The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1902-04-20

making. We may describe the process that
follows after the corrected first draft is
completed and the engraver is ready to be-
gin his plate, about as follows:
THE ENGRAVER'S WORK
First there is chosen a finely polished plate
of copper of the desired size. which the en-
graver covers with a compound known and
secret to his art. Taking the drawing which
has been perfected under the EDITORS super
vision, he lays it down upon the compound
covered face Of the plate and with a sharp
tool carefully traces it so that it's outlines
of different kind are transferred through
this impressible substance. If the drawing
prepared by the editor is not of the exact
size, a photograph is made of ii, and a
print of this photograph is used as the
basis of this transfer process, which, haV-
ing been finished, is the outline, or, let us
say, the hair-line basis of the map TO be
made. Now come into play many diverse
and delicate engraver's tools, of various
widths, with which to cut, through this
plastic coating, coast and other boundaries,
rivers, railroads, mountain contours, etc.
Much depends upon the skill with which
this compound is placed Upon the copper
surface and upon its thickness, which will
vary from One-SiXteenth to o~ne-hundredth
part of an inch, according to the sort of
engraving that is to be made. After the
transferrence of all these details to the
plate, the various place names, river
names, mountain names, etc, all of the
lettering In fact, are set up in different and
appropriate types, according TO the original
drawing passed upon by the editor, and
the plate then goes to the hands Of
THE STAMPERS. 4.
The stamper has a table, in the GEN.
ter of which is a stone from two to
three inches thick. under which a gaslight
burns to keep it at an even temperature.
on this stone the plate is placed. and upon
this surface the inverted types are care
fully stamped in their proper positions.
Every name having been placed upon the
map as indicated in the original drawing,
the plate and this rewing now go to the
proofreader. who carefully compares one
with the other. the lettering of the original
or editorial copy with the cutting on the
copper plate. painstakingly going over the
spelling of each word, observing that il is
properly placed and in proper type; and
any mistakes, If such are discovered, are
marked TO be obliterated and restamped by
the engraVer and stamper who did the
work.
THE BUILDER.
Now the plate goes to a special arti-
san who builds up the thin layers of the
compound, so that it will be of the right
thickness for an electrotype and then the
plate is carefully gone over and picked
up" as il is called, that is, in such places
as the builder may have melted over a
river line. or town or mountain name, the
hAtA1lAl6 ndNlAS OtIA 0NAG nN a ntdltu
iron and some more OF the compound al
ready used on the plate. these must be re-
stored as at first. This picking up, or cor
recting deliberations in the compound hav-
ing been completed. the plate is now COW
cred with a solution and sent to the cleo
trotypcr's, where il remains I'm a bath for
at least ~twenty-fOur hours, after which il
il covered with a layer OF lead Of perhaps
three-siXteenths or more of an inch in
thickness, and the top or printing part is
discovered 10 be a thin shell of hard cop
per. scarcely OF a hairs thickness, backed
by this layer Of lead.
THE FINAL TOUCHES.
This metal plate nov goes to the fin
Usher. who touches up such minor i'm
projections as may have occurred in
the electrotyping process; here a slightly
r~oughened surface to be smOothed. or there
a minute protuberance TO be shaved down.
and then it is mounted on one of the ordi-
nary cherry wood blocks. such as are used
under al electrotypes or metal illustration
surfaces and which bring the printing sur
face Up 10 the proper height for use on the
bed of a press. Proofs OF this map are then
taken and one OF these proofs is transferred
10 each of as many copper plates as there
are 10 be different primary coloIs used on
this particular map, the color or tint lines
on these being made by a ruling machine.
and each block in turn being built up and
electrotyped, as already described i'm the
first block, which is 10 be printed I'm black
ink. Now, IL editor. engraver. stamper.
their work as they should We have a fin
ished map plate or set OF plates. which
viii print a map brought down TO the peri
Cd when II was started, perhaps two or
three months before IL was entirely fin
ished. At last IL Is ready for the preSsman.