Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1895-10-18
NEWsPAPgRScuIs.
Bow the illustrations For Newspaper
Work Are Prepared and Made.

Probably in no other part of the mod
ern newspaper has the DEVELOPMENT been
SO rapid as that of producing the pictures
end illustrations which go to make attract
I've the articles ON daily happenings.
twenty years ago an editor considered
himself lucky if he could have a "cut"
made and ready for his forms, in ten
days. Now the drawings are made and
the cuts finished in from one hour to
an hour and "a half. When an accident.
disaster or anything else of interest hap
pens In the morning, newspaper readers
expect to see pictures of the matter in aft
ernoon papers.
10 explain this comparatively new art
Is the purpose of this article And TO be-
gin the subject at the foremost end one
must speak OF the newspaper artist In
the nrst place, he Is type by himself He
Is even different from the individual who
does the work for weeklies. They have
plenty of time to correct errors. The news
paper man hasn't. He must be rapid ac-
curate and withal finished. He must be
able to draw everywhere, under any con-
altion and yet produce very creditable
work There are scores of these men.
Their names are too numerous to mention
10 the cartoonist the editor gives an
idea of what he desires. A photograph, if
likeness is wanted, is handed to the il
Illustrating artist. If it is "a picture of a
railroad wreck or anything of this kind
that is needed, the artist makes a trip to
the scene with his first cousin. the report
er, and he takes in lines what the writer
puts in words
From the artist the picture then goes to
that part of the building where the all
Illustrating department" is located. The
man i'll charge is an expert in "photo en-
craving" Or zinc etching.'' He seizes
the drawing, slaps it into frame before
powerful camera, and the picture is
photographed with density that would
give the president of an amateur club
spasms. The negative is almost black, but
through it the lines of the sketch show
with white transparency. Then piece Of
zinc, the size the cut is to be- is covered
with a secret solution, which has the prop
erty of becoming insoluble when affected
by light. On this the powerful rays of an
electric light are thrown through the white
lines of the negative, and a picture, al
most invisible to the eye, on the zinc is
the result. The whole surface of the zinc
is then lightly rolled with etchers' ink,
after which it is given bath in tub of
water. Wherever the surface of the plate
has remained unaffected by the light the
film dissolves, carrying away with it the
ink. This of course leaves the insoluble
lines on the plate, and by few deft
touches with a piece of cotton the operator
brings the picture into view. The lines
are then busted with powder made Of
dragons blood" which adheres to the
sticky etchers' ink and forms protection
to them from the acid, in which the plate
is next immersed. In this last immersion
the surface of the plate which is unpro-
tected by the powder is eaten away by the
acid, leaving the lines in relief The plate
is then finished, requiring an hour or an
hour and a half, and it then goes to tho
stereotyper.-New York Advertiser