IMPROVEMENTS IN THE PRODUCTION OR PROMOGRAPHIC PROOFS AND THEIR APPLICATION TO PRINTING PURPOSES." PROAL SP
Year: 1860

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Francis Stewart Beatty, of 16, College Green,
Dublin, in the County of Dublin, Ireland, Lithographer and Photo-
grapher, and Thomas Alexander, of Kilester House, in same County,
Doctor of Medicine, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE PRODUCTION
OR PROMOGRAPHIC PROOFS AND THEIR APPLICATION TO PRINTING PURPOSES."
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Francis Stewart Beatty
and Thomas Alexander at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents,
with their Petition, on the 27th November 1860.
We, FRANCIS STEWART BEATTY, of 16, College Green, Dublin, in the County
of Dublin, Ireland, Lithographerand Photographer, and THOMAS ALEXANDER,
of Kilester House, in the same County, Doctor of Medicine, do herebydeclare
the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE PRODUCTION OF PHOTO-
GRAPHIC PROOFS; AND THEIR APPLICATION TO PRINTING PURPOSES," to be as
follows:-
We apply upon the surface of a sheet of paper, or we impregnate it with
a composition composed of isinglass, gelatine, gambough, gum tragacanth,
combined with earths and minerals commonly used by lithographic writers,
and called bythem transper paper; or we apply alone upon the paper gelatine,
dextrine, albumen, arrowroot, or a solution of india-rubber, and when the
paper is dry we submit it to pressure in order to glaze its surface. The paper.

page_text: so treated receives an even coating of the following composition:-A saturated
solution of bichromate of potass and gun arabic, or a concentrated solution
of bichromate of potass and gelatine, which may be combined with sugar,
acetic acid, or alum, and when the coating is dry is again subinitted to
pressure to give-to-the composition-and-the paper an even surface. Then
by the methods which are employed in the art of photography an image or
proof is produced "by means of a negative or positive and a copying frame "
upon the sensative paper coated as above stated. This being done, the sur-
face of the paper on which the photographic impression has been obtained is
carefully covered with a greasy ink used by printers and allowed to dry; when
dry it is placed in or on the surface of hot water, and allowed 'to remain so for
some time. The hot water may be renewed if found necessary; the heated
water swells the composition in and on the surface of the paper, as well as
dissolves the bichromate of potass and gum or gelatino unacted on by the
light, while the picture or proof formed by the chemical action of the light has
become insoluble, therefore fixed, retaining on its surface the greasy ink.
The unlighted portions of the proof being soluble, and also covered with
greasy ink, will all disappear by gentle rubbing with a soft sponge in warm
water, leaving the subject of the photograph in printer's ink, which, by the
usual methods already known, may be transferred to zinc or stone for print-
ing, and to the processes here described we have given the naine of helio-
graphic printing.
We produce the middle tints and modify the deep shades in the production
of proofs in heliographic printing by applying to or on the surface of the
photographic negative or positive a varnish composed of rosin and spirits of
wine, which has the property when drying of dividing itself into innumerable
small cracks, the intervening spaces being opaque or dark. The photographic
proof so treated is laid upon the sensative paper and exposed to the light,
and afterwards "the picture obtained" is submitted to the treatment already
described for washing off the unlighted parts.
When finished and transferred to zinc or stone the shaded parts, when
printed off upon paper, will produce a result which to the eye at a little
distance appears like a uniform shading.
In the production of printing plates by this process for surface printing
from photographic proofs we use the composition already described as litho
graphicwriters'transfer composition, only we use it of a thicker bodycombined
with bichromate of potass and gum or gelatine,and float the same uponglass,
copper, or a zinc plate; when dry we place the photographic proof in con-
tact with it,and subject them to the action of the light. When sufficientlyim-

page_text: pressed, the unlighted parts are washed away, using acid if necessary, which
will leave the lighted portions raised, a cast may be taken of this proof
metalized in the usual way and electrotyped to produce printing blocks for
surface printing.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
.
by the said Francis Stewart Beatty and Thomas Alexander, in the Great
Seal Patent Office ou the 27th May 1861.
:
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, we, FRANCIS
STEWART BEATTY, of 16, College Green, Dublin, in the County of Dublin,
Ireland, Lithographer and Photographer, and THOMAS ALEXANDER, of Kilester
House, in the same County, Doctor of Medicine, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Putent, bearing date the Twenty-seventh day of November, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty, in the twenty-fourth year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto us, the
said Francis Stewart Beatty and Thomas Alexander, Her special licence that
we, the said Francis Stewart Beatty and Thomas Alexander, our executors,
administrators, and assigns, or such others as we, the said Francis Stewart
Beatty and Thomas Alexander, our executors, adininistrators, and assigns,
should at any time agree with, and no others, from time to time and at all
times thereafter during the term therein expressed, should and lawfully might
make, use, exercise, and vend, within the United Kingdom of Great Britain
and Ireland, the Channel Islands,and Isle of Man, an Invention for "IMPROVE
MENTS IN THE PRODUCTION OF PHOT.GRAPHIC PROOFS, AND THEIR APPLICATION TO
PRINTING PURPOSES," upon the condition (amongst others) that we, the said
Francis Stewart Beatty and Thomas Alexander, our executors or adminis-
trators, by an instrument in writing under our, or their, or one of their
hands and seals, should particularly describe and ascertain the nature of the
said Invention, and in what manner the same was to be performed, and cause
the same to be filed in the Great Seal PatentOfficewithin six calendar months
next and immediately after the date of the said Lotters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that we, the said Fraucis Stewart Beatty and Thomas
Alexander,do hereby declare the nature of our said Invention, and in what
manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascer-
tained in and by the following tatement, that is to say:—
The object of this Invention is improvements in the production of photo-

page_text: gam-
graphic proofs and their application to printing purposes. We have given to
the processes described in thisSpecification the name of heliographic printing,
and it is performed in the following manner:-We take a sheet of paper or
any other substance free of granular texture, and we coat its surface evenly
with the transfer medium ordinarily used for transferring drawings, plans, or
delineations to stone or zinc, or we take any other suitable transfer matter or
composition used by lithographic artists, which answers the purpose; but we
prefer the medium composed of two ounces of isinglass, quarter of an ounce
of arrowroot, quarter of an ounce of gum tragacanth, and four ounces of flake,
white, or washed chalk. The isinglass, arrowroot, and gum tragacanth are
dissolved separately by boiling with water and afterwards mixed together; the
flake white or chalk is then added thereto, and coloured slightly with
boge. This composition, when warm, is about the consistence of cream. We
apply it in that state with a flat brush or sponge to the surface to be coated;
the surface thus prepared, when dry, is hot-pressed or callendered. Although
we have described paper as the surface on which lithographic artists spread
their transfer medium and compositions, other substances free from granular
texture are and may be employed, such as metal foils, vegetable parchment,
and paper impregnated with india-rubber; thesewe beneficially employ in this
Invention to coat with the sensitive medium herein-after described, or upon
which to spread the transfer composition, and also for the transfer composition.
In addition to that we have already describedwe use gelatine,size, dextrine in
solution, arrowroot, wheat, barley and rice flours made into jelly paste, to
which may be added flake white and gamboge, lucine or vegetable albumen,
and also animal albumen, either alone or covered with the transfer medium.
We sometimes impregnate the paperwith a composition of asphaltum dissolved
in turpentine, or benzole and caoutchouc dissolved in chloroform. If the
photographic proof to be reproduced be formed of delicate shading, we mix
with the composition already described hard granular substances, such as fine
emery powder, peroxide of iron, glass, and flint finely ground in a mortar in
proportions according to the judgment of the operator. In order to make the
surface prepared as described capable of producing a photographic proof we
employany chemical agent that possesses the property of being rendered inso-
luble in water by exposure to light and an absorbent of greasy matters when
dry; we use, for example, bichromate of potash or other chromate salt having
similar properties. When in combination with isinglass, gelatine, dextrine,
albumen, or gnm arabic, and although a saturated solution will answer, we
prefer a concentrated solution of the bichromate of potash in warm distilled
water, to which is added a solution of isinglass, gelatine, dextrine, or albumen

page_text: (gum arabic giving inferior results), either separately or in combination with
each other, the strength of the latter solutions being determined by the
nature of the objects to be produced. When cold, the combined solution will
be of a deep orange color, and is heated before using it. Further operations
with it are conducted in a room from which daylight is partially excluded.
A quantity of the solution as described is poured into an earthenware tray of
the size to answer the prepared surface, and it is carefully taken by the corners
and its middle allowed to come in contact with the liquid, dropping the corners
gradually to prevent air bubbles; if any be formed, they should be removed
with a glass rod. Having allowed it to remain some minutes upon the solu-
tion, changing its position at intervals, it is lifted and allowed to drain, and
primed up by one of the corners. When thoroughly dry it may be pressed or
callendered if necessary; this operation of sensitizing the prepared surface
may be performed a second time. By the well-known processes of photography,
photographic proofs are obtained which may be negatives or reversed negatives
of the objects which we wish to make a printing surface on stone or zinc, and
may be photographic representations of natural scenery, portraits, drawings,
engravings, written documents, manuscript plans, and printed matter. For
convenience, we prefer the employment of glass negatives and reversed nega
tives in connection with a photographic copying frame. The negative or
reversed negative being laid therein, the prepared surface is laid thereon, and
the frame screwed down; it is then placed in the sunshine for a period of
time, ten minutes or so. Diffused daylight will answer, of course allowing a
much longer period according to the judgment of the operator. When suffi-
ciently lighted, the copying fraine should be removed into the dark room.
Upon inspection it will be found that a faint image is formed on the prepared
surface. The next operation is to utilize this property of the chemical action
of the light, and to change the nature of the image in order to produce a
printing surface. This we perform by an impression taken from a metal plate
executed by an engraver; it may have on its surface a mezzotint or aquatint
ground, or it may be a ruled plate, the lines being horizontal and diagonal, of
different degrees of fineness. Having determined on the grain to be
given to the photographic proof, the plate is inked with transfer ink and
wiped in the usual way to remove the extra ink, and an impression of it taken
on the prepared surface containing the photographic proof at a copper plate or
other press. When the impression is dry or partially so it is placed face up in
a zinc tray containing water, in which some gum arabic is dissolved, heat
being applied under the tray. The proof is allowed to remain until the water
becomes heated; it is then taken up and laid face down on water at a lower

page_text: temperature, whenit will be found that the printed impression will leave those
portions of the proof unacted on by the light. A gentle rubbing with a piece
of Canton flannel or a camel's hair brush will leave the photographic proof in
printer's transfer ink, in consequence of its adhesion to the insoluble lighted
portions, and will retain the grain of the plate from which it was printed.
Sometimes we print on the sensitive prepared surface an impression of the
granulated plate, and afterwards expose to the light with the photographic
picture laid thereon; this gives a reverse grain to the printed proof. We also
take impressions from g.ained stones and zinc plates prepared with litho-
graphic chalk; and in some cases we place on the photographic picture an
aquatiut ground made of spirits of wine and resin to produce an even shading.
Subjects represented by lines may be treated with an impression from a very
fine grained plate on simply applying the ink diluted with turpentine with a
silk dauber or brush and cleaning away the superfluous ink with a clean rag
leaving no trace except the color, enough remaining to answer the purpose of
transferring to stone or zinc. We print by the process described a number of
impressions of the same photographic proof. If it be desired to produce a
colored picture, each of those proofs have printed on their surface only those
portions which represent a color, with its registering mark placed at the side
or other convenient place, and this we perform by covering over with gum
water and lampblack those portions which we do not want to print; or we
obscure it by any other method capable of being easily effaced without injury
to the photographic picture. Those impressions when transferred to a series
of stones or zinc plates, and printed in succession on the same copy, will pro-
duce a colored impression of the photographic picture; or the same inay be
performed by the process at present in use by lithographic artists for trans-
ferring the subject of the photographic picture entire on a series of stones or
zinc plates, which have their surfaces previously prepared to resist the greasy
impression, and then by coloring with transfer ink on each stone or zinc plate
the portion intended to represent the color, and printing from them in their
respectivecolors on the sheet of paper which has the registering marks printed
thereon. For the production of printing plates or blocks for surface and
intaglio printing we use a material capable of having a polished surface made
thereon, glass on metals, for example. We coat this surface with the transfer
medium and sensitive coating already described; the thickness of the transfer
medium is much greater and stronger than that used for coating the prepared
surfaces already described; the thickness of the coating will determine the
depth to be given to the finished printing surface. When the coating is dry,
it is exposed in the copying frame with a negative or reversed negative placed

page_text: thereon, and when exposed sufficientlyto the action of the light,it is carefully
washed in water at a low temperature, which is raised gradually, using a little
weak nitric acid in the washing; by gently brushing it with a camel's hair
pencil a clean proof is obtained. When dry a cast is taken in plaster of
Paris, to which is added a quantity of washed chalk; the cast may be
metalized in the usual way and electrotyped, but we prefer to harden the cast
by immersion in liquid silex, silicate zopissa, or aluminate of potash, when it
will be found that the cast so treated will bear the pressure of the printing
press, and proofs may be taken therefrom. We obtain printing surfaces from
photographic proofs by floating upon the surface of a metal plate (zinc we
prefer) the sensitive coating aloue, and when dry expose it to the light with
the photographic picture laid thereon in a copying frame as alreadydescribed;
and when sufficiently lighted we cover the whole plate with an acid-resisting
composition known to engravers.consisting of printer's varnishandasphaltum,
to which lampblack is added; this is laid on with a printer's roller or dauber.
When the composition is dry,or partiallysoit is laid in water slightly warmed,
when it will be found that the prepared varnish will leave all the unlighted
parts of the photographic proof in an acid-resting varnish, acid being applied,
or the galvanic principle used to assist the action of the acid by stopping
out the five parts with varnish, as the action proceeds the photographic proof
will remain entire upon the surface, while all the parts acted on by the acid
will be sufficiently lowered to leave the printing surface in relief by placing in
the copying frame a reversed negative in place of the negative; a plate in
intaglio will be the result in the after process as described above. The photo-
graphic picture used for these processes we take in the camera, with the plain
side of the glass towards the lens, in order that the finished printing surface
and the copy be alike in position. Again,after having obtained a photographic
image by the means already described upon any hard substance capable of
being polished and of bearing a great pressure without injury, such as a slab
of glass, marble, lithographic stone, or iron, we cover the surface on which
the image or proof is obtained with lithographic printer's transfer ink, and
wash
Away the unlighted parts. We take an impression of the inked proof
on lithographic artist's transfer paper, with or without any further rolling,and
transfer the impression thus obtained upon stone or zinc for printing. In the
transferring by light a photograph proof upon a lithographic stone by
covering it with the sensitive solutions, the proof or transfer being made
thereon and covered with transfer ink and washed, the resulting printing
surface will not be durable for printing any number of impressions in conse-
quence of the sensitive coating being interposed between the stone and the

page_text: transfer ink. We remedy this defect and increase the number of impressions
that can be taken from a photographic or other transfer on stone in the
following manner :-After having washed and cleaned the transfer in the
usual way known to printers bygetting rid of the gum, we heat the stone and
cover the surface on which the photographic transfer has been made with
liquid silex, silicate zopissa, or aluminate of potash, or other liquid having a
hardening effect upon the stone. When dry, it will be found that the surface,
except the portions on which the photographic orothertransferis, will be much
harder and less liable to attract the greasy ink than before. The photographic
transfer is then rubbed out,brought up bymethods known to printers; this will
takeaway thesensitivecoating, and brings the greasyink into immediatecontact
with the surface of the stone, whilethe hardened portionswillresisttheaction of
theprintingroller, producing a more durable printing surface with less labour;
and where no sensitive substance or composition interposes betweenthestone
and the transfer of a photographic or other proof, we wash the stone free from
guin used in printing by known methods, and heat its surface, and cover it
with the hardening solution as described, thus giving better results than are
now produced.
Having now fully described and set forth the nature and object of our said
Invention of improvements in the production of photographic proofs andtheir
application to printing purposes, and the manner of carrying the same into
effect, we wish it to be understood that we do not limit ourselves to the precise
details or materials herein described, as the same may be varied without
departing from the nature of our said Invention, nor do we claim generallythe
use of bichromate of potash as a chemical agent for the production of photo-
graphic results, but what we do claim is,―
First, the use of lithographic artists' transfer mediums or compositions or
other suitable transfer matters or their equivalents to coat surfaces for the
production of photographic proofs as described.
Secondly, the employment of metal foils and surfaces free from granular
texture, and the coating of them with gelatinous, glutinous, farinaceous, and
albuminised combinations or compositions, and the covering of same with the
transfer medium or otherwise as described.
Thirdly, the coating with bichromate of potash in combination with dextrine,
gelatine, or albumeu, the prepared surfaces as described.
Fourthly, the admixture of pulverised mineral and earthy substances in the
transfer compositions as described.
Fifthly, the printing upon the photographic proof a tint in lithographic ink
by an impression from an aquatint plate as described,

page_text: Sixthly, the printing of photographic proofs in colors as described.
Seventhly and lastly, the method herein described of producing printing
surfaces in relief or intaglio from photographic proofs, and especially we claim
theapplication upon the surface on which the photographic proof is obtained
of an acid-resisting varnish on being washed, the proof alone remaining, the
other parts being without the varnish covering may be easily corroded away,
thus leaving the proof in relief; reversing the negative produces a proof in
intaglio. We also claim the covering with lithographic transfer ink (any
surface having thereon a photographic proof) then washing awaythe unlighted
parts,and when clean taking an impression of the saine on transfer paper, and
making a transfer of it on lithographic stone,and the hardening of the surface
of lithographic stones on which a transfer is made for printing purposes sub-
stantially as described.
In witness whereof, we, the said Francis Stewart Beatty and Thomas
Alexander, have hereunto set our hands and seals, this Twenty-fifth
day of May, in the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and
) Witness,
WM. C. FORSTER,
FRANCIS STEWART BEATTY. (L.S.)
THOMAS
ALEXANDER.
(L.S.)
2, Crow Street,
Dublin.