The chemical ink used for the paper may be soft or firm. The paper may be specially prepared or not. The stone may be warm or cold. The design leaves the paper entirely and clings to the stone, or does so only partly. To describe all this would take too much space. I will describe only the method that I consider best, namely, a method under which the work is done with a soft ink, and transferred to an unwarmed stone. This is the quickest and surest, and has the advantage of not spoiling the original. In a clean coffee cup rub down a piece, as large as a hazel nut, of the chemical ink described under the heading "Transfer Ink" in an earlier part of this work. Dissolve with rain water or soft river water. The amount of water is determined according to the need for fine or coarse work. In the latter case, the ink should be thinner, that there may not be too much ink in the design after it dries. While the writing or design is drying, select a stone that either has not been used before or at least has been thoroughly ground off, and grind it down once more with pure and dry pumice stone without water, until it is certain that all parts of the surface have been rubbed down so thoroughly that the stone may properly be considered a new one. Clean away the dust with clean paper, fasten the stone in the press, examine the scraper to make sure that it is even, adjust the press for the proper pressure; in a word, do all that is necessary for good impressions. From this time on the greatest care must be taken not to touch the polished stone with as much as a finger, not to mention keeping grease and dirt away from it. As soon as every point in the design on the paper is perfectly dry, wet it on the reverse side with a sponge dipped into weak but pure aquafortis until the paper is quite soft. Lay it between waste paper sheets for a time, to prevent it from pulling out of shape and to remove the excess moisture. It must be soft, but not wet, when the impression is made. Lay the paper face down on the stone. On it lay two sheets of dry waste paper, then an equally large piece of taffeta, another sheet of waste paper and make the transfer print with a moderately swift motion of the press, which must have more tension than is used for ordinary impressions. The power of a lever press is insufficient for larger stones, and a cylinder press is required.