IMPROVEMENTS IN PHOTOGRAPHIC PRINTING AND IN APPARATUS EMPLOYED THEREIN
Year: 1877

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Ezra Greaves, of Halifax, in the County of York,
Photographer, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN PHOTOGRAPHIC
PRINTING AND IN APPARATUS EMPLOYED THEREIN."
Sealed the 2nd November 1877, and dated the 5th May 1877.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Ezra Greaves at the Office
of the Commissioners of Patents on the 5th May 1877.
"IMPROVE-
EZRA GREAVES, of Halifax, in the County of York, Photographer.
MENTS IN PHOTOGRAPHIC PRINTING, AND IN APPARATUS EMPLOYED THEREIN."
This Invention relates, firstly, to vignetting in carbon, and the improvements
consist in placing a board or frame (by preference of wood), over the negative in
the printing frame, containing one or any required number of apertures or openings,
the under side of such opertures or openings being bevelled so as to allow the
necessary amount of diffusion of light over the negative, the result being to soften
down the edges of the picture. These apertures may be of any desired shape or
size, the position of each being fixed or determined in relation to the negative, and
covered with papier mineral, tissue paper, or ground glass. The negatives are set
or adjusted to the openings in the vignetting frame, and secured to their position by
an inner frame covered with parchment, having openings therein.
This Invention relates secondly, to tinting or toning the margins of the pictures,
and the improvements consist in the employment of a frame covered with ground
glass, or plain glass covered with papier mineral, tissue paper, or any other suitable
material, and has attached suitably shaped dies or blocks over each picture, such
dies or blocks being bevelled in the opposite way to the apertures in the vignetting
board.
Instead of dies or blocks being attached to the tinting glass, the tinting glass
may be painted, or paper masks or other suitable substance or material may be
attached to the glass corresponding to the apertures in the vignetting board; thus
the tinting board in size corresponds exactly with the vignetting frame, and occupies
the same relative position over the printed and vignetted tissue as the vignetting
frame had in relation to the negatives, and thus perfect registration is effected. Or
Danine G

page_text: I may use dark papier mineral with bare or light places thereon, corresponding in
number and size to the pictures for the first operation; and for the second operation
I use light shaded papier mineral with dark or opaque places thereon, corresponding
in size and position to the pictures, in both cases the line determining the dark and
light places in stippled or softened down so that the tinting or toning of the picture
is effectually accomplished. Various artistic effects may be produced in this part of
the process; landscape films may be super-imposed, or gelatined films with stippled
effects, or any desirable design.
By the above method of vignetting, and the use of bevelled holes in the vignetting
board, and contrary bevelled dies or blocks on the tinting glass, the two operations
of printing and tinting are effected in such a manner as to blend the shades into
each other, and thus produce more artistic pictures.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed
by the said Ezra Greaves in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 5th
November 1877.
1
EZRA GREAVES, of Halifax, in the County of York, Photographer. "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN PHOTOGRAPHIC PRINTING, AND IN APPARATUS EMPLOYED THEREIN."
This Invention relates firstly, to vignetting in carbon, and the object thereof is to
soften or tone down the edges of pictures called photographs. The improvements
consist in the employment of a suitably constructed frame, of which Fig. 1 represents
a plan view, and Fig. 2, a section of same, taken through the line A, B. The frame
is constructed of a board C having holes or openings D formed therein, corre-
sponding in number to the pictures requiring to be operated upon, the said board
being covered by a sheet of ground glass E; but papier mineral or tissue paper may
be used instead. This frame is placed and rests upon a sheet of glass F in an
ordinary printing frame G. In placing the board C in the printing frame, the
operator will arrange the pictures to be under the openings in the said board, such
openings it will be observed are bevilled outwards, so that the diffusion of light
thereon is gradual, and the edges of the picture are softened or toned down to the
greatest nicety.
The object of the second part of this Invention is to tint or tone the margins of
pictures, and the improvements consist in the employment of a suitably constructed
frame, of which Fig. 3 represents a plan, and Fig. 4 a section of same, taken through
the line a, b. H are dies or blocks secured to the ground glass I supported in a
frame J. This frame is placed in the printing frame G, resting upon the glass F, as
in the previous case. The dies or blocks H are bevilled inwards towards the centro
of the picture, and a diffusion of light takes place thereon. The dies H occupy the
same relative position to the pictures as did the openings in the board C previously
referred to, thus protecting the previously printed picture from the action of light,
and at the same time tinting or toning down the margins of the pictures in such a
manner as to blend the shades into each other.
Instead of dies or blocks being attached to the tinting glass, the tinting glass
may be painted, or paper masks or other suitable substance or material may be
attached to the glass, corresponding to the apertures in the vignetting board; thus
the tinting board in size corresponds exactly with the vignetting frame, and occupies
the same relative position over the printed and vignetted tissue as the vignetting
frame had in relation to the negatives, and thus perfect registration is effected. Or,
may use dark papier mineral or glass with bare or light places thereon, corre-
sponding in number and size to the pictures for the first operation; and for the
second operation I use light shaded papier mineral with dark or opaque places
thereon, corresponding in size and position to the pictures; in both cases the line
determining the dark and light places is stippled or softened down, so that the

page_text: tinting or toning of the picture is effectually accomplished. Various artistic effects
may be produced in this part of the process; landscape films may be super-imposed,
or gelatine films with stippled effects, or any desirable design.
By the above method of vignetting, and the use of bevilled holes in the vignetting
board, and contrary bevilled dies or blocks on the tinting glass, the two operations
of printing and tinting are effected in such a manner as to blend the shades into
each other, and thus produce more artistic pictures.
In witness whereof, I, the said Ezra Greaves, have hereunto set my hand
and seal, this Second day of November, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and seventy-seven.
EZRA GREAVES. (LS.)