Albuquerque morning journal. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1903-1926, 1920-05-22

period OF centuries. part Of which
we call the dark ages. To be sure
there were symbols and letters in
all this period, but our western civ
iIzation did not begin to bud un-
til the invention of printing, and
did not come to flower until the
printed word had been made Access
sible to everyone by the ease with
which it could be condensed into q
very small space.
1T is safe to assume that the in
vention of printing came about in a
quiet cloister, where some sanity
old speed devil, tired of working
six months or a year on a missal
Bible, laboriously hand lettered one
page after another. In the earliest
books we find an entire page print
ed from one block. Possibly the
increased demand had something
to do with the bringing about OF
printing. Soon another speed
maniac recognized the waste of
cutting the same letter over and
over, and behold. we have movable
type made of metal. For letter ac-
curacy this is the finished agent,
but for page decoration the wood
block continues to he the medium.
Third System of Printing.
About a hundred years ago n
printer of music evolved the third
system of printing There are sew
eral versions as TO how it came
about, but suffice to say that we
find this man first printing music
from stone. This very startling
process employs neither raised nor
sunken line. but a perfectly flat
surface. The problem of printing
a line from a surface is simply
solved by using oil for the line and |
water for the surface not intended |
to print. Instead of engraving or
cutting the stone, we use a very |
greasy ink or crayon for drawing, |
after which the stone is covered |
with water. Ink rolled over the |
stone will then adhere only to the |
surface protected by the grease ink |
or crayon. This is the intensely in
teresting most practical method,
ut is full of artistic possibilities |,
as well as commercial. Practical
ly all movie and circus posters are
printed in this way" Mr.. Bau-
mann here referred to the chart,
the manner of pressure
under the three methods of print
ing. In the first downward pres
sure is used evenly distributed
over the entire surface. In the sec
ond, in order to force the paper
into the line and pick out the ink,
greater pressure is exerted with a
steel roller which touches only a
part of the plate at a time.
An entirely different way of
is used for the stone sur
face. AS metal rollers or plate
would pulverize the stone, a block
Of wood protected with leather is
used in the press, as Mr.. Baumann
explained.
Use of the Wood Block.
"In talking about printing we
have somehow lost track of the
wood block. In this instance the
artist engraver and printer happen
o be one and the same person, so
/ conference always brings about a
harmonious result" said the artist,
who warned against the futility of
aking up this work as a fad only
o drop it. He urged the cultiva-
ion of all special "knaCks" or
gifts, whether pie baking or picture
Take an inventory of
your abilities" he said, land you
will soon discover which persists
he most. Develop it regardless of
my popular trend"
Mr.. Raumann explained that for
hose who might be interested in
wood block cutting, that wood,
leather, linoleum, or even cork,
night be used, although wood
s the best. A sharp knife is better
han any other implement for the
work and should never be used by
any ones else hand than that of
he artist. For printing, oil or wa
.er colors applied with brush or
1 roller may be used. The paper
should be slightly dampened be-
.ween blotters, and while 1t is sea
;oning," color should be applied
% the block with a brush or roll
err.
Lay the paper on top and rub q.
he back gently were the con
Guiding directions of this expert,
whose technique Is recognized as
perfect, with the top of a baking
powder can. Lift one corner of the
paper occasionally to see if the I'M
preston is evenly distributed and
eventually you'll get a good PRINT,
very nearly as good as you eX- {
oected."