The Preparation of Illustrations for Reports of the United States Geological Survey: With Brief Descriptions of Processes of ReproductionRidgway, John L.
Science
The Preparation of Illustrations for Reports of the United States Geological Survey: With Brief Descriptions of Processes of Reproduction
Ridgway, John L.
Illustration of books
If the design is a map which is to show culture, streams, and surface
contours, and each of these sets of features is to be printed in a
separate color, impressions of the work to be engraved must be placed
on three stones. One method of doing this is to make a scratch tracing
of the original drawing on a sheet of transparent gelatin or celluloid
in the manner employed in chromolithography, except that a dry
pigment, generally chrome-yellow, is used to fill the scratch lines
instead of red chalk or Venetian red. From this tracing a "faint" or
imprint of all the details of the three separate features of the map
is made on each of the three stones, and the engraver then cuts on
each stone only the lines and other features, including ample register
marks, that are to be printed in one color, the imprint made from the
tracing making it possible to engrave each set of features in its
exact position relative to the other two. By another method the matter
to be engraved is photographed directly on the stone.
The engraving is done with a steel needle inserted in a small wooden
cylinder, an instrument resembling an ordinary lead pencil. The size
and shape of the needles used are varied according to the requirements
of the matter to be engraved. With this instrument the lines and
lettering are lightly scratched into the stone through the dark
coating and show as light lines. The points of some of the needles are
fine; those of others are V-shaped; and some have spoon-shaped points,
for use in thickening lines and shading letters. All features are
engraved in reverse.
After the engraving is completed the stones are prepared for printing
by wiping off all the superficial color and filling the engraved lines
with a greasy ink--generally a thin printing ink--which is rubbed into
the lines with a soft rag. Impressions are then pulled on transfer
paper and transferred to three printing stones for use in printing the
three colors, the register marks enabling the pressman to fit each
color exactly in its proper place.
In all lithographic processes the titles and other marginal lettering
can be and usually are transferred from type impressions to the
printing stones. It is therefore unnecessary to letter such matter
carefully on an original drawing that is made for lithographic
reproduction, for appropriate faces of type will give better printed
results than hand lettering.
Corrections can not be made on a stone or copper engraving as readily
as on a drawing. If a stone engraver makes an error or if a change is
required after his engraving is finished, the parts to be corrected
must be scraped off and a new ground laid before the correction can be
made. Sometimes he will engrave the parts corrected on another part of
the original stone and transfer it to the printing stone. Corrections
are made on copper plates by "hammering up" the plate from beneath,
polishing off a new surface, and reengraving the part to be corrected.
APPENDIX.
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