The American Printer: A Manual of Typography: Containing practical directions for managing all departments of a printing office, as well as complete instructions for apprentices; with several useful tables, numerous schemes for imposing forms in every variety, hints to authors, etc.MacKellar, Thomas
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The American Printer: A Manual of Typography: Containing practical directions for managing all departments of a printing office, as well as complete instructions for apprentices; with several useful tables, numerous schemes for imposing forms in every variety, hints to authors, etc.
MacKellar, Thomas
Graphic design (Typography); Printing -- United States -- Handbooks, manuals, etc.; Printing industry -- United States
Engravings in vignette form require great attention to keep the edges
light and clear, and in general it is necessary to scrape away one or
two thicknesses of paper in order to lighten the impression and keep
it clean: the edges being irregular and straggling, they are likely to
come off too hard. Bearers type-high placed beside the block will be
found advantageous; if they cannot be used, pieces of reglet, pasted on
the frisket in the usual way, and taking a bearing on the furniture,
must be substituted; but the high bearer is to be preferred where it
can be adopted. The bearers equalize the pressure on the surface of the
engraving, and protect the edges from the severity of the pull, which
is always injurious to the delicacy of the external lines. They also
render the subject more manageable, by enabling the pressman to add to or
diminish the pressure on particular parts, so as to produce the desired
effect.
When great delicacy of impression is required in a vignette, it will be
found beneficial, after the engraving is inked, to roll the extremities
with a small roller without ink: this will not only take away any
superfluity of ink, but will prevent picks, and give lightness and
softness to the edges, particularly where the effect of distance is
required.
If the extremities are engraved much lighter than the central parts,
underlays should be pasted on the middle of the block, which will give
a firmer impression to the central parts of the subject. It would save
trouble and aid in getting a good impression if the block were engraved a
little rounded on the face.
When highly finished engravings on wood are worked separately, woollen
cloth, however fine, should never be used for blankets, as it causes too
much impression; a sheet or two of hard smooth paper between the tympans
is better; sometimes even a piece of glazed pasteboard is used inside the
outer tympan. The parchments ought to be in good condition, stretched
tight, of a smooth surface, thin, and of regular thickness, so as to
enable the pressman to obtain an impression as nearly as possible from
the surface only of the engraved lines.
The rollers must be kept in perfect order; and the pressman should be
very particular in taking ink and inking the block. He ought to use the
best ink that can be procured.
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