IMPROVEMENTS IN PRODUCING COLOURED STEEL PLATE, COPPER PLATE, AND OTHER IMPRESSIONS
Year: 1835

page_text: TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, GEORGE
BAXTER, of Charterhouse Square, in the County of Middlesex, Engraver,
send greeting.
WHEREAS His present most Excellent Majesty King William the Fourth,
by His Letters Patent under the Great Seal of Great Britain; bearing date at
Westminster, the Twenty-third day of October, in the sixth year of His reign,
did, for Himself, His heirs and successors, give and grant- unto me, the
said George Baxter, His especial licence, full power, sole privilege and
and authority, that I, the said George Baxter, my exors, adñors, and assigns,
or such others as I, the said George Baxter, my exors, admors, or assigns,
should at any time agree with, and no others, from time to time and at all
times during the term of years therein expressed, should and lawfully might
make, use, exercise, and vend, within England, Wales, and the Town of
Berwick-upon-Tweed, my Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN PRODUCING COLOURED
STEEL PLATE, COPPER PLATE, AND OTHER IMPRESSIONS;" in which said Letters
Patent is contained a proviso that I, the said George Baxter, shall cause a
particular description of the nature of my said Invention, and in what
manner the same is to be performed, to be inrolled in His said Majesty's
High Court of Chancery within six calendar months next and immediately
after the date of the said in part recited Letters Patent, as in and by the
same, reference being thereunto had, will more fully 'and at large appear.
NOW KNOW YE, that in compliance with the said proviso, I, the said

page_text: George Baxter, do hereby declare the nature of my Invention, and the
manner in which the same is to be performed, are fully described and ascer
tained in and by the following description thereof, reference being had to
the engravings hereunto annexed, and to the figures and letters marked thereon
(that is to say):-
My Invention consists in coloring impressions of steel and copper plate
engravings, and lithographic and zincographic printing, by means of block
printing, in place of coloring such impressions by hand, as heretofore prac
tised, and which is an expensive process, and by such improvements pro-
ducing colored impressions of a high degree of perfection, and far superior
in appearance to those which are colored by hand, and such prints as are
obtained by means of block printing in various colours uncombined with
copper, steel, lithographic, or zincographic impressions. The process of printing
landscapes, architectural, animal, and other decorative impressions, by means
of wooden blocks, being well known and in common use, it will not be neces
sary to enter very extensively into a description of that art, farther than to
explain its application to the colouring of impressions of copper and steel plate
and of lithographic and zincographic printing. In order to produce a number
of ornamental prints resembling a highly coloured painting, whether in oil or
water colours, according to my Invention, I proceed first to have the
design engraved on a copper or steel plate, or on stone or zinc, as is
well understood, observing, however, that I make several spots or points
on the plate or stone from which the impressions are taken, in order to
serve as register marks for the commencement of the register, which is
most material in carrying out my Invention with correctness and effect.
These spots are indicated by a, a, on the steel plate engraving or impression
No. 1. It should be remarked, that these spots have been enlarged in order
to mark them more clearly, but according to the original they are scarcely
perceptible; and I usually prefer such spots to be on some parts of the
engraving, which, receiving successive colours and pressures, will be hid from
view after they have been once used, and the necessary perforations producing
by taking the first colour on to the impression. It will not be necessary to
go through the description of the process for each description of impression,
seeing that the coloring of each, whether for steel, copper, lithographic, or
zincographic impressions, is the same. I will therefore principally confine
myself to the description of the process of colouring the impression No. 1,
taken from a steel plate, though I propose afterwards to give some other
instances and examples, in order that my Invention may be fully understood.
Having possessed myself of an engraving of the subject which it is desired to

page_text: have colored to represent a highly finished on or water color painting, and
Laving a copy of the painting before me of which it is desired to produce an
extensive series of imitations, and having determined on the number of colours
and tints it will require, which is a matter of taste, at the same time depending
on the nature of the painting which is to be copied; but this is the same as
if the copies are to be produced merely by a succession of printings from a
series of wooden blocks without having my improvement combined therewith-
that of taking such printings on to impressions from steel or copper plates, or
from stone or zink, in order to colour the same, thereby produce colored
impressions having a high degree of finish. It will be found that by thus
colouring such descriptions of impressions the result will be, that the prints
produced will be more exquisite in their finish, more correct in their outline,
and more soft and mellow in their appearance, for it will be found that
successive colourings and tints of a series of blocks being received on copper
or steel plate, or lithographic or zincographic impressions, more body and
character will be given to the finished print than when the colored print is
the result of the same series of blocks taken on plain paper, which has
been the practice heretofore. Having determined on the number of blocks
which are to be used, I take an equal number of impressions on paper
off the engraved plate like No. 1, and successively place one face down-
wards on each block, and subject them respectively to the pressure of the
press. By this means the blocks will each have an impression of the engraving.
I then proceed to mark out carefully the particular parts which are to be left
in relief of each block, by coloring them in those parts, having the painting
before me, by which I readily observe to what extent each color is laid on the
original picture, and the various shades to be produced, and by this means,
when the blocks have been properly cut, I thus obtain a scries of blocks
suitable for the particular print which is to be produced; but I would
remark that such designing and cutting of the blocks from no part of
my Invention, but are in common use. Having taken the number of
impressions, whether of steel or copper plate, or of lithography or zinco-
graphy, and having the necessary block in the press for the first color,
on the tympan there are four or other number of fine points to receive
the impression which is to be colored by a series of blocks, the fine
points receiving each engraving at the four points a before mentioned, and
on such tympan there are a number of points which are caused to strike
through the paper in pulling the first printing of colour, and the point holes
thus produced are those which are used for the purpose of securing a correct
register in all the future impressions from the wooden blocks, the holes

page_text: time.
which were marked on the original impression not being used after the first
No. represents the result of the first block with colour, the extent
of which will readily be traced by a careful examination. Nos. 3, 4, 5, 6, 7,
8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, and 17 show the various stages of color
through which the original impression has to pass in order to complete the
colouring. From the foregoing description an intelligent printer, with the
aid of persons accustomed to engrave on wood, will ready make himself
acquainted with the nature of my Invention, and will be enabled to carry
the same into effect. Nos. 18, 19, and 20 show three finished coloured
steel plate engravings produced according to my Invention. No. 21 shows
a steel plate impression. No. 22 shows an impression from the same plate
coloured by the aid of ten blocks, in like manner to that which has been
described. And No. 23 shows a print produced by the same blocks, but pro-
duced on plain paper, by which the difference of result between coloured prints
produced according to my Invention and those produced by the old plan,
that of block printing alone; the impression No. 23 wanting the impressions
of several more blocks in order to obtain the requisite shadowing and outline,
which cannot be so correctly obtained as by my improvements. No. 24 is
the finished coloured impression from a copper-plate, and No. 25 shows a
lithographic impression, and No. 26 is an impression taken from the same
stone, and colored by a series of blocks according to my improvements. I
have not thought it necessary to show impressions from zinc, seeing that they
resemble lithographic impressions. I would observe, that throughout the
description I have spoken of the blocks for printing the colours as being of
wood; but it will be evident that metal blocks, being engraved in relief, in
like manner to wood, would answer a similar purpose.
Having thus described the nature of my invention, and the manner of
carrying the same into effect, I would remark, that I am aware that
many years ago some attempts were made to tint copper-plate impressions,
called claro obscuro, which consisted in giving additional tints of the same
or nearly the same colour. I do not therefore lay any claim to such tinting.
But what I claim as my improvements consists in colouring the impressions
from steel or copper plates, or from lithographic stones or from zinc, by means
of block printing, as above described.
In witness whereof, I, the said George Baxter, have hercunto set my
hand and seal, this Twenty-third day of April, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and thirty-six.
GEORGE (L.s.) BAXTER.

page_text: AND BE IT REMEMBERED, that on the Twenty-third day of April,
in the year of our Lord 1836, the aforesaid George Baxter came before
our said Lord the King in His Chancery, and acknowledged the Specification
aforesaid, and all and every thing therein contained and specified, in form
above written. And also the Specification aforesaid was stamped according to
the tenor of the Statute made for that purpose.
Inrolled the Twenty-third day of April, in the year of our Lord One