Year: 1869

CESS


To many who admire the all but per-
feet chromos now exhibited by our lead
ing publishers, the process by which
they are produced is still mystery.
For the benefit of these we shall describe
it as intelligently as we can IN the
limitad space permitted US.


The inventor of lithography was a
German. named Senefelder, and to whom,
also. we owe the first effort at chrOmo-
lithograph, OF, as he called it, Mosa
printing. This was seventy years ago.
The pictures of to-day are the result OF
steady labor in the improvement OF the
art since then. For the better under
standing of the more elaborate process
of to-day, it will be necessary to explain
the simple one cut of which, in the
course of years, it has gradually grown.


The stone uDon which the drawings
we're made, fifty years ago, is the same
now used. 1t is a species of limestone
found, but in finest grain, we believe, IN
Bavaria. 1t is capable of a very line
polish, and is prepared for the litho-
grapher in slabs of various thicknesses,
according to the size, and the pressure
to which it is to be subjected. To pro-
duce ordinary photographic effects from
this stone, the writing or drawing Is
done upon it, or transferred to it, in a
certain preparation of ink which adheres
firmly to it on being treated chemically
nv the workmen. This done the stone
is whetted, but the writing or drawing
owing to its resinous character rejects
the moisture. The ordinary mixing
roller of the printer is then passed over
the stone. The wet portion Of the stone
refuses to receive the ink for which the
writing or drawing has ready affinity,
and is thus prepared as types are to be
transferred to paper in the ordinary
way.


For the chrome process, instead OF
ink. the drawing is made with a prepa-
ration of soap, which adheres to the
stone as the ink does, and repels the
water and receives the color IN like
manner. To produce some of our finest
chromos. sometimes as many as twenty
different stones are required-one for
each well-defned tint seen in the COM
pleted picture. The first stone prepared
/ is that on which is laid the faint ground
tint. in which there is but the faint re-
semblance of the picture that is to be-
! The next contains the shades Of another
color characteristic of the painting the
next the variations of another color, still
more prominent in the original, and sc
on until the highest effects of color are
secured. This preparation of the shades
upon the dikerent stones, and OF the
colors used - produce them, calls noi
only for the incest skill in all employed
at it, but also for a true sense of the
beautiful in art, on the part Of the super
intending workman. The stones, thus
prepared, are ready for the printing pro
cess. and this is one that calls TO
scarcely less skill and no less care. Th'
paper has to be seecially prepared fo
this work, and must be of the fines
quality. The stone which contains tn


delicate shadOwing of the picture-tha
| first refaSred to--is now put in the press
the rolief with this ground tint colo


passed over it, and a number of impres
sions taken. These have to be put ava.
carefully to dry before they can be pass
ed over the second stone, which will ad


vance them another stage and SO on


at each step, the picture approaching Il
! likeness to the original, of which 1t Is t


be a fac SiDiJe, as near as possible. A
it takes fully week to dry the sheet


after some of these printings, it can b


readily understood chat the process is


slow one, many months being frequentl


required in the printing of an importar


picture. One of the incest difficulties
! perhaps, in a process which is dificu


throughout, is the proper adjustment


the unfinished picture on each successiy
stone, as the slightest deviation from II
precise position would, of course, ml'
. place the shade of eoloI then being lal'
. and SO ruin the effect A further pro-
, of the delicacy of Handling, skill an
! artistic knowledge required to develop
good chrome will be recognized by IL
2 careful examination of one. 1t will
f seen that many of the most delicate tin
Y are produced by the passing of one coli
:. over another, in this way producing ofte
& hundred distinct shades Of color in
A single picture. Blues passing over ye
+ lows, give US many tinted green's; blu
d over reds, purples; reg over black
e browns; over yellows, orange, and
n on dd iafajtUm.