An Improved Process for Reproducing Ornamental Designs.
Year: 1885

page_text: An Improved Process for Reproducing Ornamental Designs..
I, JOHN BRYCE, of the firm of J. Bryce & Co. 33 Abercromby Street, Glasgow,
in the County of Lanark, North Britain, Engraver to Calico Printers, do hereby
declare the nature of my said invention for "AN IMPROVED PROCESS FOR
REPRODUCING ORNAMENTAL DESIGNS" to be as follows, that is to say :-
My said Invention has for its object in a simple and inexpensive manner to
produce one or more copies of original designs such as are usually executed in
water colors by pattern designers, such reproductions or copies being intended for
the use of the pattern designers themselves also for the use of calico printers, and
of engravers to calico printers. My Invention may also be advantageously used
in various arts and professions in all cases in which one or more copies of an
original design are wanted or can be of use before arrangements are made for
reproducing the design in large quantities by the ordinary printing processes. My
Invention is applicable to designs originally executed in one or more colors, and can
be satisfactorily used with original designs executed in the manner hitherto usual;
at the same time when it is known beforehand that my process is to be employed it
is desirable for the designer to use as large a body of color as the nature of the
design will admit of.
In carrying out my Invention I take the paper bearing the original design and
thoroughly dampen it in any convenient way, as for example by gently pressing it
between sheets of moistened blotting or bibulous paper. I also take a piece of
albuminised paper such as is used by photographers and after having rendered it
damp I apply it with its albuminised surface down upon the original design. I then
subject the two papers to considerable pressure between rollers, or between a roller
and a flat surface, or I apply the pressure by moving a scraper over the two papers;
and by these means I obtain a copy of the design, which, although reversed in the case
of unsymmetrical subjects, will well answer the intended purpose. If the copy thus
obtained is not sufficiently perfect, or if the original is rendered slightly imperfect
y the process, the designer can render them perfect with very much less labor
than what would be required to make a copy entirely by hand. When two or
more copies are required I proceed in the same way but use less pressure, so as to
obtain comparatively faint impressions, and these I subsequently complete by filling
in the necessary color or colors by hand.

page_text: I prefer to use paper coated with albumen for receiving the impressions or
transfers, but paper coated with other suitable substances that are adhesive when
moistened will also answer the purpose.
A copy obtained from an original design in the manner hereinbefore described
may be applied to a copper roller or to a copper or steel plate, and the design may
be transferred to the metal surface by pressure, or an impression may be applied to
the metal surface directly from the original design, the metal surface being
previously coated with a suitable adhesive substance such as albumen or a
combination of gum and albumen.

page_text: An Improved Process for Reproducing Ornamental Designs.
I, JOHN BRYCE, of the firm of J. Bryce & C° 33 Abercromby Street, Glasgow,
in the County of Lanark, North Britain, Engraver to Calico Printers, do hereby
declare the nature of this invention and in what manner the same is to be
performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement, that is to say :-
My said Invention has for its object in a simple and inexpensive manner to-
produce one or more copies of original designs such as are usually executed in
water colors by pattern designers, such reproductions or copies being intended for
the use of the pattern designers themselves also for the use of calico printers and
of engravers to calico-printers.. My Invention may also be advantageously used in
various arts and professions in all cases in which one or more copies of an original
design are wanted or can be of use before arrangements are made for reproducing
the design in large quantities by the ordinary printing processes. My Invention
may also in some cases be advantageously employed even when a considerable
number of copies are required. My Invention is applicable to designs originally
executed in one or more colors, and can be satisfactorily used with original designs
executed in the manner hitherto usual; at the same time when it is known
beforehand that my process is to be employed it is desirable for the designer to use
as large a body of color as the nature of the design will admit of.
In carrying out my Invention I take the paper bearing the original design and
thoroughly dampen it in any convenient way, as for example by gently pressing it
between sheets of moistened blotting or bibulous paper. I also take a piece of
paper which has been coated with albumen and after having rendered it damp
I apply it with its albuminised surface down upon the original design. I then
subject the two papers to considerable pressure between rollers, or between a roller
and a flat surface, or I apply the pressure by moving a scraper over the two papers;
and by these means I obtain a copy of the design, which although reversed in the
case of unsymmetrical subjects, will well answer the intended purpose. If the copy
thus obtained is not sufficiently perfect, or if the original is rendered slightly
imperfect by the process, the designer can render them perfect with very much less
labor than what would be required to make a copy entirely by hand. When two
or more copies are required I proceed in the same way but use less pressure, so as
to obtain comparatively faint impressions, and these I subsequently complete by
filling in the necessary color or colors by hand.
When several copies are required, the original design after copies have been
taken off it, as herein before described, or any one or more of the copies, may be
recolored and strengthened or in other words may have fresh color applied to it or
them to allow of additional impressions being taken.
Pattern designers will be enabled by my process to save much skilled labor and
time when composing patterns or designs in which details are repeated in similar or
different positions, as when the original drawing of a detail has been prepared and
colored the required repeats of it can be obtained by my process and can then be
arranged in any desired positions on the main design.

page_text: I prefer to use paper coated with albumen for receiving the impressions or
transfers, but paper coated with other suitable substances that are adhesive when
moistened will also answer the purpose.
A copy obtained from an original design in the manner hereinbefore described
may be applied to a copper roller or to a copper or steel plate, and the design may
be transferred to the metal surface by pressure, or an impression may be applied to
the metal surface directly from the original design, the metal surface being
previously coated with a suitable adhesive substance such as albumen or a
combination of gum and albumen.
Calico or other woven fabric may be prepared with albumen or other suitable
adhesive substance so as to receive impressions applied by my process; and in this
way the effect of a design on the fabric itself on which it is intended to be
afterwards printed can be seen with little trouble and without loss of time.
Similarly the effect of designs on earthenware or porcelain can be obtained in a
simple and expeditious manner. My process may also be used for applying designs
upon glass, wood, and various other materials.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
Invention and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what
I claim is
The improved process for reproducing ornamental designs substantially as
herein before described.