=Ink Remains upon the Plate.=—Through too light or uneven pressure it
sometimes happens, especially when using a stiff ink, that the latter
will, after the impression has been pulled, partially adhere to the
darkest portions of the printing surface, particularly on the edges
of plates deeply copied. If this fault is not corrected at once, and
the printing allowed to proceed, these portions giving a light, faulty
impression will gradually increase in size, and the corresponding
portions of the Collotype plate gradually darken. When first observed
the whole plate must at once be cleaned with turpentine and again
rolled up with thinner ink, a greater and perfectly even pressure being
applied. Small faults of this nature occurring on the edges of the
plate can be corrected after each faulty impression by means of a small
piece of sponge moistened with gum water or with a turpentine rag.
=Displacement of the Paper= under the scraper will create a double
impression, and sometimes wrinkles, the latter invariably leading to
the destruction of the plate. By adopting the use of the bridge now
used in conjunction with most Collotype hand presses, this fault is
avoided, as the paper is only in contact with the printing surface
immediately under the scraper.
CHAPTER XII.
INVESTIGATIONS ON COLLOTYPE.
August Albert[L] is of opinion that it is by no means a matter of
indifference whether bichromate of potassium or bichromate of ammonia
is used in the preparation of the Collotype plates; on the contrary,
he believes that the latter salt materially conduces to interruptions
in printing, especially in unsettled weather. The results of his
experiments with the two salts in the Collotype process, and of their
behaviour in combination with different sorts of gelatine, are as
follows:—
To 1000 cc. of water are added ten drops of a saturated solution of
chrome alum; this mixture, after having stood for a quarter of an hour,
must, if shaken up, show an opalescent appearance, and a slight milky
turbidity; if too much chrome alum has been added, the water acquires
a greenish colour. The gelatine is now added, and, for about fifteen
minutes, kept at a temperature of 134°, when the chrome salt is added,
stirring all the while, and the temperature of the water bath raised
to 150° to 160°. The temperature and time must strictly be adhered
to. The jelly thus prepared should be kept at least ten hours in a
solidified state previous to using.
[L] This experimentalist has evidently been confused with the
late Joseph Albert, of Munich, by some writers. It may be
mentioned that Joseph Albert, whose business is still carried
on by his widow, was father of Dr. Eugene Albert, known in the
photographic world for his orthochromatic collodion emulsion.
August Albert, of Vienna, is of another family.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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