Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1845-03-19
The New York Correspondent Of the

The New York Correspondent OF The
Charleston Courier, Of late date, says
f" You have heard Of The new discovery III
England called Anastatic Printing, by
which letter-press line engravings, wood
cuts, Autographs, &c. are reproduced in a
few moments in plates capable OF giving
fifteen or twenty thousand impressions
Mr.. Wiley received by the last steamer
a French paper thus transferred in fe
minutes. The typography, wood cuts aud
all are precisely like the original Mr.
Wiley has kindly given US an accurate
description of The whole process by which
this is done. To make the$ilustra'ion
more simple, take the Charleston Courier
for the sheet to be transferred TO plate
Upon plate of polished zinc lay the sheet
of the Courier spread out, so as to fit close;
Iy. Then with sponge moisten il tho
roughly with dilute nitric acid. and the
sUork is done. The chemical composition
of The ink resisting the action ofihe nitric
acid those portions ofthe plate covered by
the letters are protected Of course from
corrosion. while all the spaces between
are eaten out. Ia a few minutes The acid
has done its work, cutting away he zinc
where the ink does mol protectit. On re-
moving the fragments Of ltegsheet the
plate presents surface Of elevated let
ters, line for lire, point for point, engrav-
ing for engraving, jus: as covered The face
of The sheet. In other words, the process
is just as simple as to put several blocks
OF lead on 10 smooth ice and then pour hor
water over it. The lead would prorecl
the ice under it, while the intermediate
spaces would have melted away. On re-
moving the blocks The surface, would he
left uneven with points Of ice5cofrespond-
ing 10 the shape Of the blocks. 1 have
avoided lechnicalilies in order to give a
perfectly Ineligible descriptionsof an in.
ven'ion which has caused so much won
der, and yet been involved in perfect mys
terry. You can Try the experiment, and
so can any one, with very little expense.
The great difficulty is in the press work
the letters have such slight elevation from
the plate, it requires peculiar arrange
ment to prevent he sheet from meeting
the plate between The letters, andihus dirty
the surface. II is German invention, and
is already in operation in Germany. The
London Atheneum is thus transferred and
offered to subscribers for nine shillings ster
ling-a little over 50 per year. The prIn-
ter says he can afford it at this price, with
only three hundred subscribers The SUBJ
scription price in England is about six
dollars per annum. This invention will
probably supersede stereotype plates en-
lirely, and reduce The cost Of printing i'm.
mensely. Literature will be diffused at a
rate that will bring il within tile reach of
every one who desires it. An engraver's
plate, which COSTS him months of labor,
can thus be produced in aEquarler Of an
hour. This will also materially effect the
copy right law. 1t will give US great
and equitable arrangement with foreign
nations in copy rights, or il. will destroy
them altogether. The printer and pub
Usher, by this invention are equally inter-
ested will the author in copy right
Every thing must be made secure, or there
is no security whatever.