IMPROVEMENTS IN DECORATING OR PRINTING UPON CHINA, PORCELAIN, EARTHEN;. OTHER LIKE WARES
Year: 1861

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by: the said Richard Archibald
Brooman at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his
Petition, on the 11th December 1861.-A communication from abroad
by Joseph Robert Prévost, of Paris, France.
I, RICHARD ARCHIBALD BROOMAN, of 166, Fleet Street, in the City of
London, Patent Agent, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention
for "IMPROVEMENTS IN DECORATING OR PRINTING UPON CHINA, PORCELAIN, EARTHEN;.
OTHER LIKE WARES," (communicated to me from abroad by Joseph Robert
Prévost, of Paris, France,) to be as follows:-
This Invention consists in taking off upon china and other similar wares,
prints made upon paper in as many colours as are necessary to reproduce
pictures and delicate designs as hereafter described. Hitherto, the ornamenting
of china and ceramic wares by the aid of lithography was performed by trans-
ferring in dark shades or in one single colour, which had, subsequently, to'-
receive the desired colours by hand.
In applying by the means I am about to describe, lithocromy or the transfer'
in many colours to china and similar wares, the choicest designs and paintings
are reproduced, and that with economy, rapidity, and perfection.
In carrying out this Invention, as many printings are required as there are
colours in the design to be reproduced, and the following operations are'
necessary, each of which I proceed to describe separately.
First., Preparation of the paper. As the paper has to pass over the stone

page_text: as many times as there are colours in the design, it should be white without
size, and of uniform consistence. I take, say, four pounds of pulp, size, and
dilute it with a quart of water and filter through linen, then with a sponge or
large brush I coat the paper with the filtrate, and hang the paper on lines to
dry; I next press the sheets between two plates of zinc. I dissolve two pounds
of gum arabic in a quart of water, and filter through linen, pay over the pressed
sheets with the filtrate, and press again as before. The size and gum are
applied on one and the same side of the sheet, the other side remains without
preparation to facilitate the taking off. The paper thus prepared is smooth
and glazed, the printing is effected by mordants, and the paper is powdered
over as many times as there are printings or colours; it will be understood
that if the paper were not sufficiently glazed, the colours would become
attached, and soil it on the parts not printed on, and the result would be bad
and ineffective.
Second. Preparation of the colours.-The colours are the same as now used
for painting on china by the band, but I add to them solvents, which give in
the washing off of the transfer paper. The colours should be perfectly ground
in water, well dried, and passed through fine sieves; they should be dry at the
time of powdering or applying them. The mixtures of the colours are pro-
portioned according to the subjects, but pure and unmixed colours would only
produce harsh and unpleasant effects.
Third. Employment of the matters for printing.-I ink and prepare the
stones in the ordinary manner of lithographic printing. I substitute for the
ordinary printing varnishes, which are too greasy, a composition of fatty essence
rather thick, of weak printing varnish, and of copal varnish. This
composition dries more readily during the printing, and even after transfer to
the piece to be ornamented. When the design upon the stone is charged; I
dry, the stone by a fan, and when perfectly dry, so that no moisture may affect
the glaze of my paper, I apply the paper and print in the ordinary manner. I
print on the paper with a colourless mixture, for if printed in vetrifiable colours,
the grain, though very fine, would speedily wear away the design.
Fourth. Order of superposition of the colours.-I begin with the deepest
colours, as they make the finish to the pictures, and as they are reversed in the
transfer the first colours applied become uppermost; if the deep colours wero
applied over the light colours they would soil them. Reds require much care,
as they easily soil the paper. Therefore, the stone, as before stated, must be
thoroughly dry to prevent the paper coming away damp, and the colour from
becoming fixed on the white parts.
1 .
Fifth. Powdering or application of the colour.-After the sheet is printed,

page_text: as before described, I remove it gently, and pour upon it the colour prepared
as before described, and spread it by means of badger or other soft brush, in
order that it may become fixed on the printed mixture, pass wadding over the
sheet to ensure the fixing of the colour and leave the paper to dry at least a
whole day before attempting another printing.
Sixth. Transferring.-This operation consists in removing to the ware the
impression on the paper. I cut the printed sheet into as many pieces as
necessary, and place each separate piece between the leaves of a thick book or
bundle of damp and unsized sheets of paper. I then pay over such parts of
the ware as the decoration is to be applied to with a composition of five parts
of essence of turpentine and one part of copal varnish. As soon as this begins
to dry and to stick to the finger, I take one of the damp pieces of the printed
paper, and place it paper side upwards and outwards on the ware with a
suitable tool. I press out all the air and fix the paper on the ware. I plunge
it in water for a few minutes, remove it, when the paper will readily peel off,
leaving the impression adhering to the ware. I then wash with a soft brush
and remove the size and gum remaining after removal of the paper..
-Seventh. Firing or stoving.-The articles in china, porcelain, earthen or
ceramic ware, thus provided with the impression, are placed in muffles and in
the stove, and the firing proceeds as in the ordinary manner when the
Jecoration has been applied by hand.