IMPROVEMENTS IN ΤΗΣ PRODUCTION BY MEANS OF PHOTOGRAPHY OF PRINTING SURFACES ADAPTED TO LITHOGRAPHY, TYPOGRAPHY, AND CHROMOTYPE
Year: 1868

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Alexander Argamakoff, of St. Petersburgh, in the
Empire of Russia, at present residing at Stockwell Green, in the
County of Surrey, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN ΤΗΣ
PRODUCTION BY MEANS OF PHOTOGRAPHY OF PRINTING SURFACES ADAPTED TO
LITHOGRAPHY, TYPOGRAPHY, AND CHROMOTYPE." -Partly a communication
from abroad by Basile Bauler, of St. Petersburgh.
Sealed the 5th February 1869, and dated the 11th August 1868.
Te Salu Alexand
Argamanon
at the Office of the Commissioners of l'atents, with his Petition,
on the 11th August 1868.
I, ALEXANDER ARGAMAKOFF, of St. Petersburgh, in the Empire of
Russia, at present residing at Stockwell Green, in the County of Surrey,
do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS
IN THE PRODUCTION BY MEANS OF PHOTOGRAPHY OF PRINTING SURFACES ADAPTED TO
LITHOGRAPHY, TYPOGRAPHY, AND CHROMOTYPE," to be as follows:-
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Alexander Argamakoff
at the Office of the Commissioners of l'atents, with his Petition,
on the 11th August 1868.
I, ALEXANDER ARGAMAKOFF, of St. Petersburgh, in the Empire of
Russia, at present residing at Stockwell Green, in the County of Surrey,
do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS
IN THE PRODUCTION BY MEANS OF PHOTOGRAPHY OF PRINTING SURFACES ADAPTED TO
LITHOGRAPHY, TYPOGRAPHY, AND CHROMOTYPE," to be as follows:-
This Invention has for its object improvements in the production by
means of photography of printing surfaces adapted to lithography,
typography, and chromotype.

page_text: The improved method is based on the property, as yet practically
unapplied, of gelatine when prepared in a certain way, not swelling
from moisture in those parts in which it has been acted on by
light, and not melting when any hot liquid substances are poured on
it, such as tallow, compounds of gutta percha with wax, oil, or any other
substances capable of serving, whether directly or indirectly, the purpose
of a matrix for obtaining a copper galvano-plastic plate.
The first part of the method consists of the following ten operations:-
1, covering plate glass with a layer of gelatine; 2, drying the gelatine
layer; 3, preparing the gelatine layer, i.e., making it sensitive to light
and incapable of dissolving when gutta percha is poured on it; 4,
exposing it to the light under a photographic negative or positive, taken
from an original, made with pen or pencil; 5, revealing the drawing by
means of a moist surface (glue or gelatine); 6, impressing the drawing
on gutta percha; 7, increasing the relief of the gutta percha plate by
hand; 8, obtaining the copper matrix; 9, obtaining the copper plate or
printing surface in relief (cliché); 10, increasing the relief of the copper
plate or the cliché by corroding the ground.
The method as applied to chromotype consists of the following
operations-1, obtaining an outline plate in relief cliché from an outline
original; 2, printing on paper from the 'outline cliché by means of a
blue or other non-photogenic color; 3, preparing the originals for the
simple colors contained in the drawing; and 4, preparing according to
the above-described method cliches for printing the simple colors
separately.
THE METHOD AS APPLIED TO LITHOGRAPHY AND TYPOGRAPHY.
1. The Gelatine Layer.-I take 180 grains of the best gelatine and
dissolve it in 4 ounces of water of the usual temperature, and at the
expiration of a quarter of an hour I warm the water to 70° R. When
the gelatine has cooled sufficiently I add strong liquid ammonia and
cool it to a temperature of 30° R., and then pour a thin layer of gelatine
on glass laid horizontally. The use of ammonia is indispensable in order
to avoid a film forming on the gelatine layer after its being prepared
with the solutions, and without its use the entire method becomes
impracticable.
2. The drying of the gelatine layer is performed in a dry air at the
usual temperature and is effected in one night.

page_text: 3. Preparing the Gelatine.-In order to render the gelatine sensitive
to light, and to make it incapable of melting when hot gutta percha is
poured on it, I wash the gelatine layer in a solution consisting of 140
grains of bichromate of potass, 70 grains of alum, and 7 ounces of hot
water. For obtaining a copper plate the entire compound previous to
use is diluted with 20 parts of water, and for a cliché with 10 parts of
water, and the gelatine layer is washed during 1 or 2 minutes.
4. Exposing it to the Light.-The gelatine layer prepared in the above
way is slowly dried in a dark room, and then for obtaining a copper
plate the original itself is applied to it, if made on thin white paper, or
the photographic positive, and for obtaining a cliché, the photographic
negative, the use of the positive or the negative being dependent on the
circumstance that for obtaining a copper plate the ground must be in
one plane, and for obtaining a cliché the drawing; care must be observed
that there be no dust between the gelatine and collodion layers, and
after both the glasses have been placed in the printing frame, and sub-
jected to firm and equal pressure, they are exposed to the light for 15 or
25 minutes, according to the strength of the light, and the quality of the
photographic glass.
5. Revealing the Drawing. Those portions of the prepared gelatine
which have been exposed to the action of light lose their capability of
swelling from moisture, while the remaining portions preserve that
capability. Therefore by dipping the glass with the gelatine layer in
water it is possible to reveal the drawing, but by such means it is impos-
sible to obtain anything fit for use as the gelatine swells more in those
parts where the drops of water adhere than in other places. This
difficulty is completely obviated by pouring on the prepared layer of
gelatine a thick layer of glue or gelatine simply dissolved in hot water,
and cooled to a temperature of 33° R., taking one ounce of gelatine to
4 ounces of water. When the gelatine thus poured on has cooled it can
be easily taken off the prepared layer, when an excellent drawing is
obtained either in relief or hollowed out, according to which portion of
the gelatine has swelled, i.e., the one corresponding to the ground or to
the drawing. Independently of this action the moist surface imbibes
the bichromate of potass in the parts not acted on by light, so that after
the drawing has appeared the glass may be kept in the light, and when-
ever the moist layer is poured on it the drawing will be revealed, or in

page_text: other words the glass may serve several times for obtaining the gutta
percha plate.
i,
6. Impressing or Transferring the Drawing on Gutta Percha.As
soon as the moist surface is removed the following compound is to be
poured on it, viz., 4 parts of wax, 1 part gutta percha, and a wine glass
of oil. This is the most important point in the method. No one
engaged in gelatine methods has been able to render the gelatine at the
same time capable of swelling and incapable of melting from hot sub-
stances, and to make immediate use of the relief of the gelatine layer is
impossible as it quickly disappears entirely. This is why no one has
availed himself of the non-swelling of gelatine, but only of its indis-
solubility in water after the action of light.
7. Increasing the Relief of the Gutta Percha Plate.-The relief
obtained in the gutta percha is not sufficient to admit of its being
applied to the printing press and to chromotype purposes, I therefore
first hollow out by hand those portions in the gutta percha which corre-
spond to the large white spaces in the Drawing.
8. Obtaining the Copper Matrix.I then carefully cover the gutta
percha with blacklead and plunge it into a copper bath to obtain the
copper matrix.
9. Obtaining Copper Plates and Clichés. After having covered the
copper matrix with turpentine and allowing it to evaporate, I slightly
cover the copper matrix with blacklead and again plunge it into the bath
in order to obtain the copper plate or the cliché. When the copper has
become deposited in a sufficiently thick layer I detach the plate from the
matrix. In this state the cliché is still unadapted to typography, it being
necessary somewhat to raise the relief.
10. Increasing the Relief by Corrosion. For this purpose the entire
plate is covered with asphalte varnish or any other varnish non-con-
ductible to electricity. I then clean the varnish from the raised drawing,
leaving it on the ground. The drawing is then gilt, the varnish is washed
off with turpentine or some other suitable substance and the copper
ground is corroded with nitric acid or any other acid which does not act
on the gilding of the drawing. The cliché is then mounted in the
usual way.

page_text: -
1. From a colored original an outline drawing is prepared, and from it,
by the above-described method, an outline cliché is made.
2. From this outline cliché an impression is taken on paper in blue or
other non-photogenic color.
3. On each such impression the portions corresponding to one of the
several simple colors of the original are covered with Indian ink, and
thus originals are obtained consisting of spots.
4. From which cliches are made separately for each simple color.
THE METHOD ADAPTED TO PRINTING FROM NATURE BY MEANS OF
GELATINOUS INK.
A photographic negative is taken from nature or from a painted original
and then, according to the above-described process, a metal plate is
prepared in which there will be concave spaces corresponding to the
shades of the original, which concave spaces will be deeper the stronger
the shades are. The metal plate is covered with a thin layer of benzine
or collodion, and when it is dry gelatinous ink is poured on it. The
paper is then placed on the plate, and they are subjected to equal and
strong pressure in order to squeeze the ink out of the elevated portions.
When the ink is quite dry the plate is taken out of the press, and on
the paper will be found an image resembling a photograph. For
durability it is well to add to the gelatinous ink a small quantity of alum
and bichromate of potass.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said Alexander Argamakoff in the Great Seal Patent
Office on the 10th February 1869.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, ALEXANDER
ARGAMAKOFF, of St. Petersburgh, in the Empire of Russia, at present
residing at Stockwell Green, in the County of Surrey, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Eleventh day of August, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-eight, in the thirty-

page_text: second year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give
and grant unto me, the said Alexander Argamakoff, Her special licence
that I, the said Alexander Argamakoff, my executors, administrators,
and assigns, or such others as 1, the said Alexander Argamakoff, 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 "IMPROVEMENTS IN
THE PRODUCTION BY MEANS OF PHOTOGRAPHY OF PRINTING SURFACES ADAPTED TO
LITHOGRAPHY, TYPOGRAPHY, AND CHROMOTYPE." the result partly of a com-
munication made to me from abroad by Basile Bauler, of St. Petersburgh,
aforesaid, and partly of my own Invention, upon the condition (amongst
others) that I, the said Alexander Argamakoff, my executors or adminis-
trators, by an instrument 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 immediately after the date of the said Letters
Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Alexander Argamakoff, do hereby
declare the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same
is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and
by the following statement thereof, that is to say :-
This Invention has for its object improvements in the production by
means of photography of printing surfaces adapted to lithography,
typography, and chromotype. By application to lithography is to be
understood the transfer of the drawing from the copper plate to the
stone.
The improved method is based on the property, as yet practically
unapplied, of gelatine when prepared in a certain way not swelling from
moisture in those parts in which it has been acted on by light, and not
melting when any hot liquid substances are poured on it, such as tallow,
compounds of gutta percha with wax, or any other substances capable
of serving, whether directly or indirectly, the purpose of a matrix for
obtaining a copper galvano-plastic plate. The method includes (a.) an
application to litho and typography, (b.) an application to chromotype,
and (c.) to printing from nature by means of gelatinous ink.

page_text: The first part of the method consists of the following ten operations:-
1, covering plate glass with a layer of gelatine. 2, drying the gelatine
layer. 3, preparing the gelatine layer, i.e., making it sensitive to light
and incapable of dissolving when the gutta percha is poured on it. 4,
exposing it to the light under a photographic negative or positive taken
from an original made with pen or pencil in those cases when the
drawing is to be on a reduced scale. When however the drawing is to:
be of the same dimensions as the original 1 employ the original itself, if
on thin paper. 5, revealing the drawing by means of a moist surface
(glue or gelatine). 6, impressing the drawing on gutta percha. 7,
increasing the relief of the gutta percha plate by hand. 8, obtaining the
copper matrix. Operations 7 and 8 are omitted in those cases when in
order to obtain the printing surface I make use of the photographic
positive or of the original executed on thin paper. 9, obtaining the
copper plate or printing surface in relief (cliché). 10, increasing the
relief of the copper plate or the cliché by corroding the ground.
The method as applied to chromotype consists of the following
operations:-1, obtaining an outline plate in relief (cliché) from an
outline original; 2, printing on paper from the outline cliché by means
of a blue or other non-photogenic color; 3, preparing the originals for
the simple color contained in the drawing; and, 4, preparing according
to the above described method clichés for printing the simple colors
separately.
THE METHOD AS APPLIED TO LITHOGRAPHY AND TYPOGRAPHY.
1. The Gelatine Layer.-I take 1 part of the best gelatine and wet it in
10-15 parts of water of the usual temperature, and at the expiration of a
quarter of an hour I warm the water to 70° R. When the gelatine has
cooled sufficiently. I add strong liquid ammonia, and cool it to a tem-
perature of 30° R., and then pour a thin layer of gelatine on glass laid
horizontally. The use of ammonia is indispensable in order to avoid a
film when the drying of the glasses is produced very slowly, and also for
the more convenient pouring of the gelatine on the glass.
2. The drying of the gelatine layer is performed in a dry air at the
usual temperature, and is effected in one night.
3. Preparing the Gelatine.-In order to render the gelatine sensitive
to light, and to make it incapable of melting when hot gutta percha is
poured on it, I wash the gelatine layer in a solution consisting of one part
of bichromate of potass or ammonia, 3 parts of alum, and all this is

page_text: dissolved in sufficient quantity of water. Previous to use the entire
compound is diluted with 20 or 10 parts of water, and the gelatine layer
is wetted during 1 or 2 minutes.
4. Exposing it to the Light. The gelatine layer prepared in the above
way is slowly dried in a dark room, and then in order to obtain a
printing surface is exposed to the light under the original made on thin
white paper, or under the photographic positive or negative, the use of
the positive or the negative being dependent upon the circumstance
that in order to obtain a copper plate the light must act on the drawing
itself, and in order to obtain a cliché on the ground of the drawing.
Care must be observed that there should be no dust between the gelatine
and collodion layers, and after both the glasses have been placed in the
printing frame and subjected to firm and equal pressure they are exposed
to the light from 1 to 25 minutes, according to the strength of the light
and the quality of the photographic glass.
5. Revealing the Drawing.-Those portions of the prepared gelatine
which have been exposed to the action of light lose their capability of
swelling from moisture, while the remaining portions preserve that
capability. Therefore by dipping the glass with the gelatine layer in
water it is possible to reveal the drawing, but by such means it is
impossible to obtain anything fit for use, as the gelatine swells more
in those parts where the drops of water adhere than in other places.
This difficulty is completely obviated by pouring on the prepared layer
of gelatine a thick layer of glue or gelatine simply dissolved in hot
water and cooled to a temperature of 33° R., taking 1 ounce of gelatine
to four ounces of water. When the gelatine tlius poured on has cooled
it can be easily taken off the prepared layer, when an excellent drawing
is obtained, either in relief or hollowed out according to which portion
of the gelatine has swelled, i.e., the one corresponding to the ground or
to the drawing. Independently of this action the moist surface imbibes
the bichromate of potass in the parts not acted on by light, so that after
the drawing has appeared the glass may be kept in the light and
whenever a moist layer is poured on it the drawing will be revealed,
or in other words the glass may serve several times for obtaining the
gutta percha.
6. Impressing or Transferring the Drawing on Gutta Percha. As soon
as the moist surface is removed the following compound is to be poured
on the glass, viz, 4 parts of wax, 1 part gutta percha, and one or three

page_text: wine glasses of oil. This is the most important point in the method.
No one engaged in gelatine methods has been able to render the gelatine
at the same time capable of swelling and incapable of melting from hot
substances (and to make immediate use of the relief of the gelatine layer
is impossible as it quickly disappears entirely). This is why no one has
practically availed himself of the non-swelling of gelatine but only of its
indissolubility in water after the action of light.
7. Increasing the Relief of the Gutta Percha Plate.-The relief
obtained on the gutta percha is not sufficient to admit of its being
applied to the printing press and to chromotype purposes, I therefore
first hollow out by hand those portions in the gutta percha which
correspond to the large white spaces in the drawing.
8. Obtaining the Copper Matrix.-I then carefully cover the gutta
percha with blacklead and plunge it into a copper bath to obtain the
copper matrix, and when the 7 and 8 operations are omitted I obtain
not a matrix but directly a copper plate or a cliché.
9. Obtaining Copper Plates and Clichés. After haying covered, the
copper matrix with turpentine and allowing it to evaporate I slightly
cover the copper matrix with black lead and again plunge it into the
bath in order to obtain the copper plate or the cliché. When the copper
has become deposited in a sufficiently thick layer I detach the plate from
the matrix. In this state the cliché is still unadapted to typography,
it being necessary, somewhat to raise the relief.
10. Increasing the Relief by Corrosion. For this purpose the entire
plate is covered with asphalte varnish, or any other varnish non-con-
ductible to electricity; I then clean the varnish with charcoal from the
raised drawing, leaving it on the ground. The drawing is then gilt,
silvered, or is covered with other suitable substance, the varnish is
washed off with benzine or some other suitable, substance, and the
copper ground is corroded with the aid of the galvanism, nitric acid, or
any other acid which does not act on the layer preserving the drawing.
The cliché is then mounted in the usual way.
THE METHOD AS APPLIED TO CHROMOTYPE.
1. From a colored original an outline drawing is prepared, and from it
by the above-described method an outline cliché is made.
2. From this outline cliché an impression is taken on paper in blue or
other non-photogenic color,

page_text: 3. On each such impression the portions corresponding to one of the
several simple colors of the original are covered with indian ink, and
thus originals are obtained consisting of spots.
4. From which clichés are made separately for each simple color.
I consider it necessary to add that the above-described method is quite
original although other gelatine methods are in existance.
In the process a. the operations marked Nos. 1, 3, 5, 7, 10, and the
entire method of chromotype have nothing similar in existing methods.
If the substances entering into the solution in process No. 3 be taken
in not suitable proportions, if the drawing be not revealed in the way
described in No. 5, if the drawing be received on any other material
but grease and gutta percha as in No. 6, then the entire process not only
loses its adaptability to typography but becomes perfectly useless for
practical purposes.
THE METHOD ADAPTED TO PRINTING FROM NATURE BY MEANS OF
GELATINOUS INK.
A photographic negative is taken from nature or from a painted
original, and then according to the above-described process a metal
plate is prepared in which there will be concave. spaces corresponding
to the shades of the original, which concave spaces will be deeper the
stronger the shades are. The metal plate is covered with a thin layer of
benzine or collodion, and when it is dry gelatinous ink is poured on it.
The paper is then placed on the plate and they are subjected to equal and
strong pressure in order to squeeze the ink out of the elevated portions.
When the ink is quite dry the plate is taken out of the press, and on
the paper will be found an image resembling a photograph. For
durability it is well to add to the gelatinous ink a small quantity of
alum.
In witness whereof, I, the said Alexander Argamakoff, have
hereunto set my hand and seal, this Thirteenth day of January,
in the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-
nine.
CAPITAINE D'ARTILLERIE 'ARGAMAKOFF. (L.S.)