PLAN No. 955. PHOTO ENGRAVING AND THREE-COLOR WORK
Photo-engraving in halftone, line, and three-color work seems bound to take its place along with its great ally, the art of printing. All sorts of texts are being more profusely illustrated, and the demand for good photo-engravers keeps pace with the demand for good printers. The following subjects may be listed as indicating specialty branches in this field, each of which provides subject matter for a systematic course of training.
Subjects Taught
Line operating.—Making the negative without the use of the screen for a literally exact reproduction of pen and ink work, etc.
Line printing.—Printing the line negative onto the coated metal.
Line etching.—Corroding the metal with etching solutions after it has been printed upon, thereby producing a printing surface.
Halftone operating.—The process of making screen negatives ready in every respect for the printer.
Halftone printing.—Printing of the stipple negative on the coated zinc or copper plate.
Halftone etching.—Etching the metal plate with the different solutions to produce a relief printing surface that will take the ink in the proper relations.
Finishing.—Working with tools upon the etched metal plates to improve them in various ways, remove defects, etc.
Routing.—Removing with the routing machines undesirable surface from the etched metal plates.
Blocking.—Mounting the metal and making it ready for the hands of the printer.
Proofing.—Inking the finished cut and printing on paper duly prepared.
Three-color work.—Making of color separation negatives color plates, selection of inks, order of printing, etc.
In photo-engraving, and three-color work, one may be an all around workman or a specialist. In shop practice one is usually employed at a single operation, and being highly skilled in that, one obtains correspondingly high remuneration.
Employment in these several occupations may be had in commercial workshops, studios, engraving plants, newspaper plants, printing establishments, manufacturing establishments, homes, colleges, or in the open, and employment is not restricted to any one locality, but may be secured in the small town as well as in the great city. The practice of these arts is in fact very widespread. All tools are provided by the employer, and but little capital is needed to become established in a paying profession. A camera and lens and a halftone screen are the principal essentials.
Why Training is Necessary
The photographer or photo-engraver who has “picked up” his profession in the ordinary manner will generally do his work but indifferently, and in consequence his success also will be only indifferent. He may have learned to do things simply by rule of thumb. To become an expert workman he must study and practice under competent instructors, and must follow some systematic course of training under such instruction. In a short time he may expect to become fitted to enter into his life work 100 per cent proficient, and he may expect to secure a good position immediately upon completion of his course. One can hardly expect to receive explicit and accurate instruction while working as an apprentice in busy shop or studio, and moreover, one rarely finds a worker that can even, if he has leisure, impart his knowledge to others as effectively as can the professional teacher. The practice in large institutions and organizations generally now is to require some systematic training as a qualification for employment.
After training one is enabled to take a paying position or to enter into business for oneself. The opportunities are good and the field is large for really good workmen. The hours are not long, and the work is not confining. The pay is better than in many other trades or professions and employment is fairly constant, as there is really no well-defined slack period.