INVENTION OF LAYING ON OR IMPRINTING GROUNDS OR COATS OF COMPOSITION OR PAINTING UPON SATTIN, SILK, COTTON, LINEN, VELVETS, LEATHER, OR ANY KIND OF CLOTH, STUFF, OR PAPER FOR THE RECEIVING IMPRESSIONS OF ENGRAVED COPPER PLATES IN ALL SORTS OF COLOURS AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES
Year: 1792

page_text: TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, ANTHONY
GEORGE ECKHARDT, of the Parish of Saint Luke, Chelsea, in the County of
Middlesex, Manufacturer, send greeting.
WHEREAS His present Majesty, in and by His certain Letters Patent"
under the Great Seal of Great Britain, bearing date at Westminster, the
Sixteenth day of January, in the thirty-second year of His reign, did, of His
especial grace, certain knowledge, and mere motion, for Himself, His heirs and
successors, give and grant unto me, the said Anthony George Eckhardt, my exors,
adiňors, and assigns, especial license, full power, sole privilege and authority,
that I, the said Anthony George Eckhardt, my exors, admors, and assigns, and
every of them, by myself and themselves, or by my and their deputy or deputies,
servants or agents, or such others as I, the said Anthony George Eckhardt,
my exors, admors, or assigns, should at any time agree with, and no others,
from time to time and at all times hereafter during the term of years therein
expressed, should and lawfully might make, use, exercise, and vend my
"INVENTION OF LAYING ON OR IMPRINTING GROUNDS OR COATS OF COMPOSITION OR
PAINTING UPON SATTIN, SILK, COTTON, LINEN, VELVETS, LEATHER, OR ANY KIND
OF CLOTH, STUFF, OR PAPER FOR THE RECEIVING IMPRESSIONS OF ENGRAVED COPPER
PLATES IN ALL SORTS OF COLOURS AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES," within that part of the
Kingdom of Great Britain called England, the Dominion of Wales, and Town
of Berwick-upon-Tweed, in such manner as to me, the said Anthony George
Eckhardt, my exors, adñors, and assigns, or any of them, should seem meet,
and that I, the said Anthony George Eckhardt, my exors, adñiors, and assign,
should and lawfully might have and enjoy the whole profit, benefit, commodity,
and advantage from time to time coming, growing, accruing, and arising by
reason of the said Invention, for and during the term of years therein men-

page_text: tioned, to hold, exercise, and enjoy the said license, powers, privileges, and
advantages therein-before granted or mentioned to be granted unto me, the said
Anthony George Eckhardt, my exors, admors, and assigns, for and during and
unto the full end and term of fourteen years from the date of the said Letters
Patent next and immediately ensuing, and fully to be compleat and ended,
according to the Statute in such case made and provided; in which said Letters
Patent is contained a proviso that the same should be void unless I, the said
Anthony George Eckhardt, should particularly describe and ascertain the nature
of the said Invention, and in what manner the same was to be performed, by
an instrument in writing under my hand and seal, and cause the same to be
inrolled in the High Court of Chancery within one calendar month next and
immediately after the date of the said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Anthony George Eckhardt, in pursuance
of the said proviso in the said Letters Patent, do hereby describe and ascertain
the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be
performed, as follows (that is to say) :-
These grounds or coats are made of two sorts (viz¹):-The first, being for
the reception of plain or ordinary prints or ornaments, is prepared by laying
on the finest and thinnest sattin or silk, linen, cloth, or other suitable thing,
or thin coat of the composition No. 1 herein-after mentioned with a colour
knife. When the composition is dry, it must be painted over with a brush
very thin in oil or any other colour desired. The sattin or other suitable
thing, being thus prepared, will then receive the copperplate impression
intended to be made by the use of a common rolling copper printing press.
The second, being for receiving impressions of superior or best prints, is to be
done in the following manner :-First, take off by means of transparent paper,
or by any other means more convenient, the size and shape of the copperplate
print, painting, or drawing intended to be printed upon the ground; then
provide a well-burnished copperplate, of larger dimensions than the subject
intended to be produced. Trace upon this plate the outline of the print,
drawing, or painting with a dry needle or tool; then work down the surface
of the plate within the lines all over perfectly smooth and even, of a sufficiently
depth to hold the necessary body of colour, with tools called rollers or cham-
pignions, used by French engravers, or by any other tools used in the mezzo-
tinto or dotting way of engraving, which work must afterwards be scraped
gently all over, to make it perfectly even, with an instrument called by
engravers a scraper. The plate, thus prepared, is then ready to receive the
colour or composition No. 2, which is to be done in the following manner :-
Fill the plate with the colour or composition; then wipe it in the manner
used by copperplate printers, and take off the impression with a good rolling

page_text: printing press. If the impression is not perfect at first, the plate must be
again filled, and put a second time through the press. In this last method of
printing grounds, two sorts of coats or grounds may be used. If the pattern,
print, drawing, or painting is of an arabesk or any other order wherein you
are desirous of shewing through apertures the silk, sattin, or thing to be
printed upon, the engraving upon the ground plate must in such cases be
confined to those parts which are intended to shew the pattern only.
Preparation of the composition No. 1.-Take three fourth parts of fine
starch, and boil it in water to the consistency commonly used by paper
stainers; then add, while it is hot, one fourth of bees' or virgin wax (ready
melted) gradually by small degrees, stirring the starch during the process;
when cold it is fit for use.
Preparation of the composition No. 2.-This is composed of nut oil, burnt
like printing oil; in common work burnt linseed or ordinary printing oil will
do. Poppy oil or other oils or syrops may be substituted for nut oil. These
oils are to be mixed with such colours as are wanted.
In witness whereof, I, the said Anthony George Eckhardt, have here-
unto set my hand and seal, the Sixteenth day of February, in the
thirty-second year of the reign of our Sovereign Lord George the
Third, by the grace of God of Great Britain, France, and Ireland
King, Defender of the Faith, and so forth, and in the year of our
Lord One thousand seven hundred and ninety-two.
AND BE IT REMEMBERED, that on the Sixteenth day of February,
in the year of our Lord 1792, the aforesaid Anthony George Eckhardt came
before our said Lord the King in His Chancery, and acknowledged the
Specification aforesaid, and all and every thing therein contained and specified,
in form above written. And also the Specification aforesaid was stampt
according to the tenor of the Statutes made for that purpose.