In this kind of work the “ unities ” must be preserved. Am- 
 phibious animals must be kept in the water, aerial ones in the 
 air. Harmony must be preserved ; the ideal must not be 
 mixed up with the real. Perspective must be attended to ; 
 the frog in the distance must not be represented as being bigger 
 than the pelican in the foreground. W e don’t want green sheep, 
 blue cows, pink horses, nor ultramarine women. Trees are not 
 often seen in the middle of an ocean, or houses poised up in the 
 sky. Their actual sense of the “fitness of things,” even if they 
 had no artistic taste, might tell them this much. 
 
 Head Pieces. — Up till quite recently these, as well as tail 
 pieces, were used exclusively in bookwork, or work of a similar 
 kind, such as prospectuses of new publications. Now both head 
 and tail pieces are largely introduced into jobbing work. 
 
 Mr. De Vinne, who is the printer of the Century , remark- 
 able for the beauty of its head and tail pieces, lays down for the 
 guidance of his employees several valuable rules. 
 
 First of all, head pieces ought to be the full width of the 
 measure ; that is, the width of the page, if it consists of two 
 columns. This instruction is followed in the English Illustrated 
 Magazine , also noteworthy for its specimens of this class of 
 typographic decoration. In many jobs that we have seen, this 
 
ARTISTIC PRINTING. 
 
 127 
 
 rule lias not been followed, a head piece being used which was 
 much narrower than the width of the text. This certainly 
 detracts from the appearance of the composition, and, being an 
 infraction of a rule followed by the earliest book printers, ought 
 to be avoided. 
 
 Mr. De Vinne’ s next rule is that the head pieces should be 
 similar in width or depth throughout the sheet. This is no 
 doubt advisable for the sake of symmetry, but is not always 
 practicable, at any rate to the printer who cannot afford the 
 expense of having original designs engraved, and must depend 
 on what he can procure from the typefounders. The rule is 
 not invariably carried out in the English Illustrated Magazine . 
 
 The head pieces should be similar in style, says Mr. De Vinne ; 
 that is, if one is in the conventional style, all should be in that 
 style, and none in the natural style, and vice versa. The con- 
 ventional style is that preferred by the best printers. Small 
 landscapes, combinations of portraits and the like, are not suit- 
 able for head pieces, especially if other pictures are to be used 
 in the page. 
 
 Tail Pieces. -These should be of the same style as that of the 
 head pieces, but must not be of the same size. They are usually 
 much deeper but narrower, and of an inverted pyramid shape. 
 
 A careful examination of the English Illustrated, Magazine 
 will be found most instructive. Its head pieces and tail pieces 
 form a special feature, and are always as judiciously and taste- 
 fully designed as they are properly and correctly used. 
 
 Mr. De Vinne tells his compositors not to attempt a head 
 piece of small pieces of combination border. We can hardly 
 endorse this instruction. Many recently introduced borders, 
 especially those in which geometrical forms predominate, make 
 excellent and unexceptionable head pieces. Especially we may 
 refer to some brought out by Messrs. P. M. Shanks and Co., of 
 the Patent Type Foundry, which are not only useful as borders, 
 but as other kinds of decorations. 
 
 Woodcuts. —These are also now largely used in jobwork for 
 decorative purposes. Of course, from time immemorial diagrams 
 or pictures of objects described in the text have been introduced, 
 but we are now referring to engravings inserted, not to illustrate 
 or explain the text, but to ornament it. Such blocks are 
 
128 
 
 ARTISTIC PRINTING. 
 
 supplied by all the founders. In their selection and use some 
 taste and discrimination are necessary. 
 
 The appropriateness of the picture should first have atten- 
 tion. A winter scene is not suitable for a catalogue of summer 
 costumes ; nor a bacchanalian incident for a ticket of a tem- 
 perance lecture. 'This ought to be obvious, but anachronisms 
 and incongruities almost as glaring are frequently encountered. 
 
 The proper placing of cuts is a matter requiring consideration. 
 If the matter is solid, they should be justified with the text 
 This may be given as a general rule to which there may be 
 many exceptions. Solid masses of type in one part of the page, 
 and considerable spaces of “ white ” at the sides of blocks, are 
 certainly unsightly. It is generally well worth the trouble to 
 over-run the matter and bring it down the sides. 
 
 If, however, the space at the sides is small, judgment must 
 again be used. Some printers have a rule that when the measure 
 left is less than six or eight ems of the text, the overseer must 
 be consulted before the type is run down the side of the cut. 
 Here again taste must dictate to the compositor what he is to do. 
 Much depends on the size of the page and its openness, and 
 other things. 
 
 A great deal depends upon not crowding up the cut in the 
 type. Mr. De Vinne says: “ When the cuts have square or 
 well-defined outlines, leave a margin of about one pica in solid 
 matter and two picas in leaded matter, on all sides, exclusive of 
 the legend line, or description of the cut. When the cuts are 
 of irregular outline, have the block cut where it has a large 
 shoulder, and put the type as near as you can, at uniform 
 distances on all sides.” 
 
 When two or more cuts are to be placed on a single page, they 
 should, as far as practicable, be placed apart at equal distances, 
 but in irregular positions. This is a valuable hint wherever it 
 can be acted upon. In the early illustrated periodicals, such as 
 the Fenny Magazine , the blocks were placed always in the middle 
 of the page or the column, or at one side. The new American 
 styles of illustration, which began with the publication of the 
 Century in 1870, completely ignored this monotonous practice. 
 The blocks were irregularly placed, imparting to the different 
 pages a tone of freedom and variety of which the previous plan 
 was altogether deficient. In the better class of French peri- 
 odicals great attention is also given to the location of the cuts. 
 
ARTISTIC PRINTING. 
 
 129 
 
 Single pages of such magazines may often be studied with ad- 
 vantage, regarding them as single specimens of jobwork. 
 
 If the job consists of several pages, the old rule of bookwork 
 should be remembered : If you can prevent it, do not allow a cut 
 on one pas^e to back in the machine work a cut on the next 
 page. 
 
 Advice already given as to ornamental work generally may 
 be repeated in connection with the subject in hand. Do not 
 select a block — a vignette or otherwise — merely because it is 
 fantastic. In certain kinds of work all that may be expected 
 is by some eccentricity to catch the eye of the reader. For mere 
 advertising purposes this may be sufficient. But it is not 
 artistic printing. The great aim ought to be, first of all to make 
 the most of the reading matter, and then to decorate it. The 
 ornament should not draw away the eye from the reading. 
 Here again the architect’s rule comes in : You may ornament 
 construction ; you must not construct ornament. Mr. De Vinne 
 and other masters of truly artistic printing insist upon the 
 maxim being observed. He also advises that in all work for 
 which nice or complicated ornament is desired, the setting up 
 of the words should first be done, and when these are so ar- 
 ranged that they fairly show the subject matter, a proof should 
 be taken. On this proof, hand impressions of such ornaments 
 as are thought desirable may be made. When suitable ornaments 
 have been selected, justify them with the text ; do not waste 
 time in slowly justifying ornaments to letters before it is known 
 what the effect will be. Do not, on any account, shorten or 
 crowd a line, or reduce or increase, leading to the injury of neat 
 display, simply for the purpose of getting in an ornamental 
 block. 
 
 K 
 
130 
 
 ARTISTIC PRINTING, 
 
 CHAPTER XY. 
 
 Making Ready and Working Vignettes and Cut Work. — Regulating the 
 Impression — Underlaying and Overlaying — Cutting out Overlays — Names 
 of Different Portions of .^Engravings — Points to be Studied and Avoided — 
 Special Requirements of Process Blocks — Fine Printing on Cylinder 
 Machines. 
 
 In a very large proportion of the Art Printing of the present 
 day illustrations or vignettes are used for purposes explanatory 
 or decorative. These pictures consist of woodcuts, stereotypes, 
 electrotypes, or process blocks, and, if not properly brought 
 up, they seriously detract from the effect of the letterpress 
 accompanying them. 
 
 The printing of cut work in a thoroughly finished style 
 demands on the part of the printer many qualifications — some 
 natural, others acquired. He must “ have an eye ” for pictorial 
 effect, and he requires in addition skill, ingenuity, and patience. 
 Beyond these experience is essential ; for the art of wood-cut 
 printing can only be attained through practice. Very great 
 assistance, however, can be obtained from a knowledge of the 
 best methods of experts in this department of printing, of 
 which we now proceed to give some practical details. 
 
 A great deal of trouble is caused to the printer by the 
 unevenness and general want of accuracy of the blocks sent out 
 by most of the electrotypers. They seem to have no standard 
 of height to paper, or at any rate a most crude and clumsy one. 
 The plate is often thinner in one part than in another, and the 
 irregularity is attempted to be corrected by planing the block 
 afterwards, so that it and the metal shall be the same thickness 
 all over. It may not, however, be the same height to paper 
 as other blocks, and indeed is not as a general rule. Electro- 
 typers would confer a great benefit on machine minders and 
 printers if they were to take more care in bringing their blocks 
 to a uniform height. 
 
 As it is always preferable to underlay blocks not under the 
 wood but under the plate, and between it and the wood, the 
 two should be joined together, not by pins, which cannot be 
 
ARTISTIC PRINTING. 
 
 131 
 
 removed without danger to the plate, but by screws. Some 
 electrotypers discard pins, but others invariably use them. In 
 the latter case the printer can only underlay from the bottom 
 of the block, which is seldom satisfactory. 
 
 Regulating Impression. — Suppose a cut form has to be 
 worked on a good demy folio platen machine. Let the platen 
 be set for a solid square job. Pack as follows : Place on the 
 platen six sheets of paper the thickness of 24 lb. demy, and 
 on top of them four sheets of 20 lb. demy. Secure all by the 
 frisket bands and frames. Clean off all underlays or pieces 
 of paper left on the blocks from any previous working. Next 
 pull a sheet. The impression must then be regulated, not by 
 the appearance of the majority of the blocks, but by the ones 
 that are the highest. If a number of blocks are contained in a 
 sheet it may be found that some have sufficient impression, 
 others would stand more with advantage, and others would not. 
 To put on more pressure by putting more sheets on the platen 
 or altering the screws would be unwise. The proper thing 
 to do is to commence underlaying. Bring all the blocks up to 
 the same height as those that are high. Cut out the heavy 
 portion of the impression of others, bring up with paper here 
 and there, and paste under the respective blocks. 
 
 Underlaying. — To do this properly, lay the form on the 
 table of a press or an imposing surface, loosen the quoins, and 
 plane down gently. If the form was locked up tightly the 
 pieces of cards placed under the blocks that are low, might, 
 when the next impression is pulled, put the other blocks out of 
 position or raise them at the edges, besides giving them a 
 tendency to slur. Then bring all the blocks to about one height. 
 Pull an impression, cut away heavy parts, and bring up unsound 
 ones. 
 
 Some printers make a practice of bringing the blocks a little 
 higher than the level of the type in the form. This is quite 
 wrong, and does harm in various ways. After a comparatively 
 short run, the fine lines of the block become flattened and 
 thickened, and the edges are rounded off. The overlays do not 
 work so effectively, as they sink into the packing of the cylinder. 
 A block thus treated is never satisfactorily printed. 
 
132 
 
 ARTISTIC PRINTING. 
 
 The material used for underlaying or levelling up should not 
 be of a soft springy nature, such as ream wrappers, but be hard 
 and firm, such as a good tough printing paper. The harder, 
 indeed, the better. Hence millboard is preferable to straw 
 board. It is of the greatest importance that the foundation of 
 all blocks — especially the finer process blocks — should be hard 
 and unyielding. 
 
 It is useless to attempt to make ready a block that is not 
 properly levelled up to the type. Careful underlaying often 
 saves hours of work on the tympan, and otherwise obviates 
 trouble in printing. 
 
 As far as possible, the putting of several layers of paper under 
 the block should be avoided. Cards and even thin millboards 
 of various thicknesses may be used, and that selected which will 
 bring the block type high without using several layers. 
 
 The underlaying may be cut about a nonpareil smaller than 
 the block, and it may be secured to the block by a thin coating 
 of glue. This is considered by some to be better than paste, 
 which often causes the mounts to warp and become troublesome.. 
 
 It is always advisable to underlay beneath the plates, not the 
 wood blocks. This* however, cannot, as already stated, be done 
 if the plates are pinned, instead of being screwed. In most 
 cases, in an electro that is high on one side or at the edges and 
 low in the centre, it is not the block that is uneven but the 
 plate. If a piece of wrapper is put under the wood to rectify 
 the unevenness of the plate, it necessarily throws the latter, as it 
 were, off its feet. It may also lead to springiness of the form. 
 If, on the other hand, the plates can be readily taken off the 
 blocks, the form need not be unlocked. More than this, if the 
 plate is once got level it will always remain so. 
 
 Overlaying. — The overlay should fulfil the following con- 
 ditions : — 
 
 1. It should prevent all impression showing, and soften all 
 hard edges, 
 
 2. It should so graduate or distribute the impression that 
 each portion of the engraving should get its proper amount of 
 pressure in proportion to its solidity or lightness. 
 
 In most engravings four degrees of pressure and of thickness 
 of overlay are necessary. These are ; 
 
ARTISTIC PRINTING. 
 
 133 
 
 1. The solids, requiring the most pressure. 
 
 2. The heavy shades or tints, not wanting so much 
 
 pressure. 
 
 3. The lighter tints, requiring less pressure. 
 
 4. The lightest tints, less pressure still. 
 
 3. It should in no way destroy or alter the effect intended to 
 be produced by the engraver, by destroying or making unsound 
 any of the line work or tints in the engraving. 
 
 The lines of the cut ought certainly to be reproduced as 
 engraved — sound and unbroken. This will be effected if the 
 
 overlaying is done in a proper manner. If, however, the lighter 
 tints get the same amount of pressure as the darker ones, and 
 more ink is used to keep them sound, some of the lines print 
 heavier than was intended, the impression as a whole is thick 
 and heavy, and to a certain extent the perspective is spoiled. 
 
 4. It should be cut in such a manner as to be available for 
 use in future workings — not once, but, with care, many times. 
 
 Gutting out Overlays . — A small pocket-knife is the best for 
 the purpose, but it must be a good one, as nothing is more 
 annoying than a bad knife which jags the paper when cutting, 
 and constantly wants sharpening. A scraper or eraser is some- 
 times used, but it requires much practice to cut with it ; the 
 handle being flat is awkward to hold, and the blade is so large 
 and wide that it prevents the operator getting a good view of 
 the portion he is cutting. 
 
 A stout card, neither too hard nor too soft, should next be 
 procured. 
 
 Scissors should never be used, for if the subject be large, it is 
 difficult to cut a perfectly straight line with them owing to their 
 tendency to curve down the edge of the paper. Cutting long 
 straight lines with a knife is good practice, and comes in useful 
 when long lines have to be cut which could not be got at with 
 scissors. 
 
 The Sheets to form the Overlay . — Pull impressions of the cuts 
 on four pieces of paper of the following thicknesses : — 
 
 1. One impression on 24 lb. printing demy (20 lb. would be 
 best if going to cut any overlay for the first time, as 
 if any slight errors are made in cutting, it will not so 
 much matter). 
 
134 
 
 ARTISTIC PRINTING. 
 
 2 and 3. Two impressions on paper the thickness of bank 
 post. If bank post is used, the softer machine-made 
 cream wove, with smooth surfaces on both sides, 
 should be selected in preference to the hard rough 
 hand-made qualities. The reason for this is that it 
 is important to see every part of the engraving 
 distinctly. Pull with as little ink on as possible. 
 
 4. One impression on the same class and thickness of paper 
 as sheets 2 and 3. A 23 lb. small post engine-sized 
 printing paper is very suitable, not being too hard 
 or too soft for the purpose. 
 
 Names oj Different Portions of Engravings. — The lines over 
 sea and clouds are called Tints i whether light or heavy, being 
 cut with a tint tool. 
 
 If a landscape were being described, the lines of the roadway, 
 cottage, and foreground would be called Shades of various 
 gradations of Colour. 
 
 Where tints or shades are softer, or white introduced, they 
 would be called Lights. 
 
 The solid portions, or those without tints on or in them, are 
 the Solids. 
 
 That portion of the block which is below the printing surface 
 is called the Field of the block. 
 
 Accordingly the four impressions pulled to form overlays may 
 be distinguished by the following names : — 
 
 1 . On 20 lb. or 24 lb. demy, the first general. 
 
 2. The Solids. 
 
 3. The Solids and Shades , or heavy tints. 
 
 4. The outer general. 
 
 It is convenient to adhere to these names, just as it is to 
 have pica, small pica, long primer, etc., to denote sizes of types. 
 
 In cutting the first general Overlay , begin on the inside of the 
 impression, removing all white or plain paper, and the lights 
 and hard edges where necessary. Cut the edges of solid portions, 
 or of heavy shades or tints, with a sharp, clean straight cut. 
 Take off the hard edges of tints, with a slanting cut to the 
 thickness of a thick lead, or if necessary more — in the latter 
 case, shave or graduate the edge to the extent of a nonpareil to 
 prevent the cutting away acting too abruptly. Having cut 
 away all the whites, and taken out the lights, in which judg- 
 
ARTISTIC PRINTING. 
 
 135 
 
 ment is necessary, as no rule can be laid clown, next travel 
 round the outside of the impression with the knife, cutting the 
 white paper from the heavy work with a clean straight cut, and 
 take off the edges of the tints with a slanting cut, as for the 
 inside. If the knife is in good condition, on commencing to cut 
 one side of the impression and going round, finishing at the 
 other side and lifting the paper, the impression of the engraving 
 will drop out. 
 
 After cutting the first general overlay, place it in front of you. 
 Then take a sheet of thin bank post, cut out to the exact size 
 all solids, and as each is cut out paste over the corresponding 
 portion in the first general. If very small, these can be cut out 
 in sets, cutting away as much of the tint work as possible. 
 
 Now, take the next sheet of bank post, and cut out the solids 
 and the heavy tints or shades combined, and paste over the 
 solids on the first general. The fourth sheet, or outer general, 
 only requires to have the white or plain paper cut away. If 
 portions of lights are not required to print at all, this can be 
 done by cutting them away in the sheet ; but great care must 
 be exercised in doing this. 
 
 Before pasting this sheet over those already cut out, carefully 
 fit it over them, and having got it to fit exactly over the first 
 general — with solids, and solids and heavy tints or shades, 
 pasted on it — hold the bottom half firmly with the fingers, 
 slightly paste the top half here and there, and rub down. Then 
 serve the bottom half in the same way. Put a stout sheet of 
 clean paper over it, or place it between two cards and rub down. 
 It will then adhere well, but must be put under a weight so 
 that when dry it will be perfectly flat and keep its shape. 
 
 For overlays for engravings in which the solids are well 
 defined, three sheets or impressions may be sufficient. If 
 working them in the same form, in order to have them the 
 same thickness as the others, pull the first and the outer 
 generals on 23 lb. small post, or paper of similar thickness, 
 discarding the two sheets of bank post and substituting 20 lb. 
 printing demy, or paper of the same substance, rolled on both 
 sides. This also applies to an overlay for a colour block, 
 whether an electro or a zinc plate or a wood block. 
 
 This method of cutting is really a combination of two kinds 
 of overlays — the overlay for cut work, which is usually thin ; and 
 the overlay for colour work, which, as a rule, is pretty thick. 
 
136 
 
 ARTISTIC PRINTING. 
 
 Points to be Studied in Cutting out Overlays. — The follow- 
 ing are the most important : 
 
 1. Use great exactness in cutting. 
 
 2. Use same exactness in pasting one overlay over another. 
 
 3. Do not shave the edges more than is necessary. 
 
 4. Do not use too much or too thick paste. 
 
 5. Keep the overlays perfectly flat till they are dry. 
 
 Points to be Avoided. — The following are essential : 
 
 1. Do not leave any white paper on the edges. 
 
 2. Do not cut away any portion of the solid parts of the 
 
 engraving. 
 
 3. Do not stretch the sheets so that they do not fit one over 
 
 the other. The cause of stretching is either the use 
 of too much paste or the knife not being sharp, 
 whereby a strain is put on the paper in cutting. 
 
 4. Do not use scissors. 
 
 Process Block present features so distinct from ordinary 
 woodcuts as to demand very different treatment at the hands 
 of the machine-man. A writer in the British Printer , for 1890 
 (No. 17, p. 31), signing himself “ R.G.,” has a very valuable 
 article on the subject, which we venture to condense. 
 
 in making ready on the tympan six sheets of 23 lb. demy 
 paper are recommended as sufficient to form the packing. 
 Over these should be drawn a perfectly tight tympan sheet of 
 rather thinner quality. Take an impression on, say, 18 lb. 
 double crown rolled printing paper, which we may call simply 
 “ thin paper.” Out out with a sharp penknife the very heavy 
 or solid parts of the engraving. Affix these with the slightest 
 possible touch of paste to the tympan impression. Cut out of 
 the tympan such of the lights as are necessary, and the 
 defining line which runs round the engraving, wherever it is 
 heavy. Now give careful attention to the type, and cut out or 
 patch as may be needed. This done, cut a sheet of thin paper, 
 two inches less each way than the tympan sheet — if the size 
 of the form will allow it — paste it at the upper and lower edges, 
 and affix it in the centre of the tympan, taking care of course 
 that the pasted edges are quite clear from the printed impres- 
 
ARTISTIC PRINTING. 
 
 137 
 
 sion. This may be called tympan sheet No. 2. Now get an 
 impression on this new sheet and dust the same thoroughly 
 with French chalk. Another impression on thin paper will 
 give an idea of what is still necessary in the way of overlay. 
 So far the method is the same as for wood engravings. 
 
 The writer has recommended that on the first tympan sheet 
 an overlay of thin paper be placed on the heavy or solid parts 
 of the engraving. One overlay of paper should be sufficient of 
 its kind. Instead of using paper for the process block, he 
 suggests the finishing off of the make-ready in a way which not 
 only produces better results, but is more expeditious than the 
 old method of cutting and patching. On tympan sheet No. 2 is 
 an impression which has just been dusted with French chalk. 
 Now get a box of good water-colours and a small camel hair 
 brush. Soften one of the cakes of colour until it is about the 
 consistency of thick cream, and proceed to lay a thin coat of 
 paint on such parts of the picture as seem to need bringing out 
 prominently. These are easily seen on the tympan sheet, and 
 can be readily traced with the brush. The paint will dry in 
 about two minutes, and then a second coat may be put on the 
 solid parts. 
 
 Get another sheet of paper one inch larger than the last, 
 paste the upper and lower edges, and place it over sheet No. 2. 
 This makes tympan sheet No. 3, and, being an inch larger than 
 the previous one, the pasted edges should fall clear of the pasted 
 edges on No. 2. Care should be taken to draw these sheets 
 perfectly tight. Another impression may now be taken on thin 
 paper, and also on a sheet of the paper about to be used for the 
 job. Print on the tympan sheet again and chalk it as before. 
 Touch up the dark parts of the picture again with the paint 
 brush. Where the outline of solids is not sharply defined, use 
 the top of the brush and simply dab the sheet. This method of 
 using the brush will be found very useful in bringing up such 
 parts of a portrait as the hair, or the foliage in a landscape. 
 Whilst the bringing into greater relief of the dark parts 
 necessarily causes lights to be less prominent, yet it is well to aid 
 this contrast of light and shade by carefully cutting away on 
 each successive tympan sheet such parts as may seem necessary 
 to add charm to the picture. 
 
 When satisfied that the proper effect is obtained, and that the 
 impression both as regards type and block is perfectly true, take 
 
138 
 
 ARTISTIC PRINTING. 
 
 a three-sheet Bristol board of the size of tympan sheet No. 2, 
 and, with a mere touch of paste here and there in the whites, 
 affix this to the centre of tympan sheet No. 3. Now get a fairly 
 stout sheet of printing paper to act as top sheet. Cut it to the 
 size of the tympan, and affix it by pasting the top and bottom 
 edges. Draw this sheet perfectly tight, and allow it to stand 
 two or three minutes to dry ; meanwhile, alter the impression so 
 as to make allowance for the cardboard. It is better to reduce 
 it too much than too little, for a too heavy impression would 
 indent the cardboard and spoil the make-ready. Lastly, get a 
 pull on the top sheet, and fix the gauge pins. In printing 
 these blocks the secret of success is hard, unyielding packing, 
 and make-ready ; using as little ink as possible, and that of the 
 very best quality, and plenty of rolling. The above directions 
 apply equally well to cylinder machines. 
 
 Fine Printing on Cylinder Machines.— Messrs. Raithby 
 and Lawrence, of the De Montfort Press, Leicester, have 
 published some useful details as to the manner in which their 
 exquisite specimens of fine printing are produced. We extract 
 the following, which will be found in the highest degree 
 instructive : — 
 
 Hard packing is used on the cylinder. It takes about nine 
 sheets of 40 lb. double demy. Five sheets of 40 lb. are put on 
 with a sheet of 32 lb. on the top, the sheets being pasted along 
 the front edge and fastened direct upon the cylinder. No 
 calico is used, the packing being secured at the back by gummed 
 paper, care being taken to draw the sheets taut. The remainder 
 of the nine sheets are added in the process of making ready. 
 Some people use damp sheets on the cylinder, but this is not 
 to be recommended, as it is not always convenient for the 
 machine to stand still while the tympan is getting thoroughly 
 dry. It is useless to begin making ready on a tympan that is 
 not dry right through, because as it dries it contracts and 
 hardens ; hence the overlays get moved. All the paper used 
 for packing should be dry. 
 
 A sheet is fed through, with a quantity of sheets on the top 
 of it that will bring up the pressure required — two sheets of 
 40 lb. double demy are generally reserved for this — and an 
 impression is pulled. If it is a heavy form and requires a 
 little more pressure, an additional sheet is put on the cylinder. 
 
ARTISTIC PRINTING. 
 
 139 
 
 An impression is then taken on the top sheet, from which 
 head lines, leaders, rules, and hard parts of illustrations are 
 cut out. 
 
 Having done this, a sheet of 18 lb. is drawn over, another 
 impression taken, and the overlay sheets prepared. These 
 consist of three sheets of 18 lb., and one about 10 lb. heavier. 
 All hard parts are taken out of the top tympan sheet, and the 
 weak places in the type overlaid and pasted to it, tissue paper 
 being extensively used, so as to avoid any unnecessary pressure. 
 
 In the general run of machine illustrations, the light shade 
 is taken out of one of the 18 lb. double crown sheets, then the 
 second shade out of the next, and then the third from No. 3, 
 using the thicker sheets for solids. . For most small blocks two 
 sheets of 18 lb. and one for solids are, however, sufficient. The 
 solids are pasted directly on the cylinder and then No. 3. This 
 is considered at the De Montfort Press better than pasting all 
 the overlays together and then putting them on, as the solids 
 are thus well buried and sharp edges around them are prevented. 
 When overlays are pasted together, as is sometimes done, the 
 solids are pasted to the undermost overlay. 
 
 In placing the thin overlays together many printers paste 
 each all over and stick together, but there are objections to this. 
 When thus treated they cannot be got together accurately ; 
 for they have expanded whilst damp, and have been unequally 
 drawn out during the proces* of pasting. There is really no 
 need of covering them all over with paste. 
 
 Having cut out sheets 1 and 2, the method adopted is to 
 paste the solids on first, and then to lay No. 2 over No. 1, just 
 touched here and there with paste to hold them together. The 
 same is done with the third sheet. In landscapes, photos., sea 
 views, and other fine illustrations, the 1, 2, 3 order is not 
 strictly followed, the aim being to throw the subject up well. 
 
 Much can be done to inprove the appearance and the effective- 
 ness of views by an additional overlay over a house or tree, or 
 other features intended to be prominent, in conveying a clear 
 idea to the mind. Again, a bit cut out here and there will help 
 to make a commonplace block look tasteful, while a really good 
 cut can be made to look like a fine picture. 
 
 After having cut out overlays and finished patching up, 
 another sheet of 18 lb. is put over all, a few waste sheets run 
 through, or one placed on the form to set the overlays, &c. An 
 
140 
 
 ARTISTIC PRINTING. 
 
 impression may now be pulled on “ a sheet of its own,” with 
 the tympan sheet on top as usual, this being a sheet of the 
 40 lb. double demy. Any remaining defects are now remedied 
 on the top sheet, and, this being done, one 40 lb. sheet is 
 pasted on to cover all in, and printing gone on with. 
 
 CHAPTER XYI. 
 
 Art Printing Papers — Enamelled Coated, and Duplex papers — Fancy 
 Imitations of Textile Fabrics and Animal Products, &c. 
 
 Up to within the last few years the choice of the printer in 
 the matter of art printing papers was very limited, but this 
 cannot be said to-day. A large percentage of the total produc- 
 tion of some of our first-class mills consists of enamelled and 
 surfaced papers, white, toned, and tinted. Special machines are 
 used for coating, glazing, rolling, burnishing, and finishing. 
 
 It would be impossible here to enumerate all the varieties 
 which can be obtained, and to do so would be unnecessary, as 
 the wholesale dealers readily send specimen books and samples 
 to printers on application. Anyone intending to attempt art 
 printing should make himself well acquainted with the qualities, 
 characteristics, and prices of these papers. 
 
 Meisenbach and other similar process blocks give much 
 trouble, and a great degree of care and skill is needed in order 
 to produce striking and realistic effects. The minder’s trouble, 
 however, is nearly all wasted if he has bad or unsuitable paper 
 to work with. 
 
 Almost any kind of printing on glazed or coated paper is 
 attended with considerable difficulty by reason of the frequent 
 want of adhesion of the ink to the smooth surface. Some 
 printers consider that if a good paper be used the effect is sure 
 to be good. This is by no means true. 
 
 The difference in the appearance of blocks done on different 
 kinds of paper is very remarkable. The same block sometimes 
 does not appear to have been used. Let some pulls be made on 
 
ARTISTIC PRINTING. 
 
 141 
 
 a super-calendered paper, and compared with some on ordinary 
 paper, and the difference will be found most striking. The 
 picture is there, it is true, and even if there be no glaring defect 
 to point out, the general effect on the inferior paper is dull and 
 spiritless. The difference is even greater when coated or 
 enamelled paper is used. 
 
 Art printing papers are supplied in three shades — white 
 shade, toned shade, or tinted qualities. Some special makes are 
 coated on one side alone. There are also what are called duplex 
 papers, which are of one shade on one side of the sheet and a 
 different one on the other. There may be a light shade of 
 salmon pink on one side, and a sky blue on the other. 
 In another, pink is contrasted with a shade of dark fig 
 green, and the effect is very pleasing. Pink and a quiet 
 tint of French grey, or pink with light lemon or a shade 
 of toned white, are good. It is advisable to obtain a few sheets 
 of different qualities and to pull a few proofs on them before 
 deciding upon the paper to be procured for a long job. 
 
 Great attention must be paid to the selection of inks for these 
 duplex papers, if it is desired to use on them coloured inks. 
 The printer must, of course, to a great extent rely on his own 
 judgment in choosing his colours. As a general rule, inks of a 
 quiet and unobtrusive tone suit these papers better than inks 
 of very bright or vivid hues. Vermilion, for example, is a 
 favourite colour with many who desire to produce an effect, and 
 when sparingly and judiciously used this is no doubt a very 
 good colour. It will, however, often be found in practice that 
 purple, carmine, or almost any of the lakes produce as good, if 
 not a better effect. 
 
 Orange paper, too, usually requires a special class of ink. If 
 an ordinary black be used it frequently assumes quite a different 
 shade by contrast with the bright foreground formed by the 
 paper. 
 
 These matters are regulated quite as much by the colour of 
 the ink as the colour of the paper or the quality of the design. 
 The careful printer will not rush into a job of this kind without 
 due consideration of all three points. If they be carefully 
 attended to, then duplex coloured papers will not present diffi- 
 culty. Their popularity will probably even increase in the 
 future, when their capabilities are better understood. 
 
142 
 
 ARTISTIC PRINTING. 
 
 In addition to these duplex papers a number of embossed, 
 stamped, and fancifully finished papers have recently been 
 offered. Some of these are imitations of fancy leathers, others 
 of textile fabrics. There is, for instance, a “ brown holland ” 
 paper, which in colour and texture is almost a facsimile of the 
 original article. Although apparently unsuitable for printing, 
 its surface really takes any kind of impression admirably. There 
 are also papers which counterfeit crocodile, lizard, and other 
 kinds of skins. Other papers imitate vellum, morocco, and the 
 like. These must be prudently selected, but their printing 
 involves no practical difficulty . 
 
ARTISTIC PRINTING. 
 
 143 
 
 APPENDIX A. 
 
 Bronzing 1 Machines (Page 66). — If a large number of 
 impressions have to be bronzed it is a slow and wasteful process 
 to do it by hand. There is also injury to the health of the 
 workers, caused by inhaling the dust-laden atmosphere of the 
 apartment in which the work is carried on. The introduction 
 of machines having for their object the facilitating and 
 quickening of the process has been consequently welcomed by 
 the printer who caters for this class of work. There are now 
 several machines before the trade for the purpose of applying 
 the bronze powder. One of the best of these is Silverlock’s 
 Cylinder Bronzing and Dusting Machine, the present design 
 of which is shown in the accompanying illustration. 
 
144 
 
 ARTISTIC PRINTING. 
 
 It is neat and compact in appearance, and takes up very little 
 floor space. A large steel cylinder revolves when the machine is 
 in motion, and as the sheets are fed from the laying-on board, 
 slits in the cylinder that act as grippers open and seize the sheet 
 to be bronzed, bringing it in contact with a roller revolving in a 
 trough of bronze, over which it passes to another roller that 
 wipes off the superfluous dust into the trough again, then over 
 a high speed polishing roller, wdiich can be regulated to any 
 degree of polish necessary. After this the sheet passes over 
 five dusting-off rollers, and is delivered automatically into a 
 tray that can be adjusted to take any size of sheet that the 
 machine will take. The sheets on leaving tbe machine require 
 no further dusting, but are ready for the customer. 
 
 One ingenious detail of this machine is the pad which rubs 
 in the bronze after it is applied by the bronzing roller, and the 
 movement of which is made to imitate by a to-and-fro motion 
 the movement of the hand in doing the same work. 
 
 Under the machine is an enclosed box that contains the 
 bronzing trough and rollers. By a simple lever movement it 
 can be detached instantly and drawn out, front and rear, in 
 two portions, thus rendering the mechanism easily accessible. 
 When the machine is working the bronze powder is so securely 
 confined in its own proper sphere that there is scarcely a particle 
 to be seen outside ; in fact, there is little to indicate that such 
 a material as bronze powder is being used at all. This is an 
 important matter, and does away with the dust-polluted air 
 that is so prejudicial to health. 
 
 All kinds of paper can be worked in this machine with ease. 
 If desired it can be mounted on double castors so that it can be 
 easily moved about the machine-room and placed close to the 
 printing machine on which the job is being worked, and from 
 which the sheets are passed to the bronzer as they leave the 
 flyers. The bronzing cylinder carrying round two sheets at 
 every revolution renders it quite possible to keep pace with any 
 ordinary letterpress machine. The work is turned out with a 
 finish and regularity not attainable by hand labour and without 
 smudging. 
 
 . Mr. George Newsum, of the firm of .Newsum, Wood, Dyson, 
 and Go., Charmouth Street, Leeds, has also invented a cylinder 
 gripper bronzing and dusting machine. It claims to be the only 
 
ARTISTIC PRINTING . 
 
 145 
 
 machine in the market that will dust both sides of the sheet 
 after bronzing. The general principle is not much different from 
 that already mentioned. The sheets are fed on an ordinary 
 feed board from the top side of the cylinder, and as soon as the 
 sheet is gripped, the bronze trough and roller being at the upper 
 side of the cylinder, the sheet begins to receive the bronze and 
 is held tight to the cylinder by the bronzing rollers, which 
 prevent it from falling over and smearing. After passing the 
 bronze roller, the sheet is burnished and partly dusted, and 
 as it passes round it is further dusted by other rollers, which 
 dust both sides before delivery. The cylinder is a well-turned 
 cast iron one and has two sets of plate grippers, making a 
 complete circle of the cylinder, Nothing requires to be 
 removed from its working position for the examination during 
 its operation of any of its parts, all that is necessary being to 
 raise the cover to examine the bronze, burnishing, and dusting- 
 rollers, or to remove a sheet should one get in by accident — 
 thus obviating the stoppage of the machine. The rollers are 
 enclosed and arranged round the cylinder. 
 
 There are other machines procurable, chiefly of foreign 
 origin, but most of them are inferior. Experience has shown 
 that there is no surface so well suited to bronze high-class work 
 upon as a well-turned metal cylinder of large diameter. It 
 should have two solid grippers ; machines without grippers 
 have no advantage in speed, and have many drawbacks. 
 
 The rollers ought to be self -cleaning. The sheet ought to 
 be fed in face up. The bronze should be presented to the work 
 without having to be sifted or divided — the coarse from the 
 fine grains. 
 
 The Self-Bronzer. — This is a simple and convenient 
 adjunct to hand-bronzing. It is supplied by Mr. McCoy, of 
 Farringdon Hoad, and costs only from 5s. to 7s. 6d. The 
 bronze is received in a cavity on the top, which is closed tightly 
 with a slide, and it is delivered through valves which are 
 opened or closed by a screw at the end, regulating the supply 
 to a sieve in the midst of fine beaver fur. No bronze escapes 
 except on to the work being bronzed, A large percentage of 
 bronze wasted by the old method is thus saved, as it is fed only 
 as fast as wanted, and just where required on the work, not 
 over the whole table. 
 
 L 
 
146 
 
 ARTISTIC PRINTING. 
 
 In order to avoid the injury which arises from inhaling the 
 mixture, it is well in bronzing by hand to wear a respirator or 
 to have a glass in front of the face, the hands passing around 
 
 it. 
 
 APPENDIX B. 
 
 Ink Grinding Machines (Page 89).— It is becoming a 
 more common plan than formerly, especially in large printing 
 offices, to make the coloured inks on the premises. If small 
 quantities only of inks are required it is most economical to 
 procure them from the regular ink manufacturers. At page 89 
 and elsewhere directions have been given for mixing up the 
 pigments of such inks by means of the muller and stone. 
 
 The ink grinding machine — of which there are many varie- 
 ties, all, however, having a strong family likeness — is a powerful 
 mill fitted with three, or at least two large rollers, and a 
 receptacle for the material, which is conducted between the 
 rollers and in the process gets crushed to powder. This falls out 
 over a sloping ledge provided for the purpose. The rollers can 
 be adjusted so as to make powder of different degrees of 
 fineness. The rollers should always be of stone— preferably 
 granite. They may be turned by hand or driven by power in 
 the usual way by means of pulleys and belts. 
 
INDEX 
 
 A. 
 
 American Ornamentation - 6 
 
 Analogous Colours and Tints 
 
 described 44 
 
 Architectural Designing - 5 
 
 Artistic Printing defined - 2 
 
 Art Colours, The mixture of 50 
 ,, Printing, Mr. Ruskin’s 
 
 Views of 4 
 
 B. 
 
 Blue-black Ink, Ingredients 
 
 of - - - - - 50 
 
 Borders, Combination - 110 
 
 „ Styles of - 106-118 
 
 ,, to justify - -113 
 
 Boxwood Ground Blocks - 72 
 
 Brass Circles and Curves - 25 
 
 Broken Colours - - - 41 
 
 Bronzing 62 
 
 Bronze work, to burnish - 63 
 
 ,, enamelled 
 
 papers for - - 64 
 
 Bronzing Machines described 143 
 Bronze dusting Appliance - 144 
 
 ,, work, Size for 60 
 
 ,, ,, Tints for - 64 
 
 ,, ,, Varnish for - 64 
 
 C. 
 
 Chaostype described - - 95 
 
 Chemical action of inks on 
 
 Copper 55 
 
 Colours and Tints, Analogous 44 
 
 ,, IjUU1|JUU1IU 
 
 ,, Contrasts in 
 
 Colours, Natural Harmony in- 38 
 
 ,, on Tinted Papers, 
 effect of 49 
 
 ,, Luminous, 40 ; Pri- 
 
 mary, 39 ; Secondary, 40 ; 
 Tertiary 40 
 
 ,, Harmony of 42 
 
 ,, Selection of - - 10 
 
 Combinations of three colours 43 
 
 ,, tints - - 84 
 
 ,, borders - 110 
 
 Corners for rule borders - 122 
 
 Curves, to justify 29 
 
 ,, measurement of - 32 
 
 Curved lines, Use and abuse 
 
 of 14 
 
 Crystallised glass ground tints 77 
 
 D. 
 
 ! Designing, Harmony in - 9 
 
 Dry Colours for tint grounds 88 
 
 E. 
 
 Effectiveness, Degrees of - 9 
 
 Electrotypes, Treatment of, 
 
 for red ink 56 
 
 Enamelled Papers for bronze 
 
 work, 64; for fine printing 140 
 
 Engraving on Tint plates - 76 
 
 I<\ 
 
 Fauey founts, Hints on selec- 
 tion of - - - - 18 
 
 Fancy Printing Papers - - 141 
 
 Flake white, The use of - 86 
 
 Frosted glass as printing 
 
 39 plates - - - 77 
 
148 
 
 INDEX. 
 
 G. 
 
 German Ornamentation, 
 
 Characteristics of - - 5 
 
 German Type Faces described 21 
 Gold Preparations - - 60 
 
 Grained Wood Blocks for 
 
 Tint Work - - - 79 
 
 Ground Blocks for Tint Work 69 
 Ground Blocks, shaping and 
 
 engraving - - 70 
 
 Ground Tints, Crystallised 
 
 Glass for - - 77 
 
 H. 
 
 Harmony of Colours, to 
 
 produce - - 42 
 
 Head pieces, Use of - 127 
 
 Hues, Description of - - 41 
 
 I. 
 
 Initials, Early use of - - 97 
 
 ,, Hints on selecting 100 
 Initial Ornaments - - 104 
 
 Ink Grinding Mills described 146 
 Inks, Chemical action of, on 
 
 Copper - - - 55 
 
 Inks, To reduce coloured - 84 
 
 J. 
 
 Justifying Curves, &c., 29 ; 
 
 Borders - - - 113 
 
 L. 
 
 Labour saving Tint Blocks - 80 
 
 Letter Founders, Identifi- 
 cation of - 20 
 
 Letter Ornaments - - 118 
 
 Line Borders - 109 
 
 Lining Types 15 
 
 Luminous Colours 40 
 
 O. 
 
 Opaque Tint Inks - - 84 
 
 Originality of Treatment in 
 
 designing - - - 7 
 
 Overlays, Guide for cutting - 132 
 
 Owltype described - - 93 
 
 P. 
 
 Panel Designs, How to form 23 
 Papers, Fancy Printing - 141 
 ,, Selection of - 42 
 
 Paper Ground Blocks - - 75 
 
 Patent Leather Ground 
 
 Blocks - - - 79 
 
 Practicability of Design, Rules 
 
 on 7 
 
 Presswork, How to criticise 11 
 
 Primary Colours 39 
 
 Process Blocks, making 
 
 ready, 138 ; printing - 136 
 
 R. 
 
 Rainbow Printing - - 54 
 
 Red Ink, Qualities of - 55 
 
 Repetition Bordeis - - 110 
 
 Ruskin’s Views of Art Printing 4 
 
 Ribbon Design for Tint 
 
 Blocks 80 
 
 Rule Curving Machine - 26 
 
 ,, work, Appliances for 29 
 
 ,, ,, Designs ex- 
 plained 33 
 
 ,, Borders, Corners for - 122 
 
 ,, Cutters, Description of 24 
 Ruled Tints 80 
 
 S. 
 
 M. 
 
 Marbling Effects, to produce 77 
 Making-ready Process- blocks 136 
 Mitring Machines, Descrip- 
 tion of - - - 28 
 
 Mortised Types - - - 17 
 
 N. 
 
 Natural Harmony in Colours 38 
 
 Sectional Types, Use of QT - 17 
 
 Secondary Colours - 40 
 
 Selenotype Process - - 96 
 
 Silvering Electrotypes - 56 
 
 Size for Bronze work - 60 
 
 Skin on Inks, Preventing 
 
 formation of - - - 56 
 
 Spacing Display Work - - 36 
 
 Specimen Exchange, Origin of 4 
 
 Superior Work, Qualities of 6 
 
 Symmetry, Rules of 8 
 
INDEX, 
 
 149 
 
 T. 
 
 Tail pieces, Use of - - 128 
 
 Tertiary Colours 40 
 
 Tint-work, Origin of Letter- 
 
 press - 68 
 
 ,, Hints on 82 
 
 Tint-block Plates - - 75 
 
 Tint-blocks, Designs for - 77 
 
 Tinted Papers, Effects of 
 
 Colours on - - - 49 
 
 Tint Ground Blocks, Patterns 
 
 for 78 
 
 Tint Ground, Dry Colours for 88 
 
 ,, Plates, Engraving on - 76 
 
 Tints, Combinations of - 84 
 
 ,, for Bronze-work - - 64 
 
 Tones, Production of - - 41 
 
 Transparent Tints - - 83 
 
 Transparent Inks, How to 
 
 make 87 
 
 Type Faces, Classification of 15 
 
 U. 
 
 Underlaying, Rules for - 131 
 
 ! Varnishes for Colour Work 56-65 
 I Varnish for Bronzing 64 
 
 j Vignettes, Styles of 123 
 
 W. 
 
 I Woodcuts, Placing of - - 128 
 
 ,, Making Ready - 131 
 
 
 A. S. Mallett, Allen & Co., Printers, 142, Wardour St., W. 
 

 
 
 
 

 
 
ADVERTISEMENTS. 
 
 BOOKS, &c., FOR PRINTERS. 
 
 PRACTICAL PRINTING.— By John Southward. 
 4th Edition by Arthur Powell. — Uniform in size 
 with Artistic Printing. 782 pages, fully illustrated. 
 Prices : Part I., 6s. (or post free 5s. 6d. net) ; Part 
 II., 3s. (or post free 3s. net; cash with order). May 
 also be had complete in one volume, price 8s. (or post 
 free 7s. cash). 
 
 “We know of no treatise upon the Art of Printing at once 
 so accurate, comprehensive, and practical.” — Bookseller. 
 
 THE LAW AFFECTING PRINTERS, NEWS- 
 PAPER PROPRIETORS, AND PUB- 
 LISHERS. — By Arthur Powell, price 4s. — The 
 book deals fully with all laws specially affecting the 
 classes named, and with Libel, Copyright, Master 
 and Servant, Apprentices, Employers’ Liability, 
 Injunctions for Noise, and various other subjects. 
 
 MATHEWS’ CHART FOR PRINTERS AND 
 STATIONERS. — Price Is., or, mounted on 
 rollers, 5s, (carriage of either, 6d.). — This enables 
 a printer to tell at a glance out of what paper to cut 
 most economically slips for any job, and how much 
 will be required. It also gives relative sizes and 
 weights of papers. 
 
 THE PRINTERS’ REGISTER.— Price 2d., fine 
 paper copies 3d. ; or 2s. 6d. and 3s. 6d. per annum, 
 post free. — Monthly, on the 6th of each month. The 
 oldest and best trade newspaper for printers, and the 
 best medium for advertising. 
 
 4 
 
 All the above to be obtained at 
 
 THE PRINTERS’ REGISTER” OFFICE, 
 
 33a, LUDGATE HILL, LONDON, E.C. 
 
ADVERTISEMENTS. 
 
 DALZIEL’S 
 Patent Twir|-Olamp Stereo-Blocks. 
 
 IMPOSING MADE EASY. VERY RAPID MAKE READY. 
 
 UNINTERRUPTED 
 
 CLEAN 
 
 PRINTING. 
 
 QUICK CHANGE 
 OF PLATES. 
 
 ELECTROS AND STEREOS NEVER DAMAGED. 
 
 HESE Stereo Blocks attached to any Letterpress Machine 
 will increase the Daily Out put by at least 30 PER CENT, 
 without increasing the running speed of the Machine, and 
 will give better printing throughout the run. 
 
 PRICES PER SET OF 32 PAGES:— 
 
 '64 ANGLE BLOCKS, to mount 32 pages, from F’cap 8 vo 
 
 to Medium 8 vo 
 
 Set.1 32 °f each °f the SIX CENTRAL SUPPORTS for ex- 
 ( ponding, as described ------- 
 
 '64 ANGLE BLOCKS , to mount 32 pages , from Medium 8vo 
 to Crown 4 to 
 
 B 
 
 r ( 
 
 
 £5:0:0 
 
 £ 8 : 0:0 
 
 £7:10:0 
 
 get 1 32 of each of the SIX CENTRAL SUPPORTS for ex- 
 
 V. ponding, as described ------- £10:10:0 
 
 The above two sizes, A and B, will meet the necessities of most book and 
 jobbing work, but any sizes may be had, either larger or smaller than the above. 
 For trial purposes any smaller quantities may be had at proportionate scale 
 prices. Several tons of these castings are always kept in stock so that 
 deliveries may be made immediately on receipt of order. 
 
 Dalziel’s Fine Art Hard Metal Stereotypes. 
 
 PFPT7TTrTTnW The Matrix yields a stereo plate absolutely identical with 
 ri^rir Jii/ilUiN. the g nes ^ p 0SS ible Engraving or Process Block. There 
 is no thickening of lines. 
 
 DURABILITY. The stereo plate is cast of such hard metal that it will 
 
 ■ stand twice as much wear and tear as any Electrotype. 
 
 ECONOMY Any wood engraving or other letterpress printing surface 
 
 u ’ can be moulded (in the cold press without any damage) 
 
 and cast in one hour. 
 
 Price |d. per Square Inch; minimum 9d. net. 
 
 All further particulars on application to — 
 
 HARVEY DALZIEL, 153, Fleet St, London, E.C. 
 
ADVERTISEMENTS. 
 
 THE IMPROVED GORDON 
 
 SIZES MADE. 
 
 No. 1.-13 by 9 
 (Feap. Folio). 
 
 No 2.-154 by 10| 
 (Crown Folio). 
 
 No. 3.-17 by 11 
 (Large Post Folio) 
 
 No. 4.— 19 by 13 
 (Demy Folio). 
 
 a ONSTRUCTED on the same lines as the Arab and 
 Bremner, with Patented Improvements. 
 
 The only Stop-Platen and Double Rolling Platen Machine 
 made. 
 
 Silent in Working. Unequalled Ink Distribution, Perfect 
 Impression Adjustment with Single Screw. 
 
 “ A beautiful machine for best work .” — JOHN BELLOWS. 
 
 “ We do not know of any 'platen machine in the market 
 possessing greater capabilities for producing first-rate workf — 
 John Wright & Co., Bristol. 
 
 Prices and New Terms of Easy Purchase of the Makers: 
 
 J. M. POWELL & SON, 
 
 33a, LUDGATE HILL, E.C. 
 
ADVERTISEMENTS. 
 
 THE 
 
 THE 
 
 it 
 
 MINERVA. 
 
 y } 
 
 BETTER 
 KNOWN AS 
 
 ‘ CROPPER." 
 
 PRICES AND TERMS ON APPLICATION TO 
 
 H. S. CROPPER & CO., Ltd., 
 
 Great Alfred Street, Nottingham. 
 London Depot — 37b, ALDERSGATE STREET, E.C. 
 
 Messrs. MeCORQUODALE & CO. have 49 MINERVAS. 
 
ADVERTISEMENTS. 
 
 SCHILLING & CO., 
 
 IMPORTERS OF 
 
 Fancy Types, Borders, 
 
 VIGNETTES, 
 
 LABOUR-SAVING RULES, Etc. 
 
 ARTISTS & PHOTOZINC ETCHESS. 
 
 HALF-TONE, LINE, & COLOUR WORK. 
 
 DESIGNS 
 
 For SHOW-CARDS 
 „ CALENDARS 
 „ BOOK COVERS 
 „ PROGRAMMES 
 „ LEAFLETS 
 Etc., Etc. 
 
 All Advertisement 
 Matter Designed in 
 Bold and Attractive 
 Style. 
 
 Privacy Guaranteed. 
 
 SPECIMENS AND PRICES ON APPLICATION 
 
 7, LUDGATE SQUARE, LONDON, E.C. 
 
ADVERTISEMENTS. 
 
 A. B. FLEMING & Co., 
 
 LIMITED, 
 
 CAROLINE PARK, EDINBURGH, 
 
 Contractors to Her Majesty’s Government. 
 
 newspaper” inks, 
 
 AS SUPPLIED TO THE “TIMES” 
 AND OTHER DAILY PAPERS. 
 
 Special Attention given to Inks 
 for Foreign Climates. 
 
 Bookwork an& 3obbmg 
 
 INKS 
 
 As supplied to the Leading Houses in 
 London, Edinburgh, the Provinces, 
 and Colonies. 
 
 Coloured ant> Xttfoo 
 
 I N KS 
 
 OF EVERY DESCRIPTION. 
 
 LARGE STOCK KEPT AT 
 
 15, Whitefriars Street, Fleet Street, E.C., 
 
 AND AT 
 
 67, Piccadilly , I III , Waterloo St 
 MANCHESTER. GLASGOW . 
 
 66, George St., Parade, 
 BIRMINGHAM . 
 
 Alexandria Buildings, Ormond Street, LIVERPOOL. 
 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
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GETTY RESEARCH INSTITUTE 
 
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