Marshall County Republican. (Plymouth, Ind.) 1856-1878, 1872-12-05
How Chromos are Made.

| who are generally we'll informed have
the slightest conception of the various
processes by which those wonders of mod +
ern' initiative art, popularity known as
| Chromos, are gradually developed step
| by step, to perfection which almost de
| fies discrimination in comparing with the
| original. The lithographic, or stone pro-
| cess, is that generally used in this CO ntry :;
but having been found too slow, and in
herently defective for rendering some of
| the most delicate tints, great effort has
been made to find a substitute, by which
| higher degrees OF perfection could be- at
| taIned, and the superior productive ca
pacity of relief substituted for the uncer.
tainties and and delays of surface print
ing.
Many years ago, Mr.. Charles Stahl. a
photographic engraver of high repute, di-
rected his attention to this subject, and
after years of patient and enthusiastic de-
votion, he has overcome all difficulties.
and has so per ected his process as to in
sure a complete revolution in the art of
color printing
AIessrs. James Sutton s. Co, of 5S
Maiden Lane, New York, publishers of
TIE Ahlsne, adopted his process for the
production of their Premium Chromos,
some three years ago; and, with the in
creased facilities thus placed at his dis
posal, Mr. Stahl has been enabled to
achieve the most admirable results, and
the firm are now print ny Chromos, equal
IN every respect to the very best foreign
specimens.
The picture to be copied is covered with
trans aren't sheet of oiled paper, on
which tracing of every outline is made
| HhiS Nt,tli,,a i, II
graphic stone, kno Nn as the Key" 4
number OF plates, equal to the number OF
tints desired, is next prepared, and an i'm
preston from the Key is printed on each.
With the original before him, the artist
llls in with a crayon such portions of the
outline on each plate as he wishes to have
reproduce the particular shade assigned
TO it.
The untouched portions of the plate
are then covered with peculiar prepare
tlon, and galvanic bait nice governed
does the work OF an engraver, out does it
us no engraver could possibly do it-true
to hair, and finer, if necessary, than the
naked eye can discover. Each plate is
printed In its turn TN the paper, and every
imp ession must be so adjusted to its pre-
decessoTs, that there shall not be the
slightest variation.
When it is considered that as many as
twenty or thirty plates are often required
tha' some portions of a tint are preserved
pure to the end, while others are covered
and affected by one or all succeeding inn
pressions-the marvellous skill and knowl-
edge OF various combinations of color re-
quued OF an artist who essays to lay out
and complete the plates for IA Chrome
may be family imagined by those who see
and admire the splendid results of his
labors.
In The Aldine establishment may be
seen two immense Cottrell & Babcock
printing machines, selected for their ac-
curacy OF register ana perfect distribution
These presses are constantly occupied in
printing the Chromos to be given as pre-
miums to subscribers to TIE AlttlHe for
1873.
The process Of relief printing has,
among many, this very important advan
;age over lithography the printing is not
for surface trtaJefs-never perfect and
| continually demanding renewal-but di-
rectly from the metal will not wear out
Persons who are satisfied with the speci
mems shown, may be assured that the
copies they get will be even better as
practice constantly improves the adjust
ment of the colors.
Since The ALdine originated the plan of
giving subscribers Chromos free, nearly
| every paper of any pretention has adopted
the idea, and many things called Chromos
have been extensively advertised and
pulled all over the country. The we'll
known artistic standing of The AEddne was
a guarantee that It's Premiums would he
everything that the most ia. tidious could
desire; and the specimens of The Vii
lage Belle" and Crossing the Moor"
now before us, fully justify every expec-
taiion,
The superior facilities of the publishers
enable them to deliver large edition OF
these Chromos to subscribers immediate
ly, and they can keep pace with demand
equal to 10000 pairs per month from
| January.
1t is estimated that before June 1st, over
20 0OO0 impressions will be printed on
each of these Chromos, which would give
| lu0,OO0pairs. Such all edition of c hromos
OF such grade and size GA 20 inches
each), is an utterly unheardof thing, and
a ear ago would have caused our slower
cousins across the water to laugh at the
protector as a fool. But this is not a
country of precedents; it is only asked
Is the thing possible. and presto! Amer
can enterprise does it!