Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1896-03-12
WORLDS FAIR DIPLOMAS
Will Be Ready for Distribution in the
Course of q Few Weeks
Careful Work Done by the Bureau OF
Printing ana Engraving-The
Artistic Result.


the Columbian exposition will be completed.
and the diplomas and medals will be ready
for distribution. The worlds fair is now so
thoroughly thing Of the past that con-
siderable dissatisfaction has been expressed
that these certificates were not sent out
long ago, but the responsibility therefor
does not rest with the bureau Of engraving
and printing. which has had charge Of the
mechanical part of the work. AS is well
known. the judges and commissions on
awards did their work but slowly, and were
delayed in many ways.
For nearly two years past the bureau Of
engraving and printing has been engaged
upon the work of preparing the diplomas
and now only few hundred more remain
to be printed. Some idea of the immensely
OF the task may be had when it is stated
that upward of $4,000 diplomas were need
ed. and that each one had to be printed sep
arately from single form.
The design for the diplomas was made by
Mr.. viii H. Low, the famous artist, and is
regarded as most artistic and beautiful
piece Of work. The engraving was done at
the bureau of engraving and printing, and
Is fully up to bank note work The result
is an award of which any one would be
proud as work of art, and quite apart from
the reasons for which it is given. The plate
Is about eighteen inches in width by twenty
eight or thirty in height, and is printed on
the finest of heavy Japanese paper, with a
ing.
Experience With the Japanese.
The paper was secured from the imperial
mills In Japan by special arrangement. A
rather amusing incident occurred some time
ago. as showing how Independent the Japan
csc can be when they see fit. An effort was
made by Mr. Claude NJ. johnson, the chief
OF the bureau. to have a lot of the paper
nurr1ed up to facilitate the work of printing
he was given to understand that thew had
tneir own way of doing business; they had
taken the contract at certain fixed price
agreeing to have the paper done at certain
stated periods. They would be ready on
time but he must know that they had no in
tention of being hurried in the least.
When the bureau was called upon to do
the work of printing the diplomas it meant
a tremendous addition to the labors of that
big publishing office. Chief johnson and his
assistants were well prepared for the en-
craving part Of the work, but when it came
to the printing Of the Names Surface
work" as they call it, they did not have the
necessary equipment. and were compelled to
lay IN stock of presses and type quite suffi-
c1ent to stock good-sized job printing office.
There was no room for this addition in
the Big rad building where the greenbacks
are printed, so the old building to the south
west, that was formerly used by the COM
missary department, was secured, and the
new division was started under Superin-
tendent Blue The superintendent of this
temporary division is a printer of skill and
taste, and he soon had his force in first
rate working order. Altogether the force
mas numbered about half a hundred and at
times as n any as nine hand presses were
used This number was found too large
however, for the limited accommoda tions
of the building, and has been reduced about
half of ate With this outfit it has been
possible to print in the Eeighborhood of a
hundred diplomas day.
Rather Nice Details
If the NJ me of the person to whom the
diploma as awarded and the exhibit for
which 1t as made were simply written in
on the diploma, the work would never have
amounted to very much, but it was decided
to print them, and 1t was Chief Johnson's
desire to have the printing harmonic with
the design of the diploma and look as much
like the engraved text possible. The d.
plomas are sent to the printers all complete
with the exception of the blank space near
the ter, where the name of the exhib-
itor, the nature Of the exhibit, the reasons
for making the award and the names of the
judges In that particular class must be in
serted. The blank space is irregular in
shape, SO that it takes considerable skill
and training to get the printed matter in
just the proper form to insure the right eff
feet. :.
The matter to be printed varies greatly in
amount in the different diplomas. Some
times it is emily a few words Then the
printer can use large type, and the work
of inserting the text in tasteful style is
include one or more tables, showing the
character Of the exhibit and the percent
ages upon which the award was based In
that event 1t requires skiilful printer to
do the work well, and he may have to try
again and again before he gets the arrange
ment just right.
When the proof is entirely satisfactory
the engraved diploma is put on the press
M n Ctn oV INN ion 10 4o
words, there are A,O0O separate editions in
this great work. with Only a single copy in
each edition. When the printing of the one
diploma is completed the type must all be
distributed. 1t Is slow and tedious work at
best. In the printing the quaint" style Of
type is used for all the work, except when
tables are needed. Then a smaller, plain
type is used.
On a Hand Press.
The quaint" type Is an outline type,
which gives a light impression, or almost
exactly the same effect as the engraved let
tering. In fact. at times it Is almost i'm
possible to tell just where the engraving
leaves off and the printing begins. The
printing is all done on old-fashioned Wash
ington hand presses, for in an edition lin
tied to one copy there is no need for great
speed. 1t is also thought that better work
is accomplished than would be done on a
cylinder press.
When all are printed the work of sending
out the diplomas will begin. This will also
be done by the bureau Of engraving and
printing, and will not take great amount
of time, as the bureau already has big
force of clerks who are skilled in that sort
of work. There is some question as to just
how they will be packed, as the bronze
medals are to be sent with them. They
will make awkward packages If wrapped
together in fiat boxes. The chances are
therefore, that the diplomas will be sent
rolled in pastebosrd tubes and the medals
in separate boxes.