Photo-illustrative Processes.
Year: 1888

page_text: Date of Application, 29th Mar., 1888
Specification Accepted, 26th Oct., 1888
Photo-illustrative Processes.
We SAMUEL PHILLIPS Photographer and ADAM STEPHAN Lithographic Printer
both of William Street, Woolloomooloo Sydney in the Colony of New South Wales
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:
This invention refers to improvements in photo-lithography photo-engraving and
other photo-illustrative processes by means of which a transfer or medium or a
picture in fatty ink may be produced by printing from a photographic negative.
By this invention the minutest detail may be directly transferred from the negative
to a lithographic stone or stones or to metals for etching or engraving or to glass
porcelain or other substances for similar purposes or for ornament. By it also any
print may be easily divided for chromo printing and in each division the work will
be as well brought out as if the print were taken from one stone or sheet.
These improvements in photo-lithography photo-engraving and other photo-
illustrative processes consist essentially in the use of a peculiar specially prepared
sensitized transfer medium upon which a print of the negative is obtained in such
ink that an impression of said print may be given upon a lithographic stone, zinc &c.,
secondly in the complete novel process of transferring a photo-negative illustration
to stone, zinc &c. &c., as a negative print or etching, and thirdly in the obtainment of
a number of color-stones &c. from one photo-negative.
This transfer medium is prepared by first giving paper a coating or film of gelatine
upon one surface treating said surface with a solution of Bi-chromate of Potassium
and evenly coating it with a material which will protect certain minute portions or
dots or lines from the action of light and thus giving grain to the coated surface, the
most suitable material we have found for this purpose is stiff lithographic ink. It
is now only necessary to expose to light the transfer thus prepared under the negative
until the positive is seen clearly printed upon it. This print is then carefully inked

page_text: washed and then developed by rubbing, when the ink leaving the high lights allows
the whole effect to be plainly seen. The transfer being thus completed may be used
to obtain an impression on stone, zinc &c., in any well-known manner.
But in order that this invention may be clearly understood the whole process of
obtaining a lithographic print will be described in detail it being understood that
the obtainment of a metallic etching is proceeded with in a similar manner and that
the obtainment of a photographic print upon glass, porcelain &c., may be had in
negative by using the same process up to the transferring stage.
We prepare a bath consisting of one ounce of Nelson's Patent Opaque Gelatine or
any good soft gelatine dissolved in say seven ounces of water for two hours and to
which is added while at a temperature of about 100° Fahrenheit say two grains of
Chrome Alum dissolved in half an ounce of water with or without say half a grain of
Tannin (to render the resulting transfer medium a little tougher) the whole being
well strained. This bath being kept at a temperature of 90° Fahrenheit a sheet of
paper preferably thick photographic paper or paper of similar description is then
carefully drawn over it under a scraper pressing it in contact with the gelatine.
When coated this paper is then hung until carefully dried off and is then rolled on a
roller with a sheet of white paper over its prepared surface.
We next remove this prepared transfer paper into a dark room and further treat
it by floating it for say three minutes upon a solution of say three ounces of Bichromate
of Potassium dissolved in say eighty ounces of water and then dry it in a dark room
having a well ventilated even temperature of about 75° Fahrenheit. Still conducting
operations in the dark room we now coat it with the semi-protecting material in the
shape of stiff lithographic ink but any material which will protect minute portions of
the surface from the action of light would do. The ink we prefer is made up by
mixing four ounces of Beeswax one ounce of Spermaceti half an ounce of Tallow and
one ounce of Lamp Black with about half the quantity of good lithographic printing
ink. The inking is done in the ordinary way on a stone well rolled with ink on
which the prepared surface of the paper is pressed until evenly coated at which stage
if properly done a yellow face should show through the black ink and if examined
with a magnifying glass the surface should show a fine grain and the transfer medium
is complete.
The printing from the negative is carried out in the usual manner in a frame
giving good contact and preferably exposed in shadow until the shadows of the
negative are well printed through the medium, when the print is placed over a stone
and thin lithographic ink well rolled over it in a fine even coating. After a washing
and thorough soakage say for about an hour in clear water the developement is effected
by rubbing the print gently (over a flat surface) with a soft sponge when the ink
will come away from the high lights and the picture gradually appear until quite
distinct then after thorough washing it is again rubbed until the grain is quite clear
when it may be dried as complete.
To obtain the picture from the prepared medium on a lithographic stone &c., the
transfer is damped on the back until the surface is quite sticky to the touch when it
is evenly laid upon the stone, sheet of zinc &c., and with a roller forced into intimate
contact and then pressed to the stone &c. in the usual manner; when removed a
perfect picture will be found on the stone &c. with half tones and all degree of shadow
clearly shown. If the impression is upon a stone it will be "gummed "" rubbed up"
"etched" and printed from in the usual manner.
When making up color stones in Photo-Chromo lithography we print any number
of these transfers in different depths from the negative and these are transferred to
different stones one being the key and the others tints or parts, or parts may be
stopped or cut out on different stones, or parts cut out scraped and patched up for
each different colour.
The transfer obtained as before described may instead of being pressed upon a
lithographic stone be transferred by pressure to zinc or other metals or substances for
etching or engraving in the usual manner or it may be transferred to porcelain
china &c. for ornamental purposes.

page_text: We would have it understood that we do not confine ourselves to any particular
uses to which our invention may be applied nor to the precise manner of carrying the
same into effect so long as the nature thereof be retained.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of this inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed we declare that what
we claim is :-
1. In photo-lithographic and such like processes the method of producing a
grained transfer medium by coating a sensitised gelatine surface with thick litho-
graphic ink or analogous partially protective substance, substantially as described.
2. The process for producing lithographs etchings or engravings by the use of a
grained transfer medium such as is referred to in the preceding claim, treated and
applied substantially as described.
3. The process for obtaining a number of colour stones for photo-chromo
lithography by printing a number of transfers from one original and treating them,
substantially as herein described.
1
ليوم
7
JJ
1 1000
ABEL & IMRAY,
Agents for the Applicants.