The Bloomfield times. [volume] (New Bloomfield, Pa.) 1867-187?, 1872-11-26
How Chromos are Made.

Probably very few, even of those persons
who are generally well Informed, have the
slightest conception of the various processes
by which those wonders of modern imi-
tative art popularly known as Chromos,
are gradually developed, step by step, to a
perfection which almost defes discrimina-
ton in comparing with the original The
photographic, or stone process, is that gen.
orally used in this country but having
been found too slow, and inherently de-
fective for rendering some of the most deli
cate tints, great effort has been made to
find substitute, by which higher degree
of perfection could be attained, and the
superior productive capacity of relief sui
stituted for the uncertainties and delays of
surface printing.
Many years ago, Mr.. Charles Stahl,
photographic engraver of high repute, di-
rccted his attention to this subject, and
after years of patient and enthusiastic de-
votion, he has overcome all difficulties, and
has so perfected his process as to insure
complete revolution in the art of color
printing.
Messrs. James Sutton s. Co., of So Mai
den Lane, New York, publishers of The
Aldine, adopted his process for the pro-
duction of their Premium Chromos, some
three years ago and, with the increased
facilities thus placed at his disposal, Mr.
Stahl has been enabled to achieve the most
admirable results, and the firm are now
printing Chromos, equal in every respect
to the very best foreign specimens.
The picture to be copied is covered with
a transparent sheet of oiled paper, on which
tracing of every outline is made. This
outline is then transferred to lithographic
stone known as the "Key." A number
of plates, equal to the number of tints de-
sired, is next prepared, and an impression
from the Key is printed on each. With
the original before him, the artist fills in
with crayon such portions of the outline
on each plate as he wishes to have repro
duce the particular shade assigned to it,
The untouched portions of the plate are
then covered with a peculiar preparation,
and galvanic bath nicely governed, does
the work of an engraver, but does it as no
engraver could possibly do it-true to q
hair, and finer, if necessary, than the naked
eye can discover. Each plate is printed in
its turnon the paper, and every impression
must be SO adjusted to its predecessors,
that there shall not be the slightest varia-
tion.
Wheuit is considered that as many as
twenty or thirty plates are often required
that some portions of tint are preserved
pure to the end, while others are covered.
and affected by one or all succeeding i'm
pressions-the marvellous skill and knowl-
edge of various combinations of color re-
quired of an artist who essays TO lay out
and complete the plates for Chrome, may
be family imagined by those who see and
admire the splendid results of his labors.
tB- A story comes from Pine Creek, Elk
hart county, Ind, to the effect that young
lady named Parks died, to all appearances,
and was dressed for the grave, but in an
swcr to the passionate manifestations of
her relatives she sat up and conversed with
them for an hour, when she died, positive
ly, and without mental reservation.