The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1900-02-12
PRINTING WITHOUT INK
Advances Made in the Electro
Chemical Process.
Six Thousand Imprcs-soas nn Hour
Claimed by the Inventor-N British
syndicate 10 Develop the Discovery
The Use of Eicctricity-smnu Cost
of the Work-StilI Experimenting.

a syndicate has been formed in London
to develop the wonderful invention Of a
man named Green, whose system of print
ing without ink by an eIectro-ehemical
process has excited much interest in
England.
Public exhibitions Of the system have
been given, and the attention OF publish
ers and scientific folk, not merely in Eng
land, but also on the Continent of Europe.
has been drawn to 1t. A. Sanderson, the
managing director of the company behind
the scheme. now supplies a number OF ad-
ditional particulars.
That which Mr.. Sanderson regards as
the chief improvement made in the pro-
cess within the last Few weeks is doing
away with the necessity for wetting the
paper. formerly. resorted to in order to
facilitate the passage OF the current
through it. Years ago it was customary
| to moisten the sheets several hours before
printing. as 1t was believed that better re-
suits were thus obtained. That practice
has now been abandoned. and il wetting
were necessary in the new electrical pro-
cess the labor involved would constitute a
drawback TO the plan. 1t has been found
to be practicable to dispense with it. how
ever.
| One Of the first questions that aIise In
regard. to the Green process relates to the
speed with which il can be worked. or
course the electricity must act upon the
chemicals for sensible period of time in
order to accomplish the desired object.
And il the time required should prove to
be much greater than that needed with
| ink. this limitation would prove a serious
one. What Mr.. Sanderson says on this
point is not altogether clear. He speass
of "a small rotary press which gave him
900 Impressions an hour If he en-
ployed only a single set of plates. or
forms. then the speed attained was about
bali that of the best modern newspaper
presses The latter make about 1900
revolutions an hour Their capacity can
be- doubled by putting on two full sets OF
stereotype plates. but the same thing can
be done with the Green process. too. TIE
vital question is the number sf revolutions
an hour that can be made without saeTi-
iicing the quality OF the work: and ap-
parently, at the present time this is only
One-halt as great as with the best web
perfecting press: perhaps only a quarter.
per sensitive are said to be very cheap.
They are essentially different from those
used in photography. For the present. the
inventor and those who control his process
are not willing to mention the nature OF
these materials IL is announced however.
that they are Incorporated into the paper
during the operation OF manufacturing the
latter. and are not applied afterward as
are the sersitizing elements of photo
graphic printing paper. To some extent
these chemicals take the place of others
now used in paper making; and Mr.. San
derson declares that no additional cost re-
suits. The paper can be had Just as
eheaply, he says, as il IL had not been |
treated with n view to electrical printing. |
comparison between the old and new |
methods is offered to show the economy |
that is said 10 be one OF the special adj
vantages of the Green plan. 1t is as
sumed that form Of eight quarto pages |
for an illustrated catalogue is being used, |
three of the pages being in light faced type |
and five devoted to process or half-tone 1
blocks. Every thousand Impressions with /
ink involves the consumption Of pound OF /
that material and a consequent outlay of
. shillings sterling. In weeks work. Gov
ering 5000 Impressions, this item would |
amount to e3, rs, or In year of fifty one
weeks. c 1S3 12s. Mr.. Sanderson declares
that the current required to do the same
work by the electrical method would cost a |
penny and half an hour, shillings and
9 pence week of fifty-four hours. or e17
Is Sd year. To this must be added $50
for the license TO use the process. Accord
ing to this estimate. there would be a saw
ing OF e14s as cd year.
Among the other claims put forward in
behalf OF the electrical process 10 iazt It
leaves permanent impression. Inasmuch
as the system is n new one. little chance
has been afforded for a thorough test on
this score. but specimens OF work are in
existence that are six months old, and
some of these have been constantly ex-
posed to the light NIr. Sanderson says
that they retain their original strength
and solidity. which is more than can be
said of some printing inks. The regula-
tion OF intensity of shade is effected by in
Producing a resist into the press. This
device is not described in detail. but the
principle is easily understood. The de-
gree OF the influence exerted on the ink
by the current is proportional to the
amount Of electricity passing through it,
By introducing in its path something
which offers resistance to its flow the
amount OF the current hat is effective is
lessened. and the darkness OF the impress
sion is abated accordingly.
As yet. so far as practical results are !
the process has been confined
to printing in black. The possibility OF I
producing color effects. however is under
consideration No light is shed on the
possible outcome of the pending expert.
ments. but the public Is given to under
stand that the present status Of the art is |
not TO be regarded as final.
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The amount of current required is said
o be so small that no accident can occur
rom the use OF electricity. and the con-
rel of the operation is simplicity itself
The current is turned on and off by an or
linary push button.
The ease with which the Green process
an be adapted to presses now in use will
doubtless facilitate its introduction, il in
,ther respects it shall be found sltisfac-
ory. No change appears to be necessary
,eyond the removal of the old ink rollers
md receptacles and the attachment of a
ew electric wires But supply of the {
light kind OF paper is requisite Although |
he company of which Mr. Sanderson is the
director has its own presses for {
est purposes. II has under consideration
ffers from two London daily papers to try |
he system on the fast presses of the lat |
er Similar proposals have been made by {
publishers. As yet. evidently. d
he company is not ready to take advan- |
age OF the opportunity thus afforded. I
rom which 1t may be inferred that per- {
ection has not yet been reached. In fact, S
fr. Sanderson frankly says: I'VE do not I
lain finality for our process, but we do c
lain that K is commercially practicable I
nd in due time we hope to prove it." I
4
sMALLEY's GOOD FORTUNE. t