The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1891-03-13
HOW PLATES ARE MADE
WHAT sTEREoTYPiNG IS AND HOW
1T is ACCOMPLISHED.

II Enables Large Papers to Print Hun
dreds of Thousands of Copies in Re-
markabIy Short Time-The Papier Ma
che and the Clay Process.
What is stereotyping and what are its
advantagess
The common idea of stereotyping paper
is that the type is put through some pro-
cess for the purpose of facilitating the
printing. The fact is. stereotyping Is little
more than duplicating the type. The
forms are reproduced in one solid piece,
hence the word. stereotype, solid copy.
The types are used for patterns only,
while the printing is done entirely from the
plates Thus the type is subjected TO very
little wear, and by the use OF large num-
Der of plates the papers are printed Win
great rapidity. Ii type was directly used
to print The Sun, Herald, or World, new
dress" would be required every day Inc
wear and tear of two or three hundred
thousand impressions would destroy the
best type in the world.
Not only that, but in order 10 get such
paper as The Sunday Sun, Herald or World
printed from the type as rapidly as from
plates it would require all the composltors
in the city TO set up one edition.
There are few presses in use on which
the papers are printed directly from the
type in the form of a curve These are
called type revoivers" or type webs. !"
They are very complicated and are fed by
q web or roll of paper, the same as per-
fecting press, printing both sides The
pages are made up in the form OF turtles,
and, of course, the press carries only one
set at a time. While these presses do
fairly rapid work, they cannot compare
| with the perfecting presses. What IS
gained by eliminating the work OF stereo-
tipping is lost by the wear of the type; be-
sides, for papers of large circulation they
| are of no use whatever.
PREPARING THE MATRIx.
By newspaper stereotyping / mean the
| only modern way of producing stereotype
| plates for newspaper use. There Is practi-
| cally only one process in use, and that Is
| the papier mache process. The old plaster
| of paris and clay processes are not now
used except in rare cases where some spe-
| cial result is aimed at. The old ways are
too slow for newspapers, and have been
superseded by electrotyping for book work.
Electrotyping furnishes a copper faced
plate and perfectly reproduces fine engrav-
ings Stereotyping by whatever process
can do neither.
The only place to my knowledge where
either of the old processes is now used to
any extent in this country is the American
Press association in this city. All It's
pages, except the news pages, are first
stereotyped by the clay process. By this
means they obtain one deep plate, from
which thereafter a large number of molds
are taken by the PAPER mache process
The latter, now so universally employed
was invented some forty-five years ago il
Paris. This process is practically divided
into four parts-matrix making, moldiDg
casting and finishing.
Matrix making is simply preparing The
paper mache, and must be done in advance
of the process proper. The paper used is o
two kinds, blotting and tissue. manufact
ured expressly for stereotyping. The blot
ting paper is first dampened properly, ant
the matrix $50 called is usually made by
FASTING together two sheets of blotting 10
| a back and four sheets of tissue for face
The tissues are carefully smoothed down
eitner by hand or with roller. The past
used is of special kind, and is prepared b.
the stereotyper before he begins his day
! work