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. |