Gelatine Surface into a Relief or Intaglio Printing Surface.
Year: 1887

page_text: Gelatine Surface into a Relief or Intaglio Printing Surface.
I, HENRY SUTTON, of Ballarat, in the Colony of Victoria, music seller, 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:-
It is well known that relief and intaglio printing surfaces can be produced from
photographs, but in practice these have been principally confined to the production of
linear work, on account of the difficulty of faithfully representing the delicate shades
of what are known as the "half tones." When such half tones have been represented,
it has been due to the exercise of very great manual skill, and when produced, it
required very great care and ability on the part of the printer to produce a satisfactory
representation on paper.
It is well known that the half tones of photographs may be "broken up" by dot,
stipple, line hatch, grain or other pattern.
I know of no method by which a photographic image on a gelatine surface can be
automatically converted into a relief or intaglio printing surface.
Now, this invention is designed for the especial purpose of automatically converting
a photographic image on a gelatine surface into a relief or intaglio printing surface
which will faithfully represent the delicate lights and shades or "half tones," said
printing surface being of such a kind that an ordinary printer with ordinary
appliances can without difficulty utilise it for printing purposes.
In carrying out my process, I take an ordinary sensitised gelatine plate bearing a
photograph, broken up" by any pattern or grain as before described, and I immerse
it in water, the temperature of which must be below that at which the particular
gelatine used will melt or dissolve. Here I allow it to remain until all the gelatine
swells by absorption of water, but the extent to which this is allowed must be
determined by the character of the picture and the judgment of the operator. After
removing the plate from this bath, I remove the free water from its surface, preferably
by a slight rinse in alcohol or spirits of wine. I then subject this plate to a gradually
increasing temperature until it reaches about that at which the particular gelatine

page_text: used begins to melt and I continue this heat until all or nearly all the water or
moisture is driven off.
The result of this, is that those portions of the gelatine which are unaffected by the
action of light and which are freely absorbent of water, melt and are drawn by
capillary attraction under the unmelted portions, forcing the latter up in relief, the
dots, stipples, lines, grains, hatch or other pattern by which the photographic
image is broken up, being graduated in size and form in precise proportion to the
action of light, and of light and development on such photographic image. This
completes my process.
"
If the photographic image on the plate heated be a negative," the printing
surface produced will be in intaglio; if it be a "positive" the printing surface will be
in relief.
If the gelatine be on a sufficiently thick sheet of glass or on wood or metal or other
hard material, it may be used direct in a typographic press, or if on metal or other
suitable surface it may he used direct in the copper-plate press; but if it be on the
ordinary thickness of glass, electrotypes or stereotypes must be used for the copper-
plate press. I find that electrotypes and stereotypes may be made from my printing
surfaces in the same way and much more easily and quickly than from ordinary
engravings, inasmuch as I can electrotype direct on my printing surfaces, thus saving
the usual wax squeeze " and I can cast stereotype metal direct on my printing
surfaces, without the intervention of the paper or plaster moulds used in stereotypy.
In actual practice, I have taken an ordinary gelatine dry plate, Fry's transparency
make, and have impressed an image thereon by the action of light, such image having
its surface diversified or broken up by the ordinary wire gauze pattern and have then
developed and fixed the image in the usual way, I have then immersed this for five
minutes in water of the temperature of 80° Faht. and have then. removed the free
water by dipping the plate in a bath of spirits of wine for ten seconds, and have then
removed the plate and fanned the spirits of wine dry from its surface, I have then
placed it on a copper-plate supported on feet or legs, and heated it by means of a
Bunsen gas burner until it became about the temperature of 212° Faht. This heat I
have continued for two minutes, when I have found my object accomplished.
I do not confine myself to any particular uses to which my printing surfaces may
be applied and I wish it to be distinctly understood that I do not claim the production
of photographic pictures on gelatine plates broken up or diversified by dot, stipple,
grain or pattern of any kind nor to the immersion of such plates in water for the
purpose of causing the unaffected gelatine to swell and rise into relief, as I am aware
that all this has been done before.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what
I claim is
In the process of converting a photographic image on a gelatine surface into a
relief or intaglio printing surface-the application of heat to such gelatine surface
after it has been immersed in water in the manner and for the purpose substantially
as herein described and explained.
Dated this Third day of October one thousand eight hundred and sighty covon
Dated this 16th day of November 1887.
HENRY SUTTON.
Abel & Imray,
Agents for the Applicant.