AN IMPROVED METHOD OF PRINTING IN COLORS
Year: 1862

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Carpenter, of Greenwich, in the County of
Kent, Printer, for the Invention of "AN IMPROVED METHOD OF PRINTING IN
COLORS."
Sealed the 17th October 1862, and dated the 23rd April 1862.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Carpenter at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
23rd April 1862.
I, WILLIAM CARPENTER, of Greenwich, in the County of Kent, Printer, do
hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "AN IMPROVED METHOD
OF PRINTING IN COLORS," to be as follows:-
This Invention consists of a means whereby ornamental letterpress or other
kinds of printing may be executed in several colors in much less time than
is occupied by methods at present adopted. To carry out this new method,
one "form," for example, is "composed," engraved, or produced by any other
means, and so divided and "imposed" either in the shape of type, stereotype,
or any description of block whatsoever, that each portion shall occupy a section
of a sheet of paper when an impression shall be taken of it, which paper, by
being turned so that each edge may be presented to the "off side" of the
"form," shall have taken upon its surface, by pressure applied in any manner

page_text: whatsoever, several perfected impressions of the original undivided "form,"
each in a variety of colors, thus effecting a great saving of labor and
expense.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said William Carpenter in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
23rd October 1862.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, WILLIAM
CARPENTER, of Greenwich, in the County of Kent, Printer, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Twenty-third day of April, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-two, in the twenty-fifth year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me,
the said William Carpenter, Her special licence that I, the said William
Carpenter, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I,
the said William Carpenter, my executors, administrators, 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 "AN
IMPROVED METHOD OF PRINTING IN COLORS," upon the condition (amongst others)
that I, the said William Carpenter, my executors or administrators, by an in-
strument in writing under my, 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 Patent Office within six calendar months next and imme-
diately after the date of the said Letters Patent.
.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said William Carpenter, do hereby
declare the nature of my said 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 consists of an improved method of printing in colors, in
cases where four colors and where from four to twenty-four varieties or trans-
positions of these colors may be required, with ordinary presses or machines,
from one form or surface, with one making ready only. To work this
method, I divide the matter into four sections, making them up to one guage,
and "impose" or place the said sections or parts in any desired manner,

page_text: provided only that the same relative corner of each shall point towards the
centre of the whole "form" or surface to be printed from (equal space being
left between each section or part). After "making ready," I work all the
sheets required in one color, I then turn the sheets round in any direction, and
work them in a second color, when I turn them again and work in a third
color, and then again for a fourth color, thus obtaining four varieties of the
design of four colors in each. If the whole number of varieties, namely 24, be
required, nothing more is needed than to turn a portion of the sheets in the
second, third, and fourth positions before working them in the second color,
and the same for the third color, and finish them in the only remaining
position in the fourth color, thus producing six kinds of sheets of four
varieties on each, or twenty-four single varieties of four colors in each.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said
Invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that I
claim the Invention of the method of printing in colors by simply moving the
sheet to be printed in the several positions before mentioned, so as to receive
successive impressions of the different colors arranged in such manner as to
produce the varieties or transpositions herein-before set forth and described.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Carpenter, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, this Twenty-first day of October, in the year of
our Lord Oue thousand eight hundred and sixty-two.
10
5
WILLIAM CARPENTER. (L.S.)
Witness,
ALFRED IKIN,
1, Henry Street,
Upper Kennington Lane.