Lithographic Transfer Papers

Essential Features—Varnish Transfer Paper—Damp-stone Transfer Paper—French Transparent Transfer Paper—Copperplate Transfer Paper—An Alternative Recipe—Granulated Papers—Photo-litho Transfer Paper.

Transfer papers are even more used than the transfer compositions already described, and in greater variety, in consequence of which there is a wide difference of opinion concerning their merits.

To a certain extent the specific value of any transfer paper must depend upon local conditions. That which might be of the utmost value to one printer would in all probability fail to meet the requirements of another. With these also, as with the transfer inks, the main point is to grasp the general principles involved. Adhering to these principles enables any intelligent workman to adapt the transfers to his own peculiar necessity. It is most important that lithographic transfer paper should be absolutely impervious to the transfer composition or ink, so that an impression of full strength can be conveyed to the stone, leaving its greasy properties unimpaired. The paper therefore must undergo special preparation, and here again the character of the work and the conditions under which it is carried out are the chief controlling elements. So much is this the case that many lithographic printers prefer to make their own transfer paper, and find such a procedure eminently satisfactory.

A good bank post double foolscap paper, about 26 lb., first thinly coated with a solution of concentrated size and afterwards varnished with a heavy coach body varnish, gives excellent results. When transferring large work in which a number of printings are involved, and where accuracy of register is a sine quâ non, the following mixture may, if desired, be substituted for the coach body varnish:—

Best oak varnish	1 quart.
Turpentine	½ pint.
Boiled linseed oil	½ pint.

Paper thus prepared rarely stretches or becomes distorted to any appreciable extent, and can be used with equally good results on either cold or warm stones.

Its keeping qualities are, however, limited; it is therefore advisable to utilise the transfer impressions with as little delay as possible.

This may be criticised as a somewhat primitive and old-fashioned transfer paper; but of the many transfer papers now in use, none can claim to be exactly new.

Another stone-to-stone transfer paper of the simplest possible character can be made by coating a good writing paper with the following composition. Soak 3 oz. of glue in 6 oz. of water for about 8 hours. Reduce 1 lb. of starch to a thick, creamy paste by rubbing it down in a little cold water and then adding boiling water until the required consistency is obtained. Mix the starch and glue together, and add a little gamboge or cochineal as colouring matter, so as to enable the printer to see at a glance which is the coated side of the paper. Spread this composition on the paper while it is still warm.

A transparent transfer paper with a soluble coating is frequently desirable, and for certain purposes may be strongly recommended. A French transfer paper meets such a requirement, and at the same time possesses many other excellent qualities. It picks up a firm, clean impression, and transfers every particle of it to the stone. It is also transparent, and sufficiently adhesive to stick to a very slightly damped stone under a light pressure.

A transfer paper which may be used as a base upon which to write or draw a design for subsequent transference to stone, as well as for stone-to-stone transferring, should be coated with a composition of a gelatinous character, which will not be readily soluble in water. Writing transfer ink is of course dissolved in water, and its effect on a soft, soluble composition would be disastrous.

The following formula is suggestive as well as practical:—

Gelatine	4 oz.
Isinglass	6 oz.
Flake white	3 lb.
Gamboge	2 oz.

Make a strong size of the above by boiling the gelatine and isinglass with a little water. Mix the gamboge and flake white with a little warm water, and add the mixture to the gelatine solution. This composition must be applied to the paper while still quite warm, as it forms into a comparatively stiff jelly while cooling. This paper should be transferred to warm stones.

Copperplate transfer paper is to some extent a development of the variety just described; that is, if the conditions under which such transfers are made will bear comparison with operations of an essentially different character.

The composition used for coating copperplate transfer paper must possess a somewhat heavy body, and for this reason plaster of paris enters into its composition, which is as follows:—

Plaster of paris	2 lb.
Flake white	1 lb.
Flour	2 lb.
Fish glue	¼ lb.
Alum	1 oz.

Soak the alum and glue from 8 to 10 hours, and then boil them until they are dissolved. Make the flour into a smooth paste by the addition of a little water, and mix it with the flake white. Mix the plaster of paris with water, and stir continuously until it becomes incapable of setting. Add the other ingredients, already mixed, and see that they become thoroughly incorporated with the plaster of paris, after which coat the paper twice with the mixture.

The following may be substituted for the above:—

Plaster of paris	2 lb.
Flour	2 lb.
Gelatine	4 oz.

A transfer paper with its surface granulated to represent a mechanical stipple, or the texture of a grained stone, may be prepared in the following manner. Take of:—

Starch	9 oz.
Parchment chippings	12 oz.
Flake white	14 oz.

Prepare the starch as previously described, and dissolve the isinglass by boiling. Mix the flake white into a thin paste by the addition of water. Warm the three ingredients, and mix the whole thoroughly. Coat a fairly heavy printing paper twice with this composition, and when it is thoroughly dry give it the required granulation by means of grained stones or engraved plates. The grain thus imparted breaks up the drawing into a series of minute dots. Paper of this description is most suitable for pencil or crayon work. Its usefulness is obvious. It enables the artist to use his chalks in the usual manner, without the inconvenience of handling large stones. No graining of the stone is necessary, and the grained effect can be confined to any portion of the design.

Photo-litho transfer paper is in every respect a specific article, the coating of which consists of a gelatinous emulsion, which can be readily sensitised, and upon which a photographic image can be developed. Special preparation and manipulation are therefore necessary in connection with its production, and these points will be fully dealt with in a subsequent chapter.

One more variety of transfer paper should be mentioned, namely, the diaphanic, which possesses excellent qualities for certain classes of work. It is very transparent, and extremely useful in the tracing of key formes, or for making facsimile drawings for immediate transference to stone.