The Union flag. [volume] (Jonesborough, Tenn.) 1865-187?, 1868-01-24

In a chrome, the first proof Is a light
gfUund-tint, covering nearly all the
surface 1t has only u faint shadowy
kresembIanCe 10 thoCompleted picture.
II is in taot rather u shadowy than an
outline. The nextproof, from he sec.
ond stone, contains all the shades OF
another color. This process is re.
peated again ard again aid again
occasionally, as often as thirty times.
We saw one proof, in a visit to Mr..
Prang's establishment-a group Of
cattle that had passed through the
press twelve times and it still bore
q greater resemblance TO d spoiled col
Ored photograph thun to tho charm
ing picture which II subsequently be-
came The number Of Impressions,
however, does not necessarily indi4
cate the number Of rolors in painting,
because the cOlorS and tintS are great.
" 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 q
rule, donot attempt to give this deli.
cate 6nal touch, hlthoughS it would
seem to be essential in order to make
a perfect imitation Of a painting.
The paper used is white, heavy
b" plate paper" of the hest quality
which has to pass through q heavy
press, sheet BY sheet, before its sur.
face is fit to receive an impression.
Z The process thus briefly explained,
VIC need hardly add, requires equally
great skill and judgement at every
stage. A single error is Instantly de.
tected by the practised eye in the I'll.
islicd specimen. Tic production Of a
chrome, if Il is at all complicated, re.
qdir several months, sometimes sew
eral years--of careful preparation
Tho mere drawing ofthe different and
entirely. detached parts on so many
different stones is of itself n work
that requires an amount Of labor and
a degree of skill, which, 10 d person
unfamiliar with the process, would
appear Incredible Still more difficult
and needing still greater skill, is tho
process of coIoring, This dethandsa
knowledge which artists have hi;hPr-
to almost exclusively mohopolized.
and, il addition to il, the practical ia
'mliarity Of a printer with mechanical
dstails. Drying" and " registering"
are as Important brauches Of the art
of making chromos us drawing and
colQring, On proper registering, for
example, the entire possibility Of pro-
ducing d picture ut every stage Of It's
progress depends " Registering" is
that part Of a pressh,ah's work which
consists in so arranging the,paper in
the press, that II shall receive the i'm.
Irersioh on expUlly the same spot of
every sheet, IN book work, each
page must be exactly opposite the
page. printed ON The other Nlde of the
sheet in order that the impression, II
m thin paper, may not show
Z" In newspaper work this
is Of les~ importance, and often is not
attended to With any specialtare Bit
ii chramo.lithography the difference
lf a hairs,hreadth would spoil y pic.
.ure for It would hopelessly mix up
.he colors, '.s.
Afler the chrome has passed through
ho press. il isembossed and varnish. |
ID, and then put up for the market |
These final processes are for the pur.
,ose of breaking the glossy light. and
u softening the hard outlines which !
he picture receives from the stohe. !
yhith imparts to 1t the resemblance !
# Il painting on canvas. tas
Mr.. Prang began his business in the
way, hut has rapidly in
,reased his establishment, until he
low employs fifty wOrkmen--near.
Y allof them artists and drartisans Of
he most skilful class, and is prepar-
ng to move into larger building At
loxbury He uses eighteen presses
nd his sales are enormous. His eat
IOgue now embraces q large number
e Album Cards, about seventy sets
,ftwelve in each set beautifnl ser-
ss of illuminated Z" Beautitudes" and /
Scriptnral Notices. an endless list
f our great men, aud Of men not no
treat after all of Juveniles, notably,
profusely illusir rated edition Of '-0ld
lother Hubbard !; and of half chro.
nos and ehromos proper. Tait's
ChicxeHsi' "Dueltllngs.pa tQuails"
ysre the first chrpmOs that met an IN
tant and wide recognition. Nineteen
housand copies Of the "Chickens'
lone were SOld. Brieher's " Early
AUTUMN on Esopns Greek'fiS one Of
10 best chromoa ever made on n'Msmall
Gale. The aBulhn0h" and the sLin.
Ist' (after Cruikshank) are admir-.
Ole. There are other chromos which
re less successful, and ore or two
hat are not auceesaful at ALI bat they
-. :, .,o..l,. III .woallaut ooniaa Of tlfa !