TEST-PIECES.
To make good blueprints, being guided only by the appearance of the exposed edge of sensitized paper, requires considerable experience. Very often, especially on a cloudy day, the edge looks just about right, but when taken out of the frame and given a rinsing, it is only to find that the print looks pale because it should have been allowed to remain exposed for a longer period.
Now simply take a small test-piece of the same paper (say about 4 inches square) and a piece of tracing cloth with several lines on its surface and lay these small pieces out at the same time the real print is being exposed, and cover these samples with a piece of glass about 4 inches square. As a general rule, we can find a place on top of the frame for the testing-piece, and by having a small dish of water at hand for testing the print by tearing off a small bit and washing same to note its appearance, the novice can get just as good results as the experienced hand without danger of failure.