AN IMPROVED METHOD OF PRODUCING SURFACES FOR MECHANICAL OR INK PRINTING BY MEANS OF PHOTOGRAPHY
Year: 1883

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Harrison Garside of the City of Manchester in the
county of Lancaster, Photograper for an Invention of AN IMPROVED
METHOD OF PRODUCING SURFACES FOR MECHANICAL OR INK PRINTING BY
MEANS OF PHOTOGRAPHY
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Harrison Garside at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 2nd November 1883.
HARRISON GARSIDE, of the City of Manchester-in the County of Lancaster-
Photograph[er] AN IMPROVED METHOD OF PRODUCING SURFACES FOR MECHANICAL
OR INK PRINTING BY MEANS OF PHOTOGRAPHY.
The object of my invention is the production, by mechanical and chemical
means, of surfaces for mechanical or ink printing, and its leading feature is the
breaking up of the varying tints of the Photograph or object to be represented
into the dots or lines of varying dimensions which are needed for ink printing -
This I effect in such a way that the so called light of the object are represented by
minute dots or lines, and the shadows are represented by dots or lines sufficiently
large as almost to be absolutely black. One of the ways in which my invention
can be carried out, is as follows. I produce a mould by drilling or punching in a
flat metal or other plate a series of shallow recesses of conical form, and having
their edges in close contact or even overlapping. From this mould I produco by
means of a fluid mixture of gelatine and pigment, a transparency or positive,
using such a mixture as will produce absolute opacity at the extremo depth of tho
mould This transparency I now copy in the camera on a suitable scale to give
the grain desired in the printing block or plate. And this scale may be conveniently
varied to suit the different classes of work and printing. This negative, consisting
of dots of absolute transparency, shading into absolute or nearly absolute opacity
may now be duplicated by any of the usual methods and for convenience, in the
form of films.
If one of these films be affixed to the face of an ordinary photographic negativo,
R 11

page_text: portions of the negative are now absolutely impervious to light except in the form
of minute spots, and the more transparent portions are veiled by a tracery of
opaque lines, which by suitable printing may be nearly obliterated, while between
these two extremes the varying tints of the negative are seen as spots of varying
dimensions From the negative so adapted a Photo lithographic transfer can now 5
be made in the usual way-The dots which will be more or less attenuated at
their edges may be strengthened either by rolling up with ink. or by dusting with
resin, and the transfer made to stone or to a Zinc or other plate if an etched
surface for block printing be desired
I do not confine myself to the use of shaded dots in working my invention. 1
For some subjects-such as Machinery Statuery and Coins-Shaded lines may be
conveniently substituted
In some cases it is also convenient to produce the desired grain on the negativo
in the first instance by placing in front of the sensitive plate while in the camera
a suitable mask or screen. Or a positive may be made from an ordinary negative
by interposing the shaded mask. between it and the sensitive surface. This
positive may be improved by hand if desired and a second negative produced
from it
Instead of using a mask or transparency containing shaded dots or lines, a mask
consisting of transparent dots or lines on an opaque ground may be used in the
following way.
The mask is to be placed at an appreciable distance from the Photographic
negative, which may be in contact with the sensitive surface to be impressed
and such a combination of direct and diffused light is to be used as will
cause the rays of light passing through the transparent portions of the mask to
disperse to an extent equal to nearly or quite the pitch of the dots or lines before
reaching the sensitive surface.
Another mode of carrying out my invention is as follows-I expose a piece of
sensitive carbon tissue containing by proference, less than the usual quantity of
pigment, under a negative-After exposure I slightly soften it by means of
moisture I then lay it upon a hard metal plate having its surface covered with
conical points or lines, and subject them to sufficient pressure to force the softened
gelatine into the recesses of the plate. I now develope the tissue as usual and
produce by electro-deposition, an intaglio for plate printing-Or a piece of ordinary
carbon tissue may be exposed and developed in the usual way and transferred to
a surface thickly coated with white or transparent gelatine, while still slightly soft
it is to be subjected to the necessary pressure in contact with a hard metal plate
covered with conical holes or lines and upon withdrawal it will be found that the
tints due to varying thickness of pigment tissue are broken up into dots or lines of
varying dimensions-From this picture a negative in absolute black and white
may be made of any desired size and the block or plate prepared in the usual
wav

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent and
of an Order of the Lord Chancellor filed by the said Harrison Garside in the
Patent Office on the 13th May 1884.
HARRISON GARSIDE of the City of Manchester in the County of Lancaster
Photographer AN IMPROVED METHOD OF PRODUCING SURFACES FOR MECHANICAL
OR INK PRINTING BY MEANS OF PHOTOGRAPHY
This invention consists of an improved method of producing surfaces for
mechanical printing by means of Photography, and the object of my invention is
the production, by mechanical and chemical means of surfaces for mechanical or
ink printing, and it is applicable to typographic, lithographic and plate printing
and to the printing of fabrics by means of rollers.
Its leading feature is the breaking up of natural tints or photographic
reproductions of the same into dots or lines of varying magnitude-This I effect
in such a way that the so called lights of the object to-be represented are translated
into minute dots or lines, and the shadows into dots or lines of such magnitude,
and at such a distance apart, as almost to represent actual blackness.
One of the ways in which my invention can be carried out is as follows:-I
produce a grained plate or mould by cutting or punching, in a flat metal or other
plate, a series of shallow recesses of conical form and having their edges in closo
contact: From this mould produce by the method known as Woodbury type
printing, a transparency on glass, or thin paper, using such a mixture of fluid
gelatine and pigment, as will give absolute opacity at the extreme depth of the
mould I now copy this transparency in the camera on a suitable. scale to give
the grain desired in the printing block or plate This grain may be conveniently
varied to suit the different classes of work and printing-This copy which consists
of dots of absoluto transparency shading into absolute or nearly absolute opacity,
may now be duplicated in any of the usual ways and for convenience in the form
of films-If one of these grained films or screens be now applied to the face of an
ordinary photographic negative it will be found on examination by transmitted
light that the more opaque portions of the negative are now absolutely impervious
to light except in the form of minute spots, while the more transparent portions or
shadows are veiled by a tracery of lines which by suitable printing may be nearly
obliterated in the further operations, while between these extremes the varying
tints of the negative are seen as spots of varying dimensions-From the negativo
so adapted a photo-lithographic transfer may be made and transferred to stone or
to a zinc or other plate if an etched surface for block printing be desired. If a
surface for plate or in taglio printing be required the operations are the same using
in this case a photographic positive and reverso mask.
For certain subjects such as portraits, and in cases in which it is desirable to
make improvements by hand, either mechanical or artistic after the translation to
grain has been made it is convenient to make an enlarged picture from the
photographic negative and the grained film combined-From this enlargement,
after the needed improvements have been made, a grained negative may bo
produced on the scale required.
I do not confine myself to the use of shaded dots in working my invention―
For some subjects, such as the representations of machinery, statuary, and coins
shaded lines may be conveniently substituted, or a combination of two or more
screens composed of shaded lines may be used as a substitute for the shaded dots.
The grained plate or mould may also be produced in various ways-For instance
a less mechanical translation may be made as follows:-
An exposed collographic plate is to bo inked up with a tint approaching
blackness and a grained resist transferred to a metal plate, or a similar transfor

page_text: may be made by means of the grained paper which is in use by lithographic artists
or in other ways-The plate may now have the conical grain produced by repeated
etchings as practised in typographic block work.
In some cases it is convenient to produce the grain on the photographic negative
in the first instance by placing in front of the sensitive plate while exposed in the
camera a grained screen, or by exposing the sensitive plate before or after exposure
in the camera to the action of light under a grained screen, and in this case the
exposure in the camera may be somewhat reduced.
My invention may also be carried out in the following way-I expose a piece
'of sensitive carbon tissue under a negative and after developement I support it on
a surface of soluble gelatine and while still slightly soft I lay it upon a hard metal
plate having the veo shaped grain and subject them to sufficient pressure to force
the gelatine into the recesses of the plate, and I so proportion the thickness of the
gelatine relief that the grain of the plate is entirely filled by the thickest portion
of the relief when dry. I now dissolve the soluble support and produce a printing
plate by electro deposition or in any other convenient way.-Or a piece of
ordinary carbon tissue may be exposed and developed in the usual way and
transferred to a white surface thickly coated with colourless gelatino or other
slightly ductile material,-while still in a softened condition it is to be
placed in contact with the hard grained plate which may be waxed to facilitate.
removal and subjected to the necessary pressure-after drying the picture is to be
removed and it will be found that the tints are broken up into dots of varying
dimensions in proportion to the varying thickness of the relief picture-From this
picture a negative in black and white may be made, and a block or other printing
surface produced by the usual moans.
Instead of using a mask or screen consisting of shaded dots or lines, a mask
composed of transparent dots or lines on an opaquo ground may be used in the
following way. The mask is to be placed at an appreciable distance from the face
of the negative which may be in contact with the surface to be impressed, and such
a combination of direct and diffused light is to be thrown upon the mask as will
cause the rays to disperse to an extent equal to very nearly the pitch of the dots or
lines before reaching the sensitive surfaco.
Having thus described the nature and object of my said invention I declare that
what I claim and desire to be secured to me is;
1 The method of breaking up the tints of a photograph into positive dots or lines
of varying dimensions by means of masks or screens consisting of shaded dots or
lines substantially as described.
2 The method of filling up the grain of a plate by means of a gelatine relief for use
as described.
3. The method of breaking up the tints of a gelatino-carbon or other relief picture
by pressure in contact with a plate having a vee shaped grain.
4 The use and application of the above methods to the production of surfaces for
ink and color printing in all their branches substantially as described.
In witness whereof I the said Harrison Garsido have hereunto set my hand
and seal this eighth day of May in the year of our Lord one thousand eight
hundred and eighty four.