A New Mode of Preparing Artistic Printing Surfaces.
Year: 1891

page_text: Date of Application, 23rd Nov., 1891
Complete Specification Left, 23rd Aug., 1892-Accepted, 1st Oct., 1892
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
A New Mode of Preparing Artistic Printing Surfaces.
We, HUBERT HERKOMER R.A., and HENRY THOMAS COox, Copper Plate
Printer, both of Bushey in the County of Herts, do hereby declare the nature of
this invention to be as follows:-
It is seldom that an artist who has produced a picture can reproduce it by
engraving or etching, and consequently, when reproduced by others, many of the
artistic touches which can only be effected by the hand of the original artist, and
which give the picture much of its value, are lost.
Now the object of the present invention is to prepare the printing surface in
such a manner that the artistic touches which are obtainable only from the hand
of the original artist, may be faithfully reproduced without the necessity for
manipulating, as when photography is employed.
In carrying out our invention, we take a suitable smooth surface, say, a copper
plate, and we cover it with a compound consisting, say, of graphite, German black
and burnt linseed oil, mixed and ground together.
On the prepared surface, the artist produces his picture by means of a piece of
rag, a brush, or a piece of stick, the compound being removed to a less or greater
depth as may be necessary to give the requisite effects of light and shade etc.
When the picture or design is prepared, the surface is dusted over with a
mixture composed of brick dust coated with bronze powder and asphaltum, to
which may be added a small quantity of fine bronze powder, and the superfluous
dust is lightly removed.
The outside edges of the compound are then made even, and the plate is allowed
to dry for two or three days.
The plate thus prepared forms an original from which an electrotype for use in
printing is taken in the usual way, and which may be steel surfaced, or otherwise
-treated, if desired.
The compound above mentioned, in which the picture is produced, has been
found to answer the purpose; but we do not wish to confine ourselves to the
ingredients, as other pigments may be found suitable for the purpose, the essential
feature of the invention being, that the printing surface is prepared' from the
original produced by the artist' himself, and not froni any reproduction.
Dated this 23rd day of November 1891*·
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
A New Mode of Preparing Artistic; Printing Surfaces
We HUBERT HERKOMER, R.A., and HENRY THOMAS Cox, Copper Plate
Printer, both of Bushey in the County of Herts, lo 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 :-
.1
It is seldom that an artist who has produced a picture, can reproduce it by
engraving or etching, and consequently, when reproduced by others, many of the
artistic touches which can only be effected by the hand of the original artist, and
which give the picture much of its value, are lost.
Now the object of the present invention is to prepare a printing surface in such
a manner that the artistic touches which are obtainable only from the hand of the

page_text: original artist, may be faithfully reproduced, without the necessity for further
manipulation, as when photography is employed.
In carrying out our invention, we take a suitable smooth surface, say, a copper
plate, and cover it, by a printing roller or equivalent means, with a coating
composed of about equal parts of, say, graphite, German black, and burnt linseed
oil, mixed and ground together. It is from such a prepared surface that the
artist produces his picture, by removing parts of the soft coating where the lights
and medium tints are required to be produced. This he effects by the aid of a
piece of rag, a brush, or a piece of pointed wood, acccording to the effect required
from the touch, and a margin for his picture he provides by wiping the plate clean
for a given distance inwards from the edge thereof.
It will be understood that the coating is removed to a less or greater depth, as
may be necessary to secure the requisite effects of light and shade, etc.
When the picture or design is thus far prepared, and the composition is still
moist, the surface is dusted over with a mixed powder composed as follows:-
:-
Take equal parts by weight of bath stone reduced to powder, bronze powder, and
.powdered asphaltum; soak the two first in turpentine, and, when quite dry, mix
them carefully with the asphaltum, and place the whole in a little bag of fine
muslin.
When the plate has been completely covered with this pulverised mixture, the
superfluous dust, or that which has not adhered to the tacky compound, is to be
carefully removed by a soft camel's-hair brush.
The picture will then again be visible to the artist, and it only remains for him
to put the plate aside, and allow it to dry for some 3 days. The picture is then
ready for electrotyping, which operation may be performed by any ordinary
electro-typer, care being taken that the surface of the work shall not be touched, it
being understood that the plate is perfectly ready for the electrotyping process, it
having been converted into a properly metallized matrix. The electrotype of this
plate will represent the reverse of the artist's work, and may be printed from after
the manner of engraved plates.
The plate formed by the deposited copper will have the ordinary thickness of a
copper plate, and will represent, in reverse, the work of the artist, who lowered his
lights by wiping away the inky compound, and left the compound standing up for
the blacks. In this electrotype plate, the lights will be represented by the highest
parts, and the tones lower in a sort of granulated surface.
The plate may be used in this state to throw off impressions, but when the
artist is familiar with the process of etching, the dry point may be used with great
effect for working up the picture and producing brilliant artistic effects.
To increase the life of the plate, it may be steel-surfaced in the manner commonly
practised with respect to engraved copper plates.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that what
we claim is :-
The production of artistic printing surfaces in the manner above described, from
which counterparts of the original work of the artist can be obtained by the process
of printing.
Dated this 23rd day of August 1892.
NEWTON & SON,
Agents for the Applicants.