New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1868-01-19
From the Boston Daily Advertiser.
How ChromoS are Made.

From the Boston Daiiy AuVertlser'l
How Chromos are Made.
tlhro7ro- photography is the art of
81. 81. pictures from stone, in colors.
AsFbe most difficult branch Of (which
nou generally implied when chro-
I'M ~ spoken offs the art of re-
IN Nc oil paintings. When a
4 - IS made by a competent hand,
Isl 7ets an exact counterpart of the
I birCf painting, with the delicate
a,sa't is of tints and shades, and
h of the spirit and tone of
al-a On of the brush and pallet.
% understand how chromos are
10, th5 art of photography must first
hsirieay explained. The stone used
i'll liIhographing is q species of lime
stone found in Bavaria, and is wrought
into thick slabs with finely polished
surface. The drawing is made upon
the slab with sort Of colored soap.
which adheres to the stone, and enters
into chemical combination with it
after the application of certain acids
and gums. When the drawing is COM
plete the slab is put on the press, and
carefully dampened with a sponge.
The oil color Tor ink is then applied
with common printers roller. OF
course, the parts of the slab which
contain no drawing, being wet, resist
the ink; while the drawing itself, being
oily, repels the water but retains the
color applied. 1t is thus that, with
out a raised surface OF incision-as
in common printing, wood-cuts, and
steel engravings-lithography pro
sduces printed drawings from a per-
fectlY smooth stone.
In chrome, the first proof is light
ground-tint, covering nearly all the
surface. 1t has only faint, shadowy
resemblance to the completed picture.
It is in fact rather shadow than an
outline. The next proof, from the
second stone, contains all the shades
of another color. This process is re-
peated again and again and again;
occasionally, as often as thirty times.
We saw one proof, in visit to Mr..
Prang's establishments group of
cattle-that had passed through the
press twelve times; and it still bore
a greater resemblance to a spoiled
colored photograph than to the charm
ing picture which it subsequently be-
came. The. number of impressions,
however, does not necessarily indicate
the number of colors in a painting,
because the colors and tints are great
1y multiplied by combinations created
in the process of printing one over
another. In twenty-five impressions,
it is sometimes necessary and possible
to produce a hundred distinct shades.
The last impression is made by an
engraved stone, which produces that
resemblance to canvas noticeable in
all of Mr.. Prang's finer specimens
English and German chromos, as {
rule, do not attempt to give this deli
cate final touch, although it woul(
seem to be essential in order to max
a perfect imitation Of painting.
The paper used is white, heavy
s'pIate paper" of the best quality
which has to pass through heavy
press, sheet by sheet, before its sur,
face is fit to receive an impression.
The process thus briefly explained
we need hardly add, requires equally
great skin and Judgment at every
stage. A single error is instantly de-
tected by the practiced eye in the lin
ished specimen. The production of ;
chrome, if it is atall complicated, re
quires several months II sometimes
several years-ef careful preparation
The mere drawing Of the different AMI
entirely-detached parts on so many
different stones is of itself a worl
that requires an amount Of labor AM
degree of skill, which, to a persol
unfamiliar with the process, woul
appear incredible. Still more difficult
and needing still greater skill, is til
process of coloring This demands
knowledge which artists have hitheFi
almost exclusively monopolized, AM
in addition to it, the practical familia
ity Of q printer with mechanical detail
Drying and registering are as in
portant branches Of the art Of maxim
chromes as drawing and coloring. G
proper registering, 1or example, Il
entire possibility Of producing a PHI
ture at every stage Of its progress d
ponds. Registering is that part
pressman's work which consists
SO arranging the paper in the pres
that Il shall receive the Impression (
exactly the same spot of every Bhoa
In book work. each page must be e
aetly opposite the page printed On Il
other side Of the sheet, "a order I'll
the impression, Il on thin paper, mi
not show through In newspap
work this. is Of less importance, a
aften i not attended "a WITH a
special care. But in ohremo-lifho
Eaphq The difference Of hair s-bread
would spoil a pictnre; for It Won
hopeless mix up the colors.
After the chrome has pass
through ne press Il is embossed g
vsrniahed, and fhon put up for
market. These aal PROCESSES 9
for the puFn5s &c 4ealrInk Tie CLOS
hi and % son r he hard d
s which the piesere raetifos frl
she seae, Nhieh iinpatla a Il the /
SctnlieHfe IS i pRinfire canvas.
Mt. t1ap6 gan his s. 81 {
Anmblasi y ngt s NQidIY
eased bis an.sn 81 81 f.
plQ7a fifty e0tkael aes.f ail
hem aellsIs and artisans Al.