Bromoil printing and bromoil transfer

by Emil Mayer

A small quantity of ink should be taken and distributed as thinly and evenly as possible on the palette. A thick layer is not convenient, as then the brush takes up too much ink and too much is deposited at a time on the bromoil print. The film of ink should show as smooth and uniform a surface as possible; thicker ridges should be avoided, because the brush is thus more strongly inked in spots and therefore transfers the ink unevenly to the print. The distributed ink should be perfectly homogeneous and flexible. A thin layer of ink sets to a skin on its surface after a short time and then cannot be used.

This setting also takes place in the body of the ink and becomes evident by the formation of a delicate skin or hard crumbly particles on the surface of the ink. These must always be removed; such hardened inks can only with difficulty be distributed on the palette. Finally it should be mentioned that hard inks may be slightly softened by warming.

The Support.—A stout glass plate or drawing board should be used as a support, and inclined at an angle of about 30 degrees by propping up at the top; a damp and elastic pad must be placed on the glass or board. This pad is not for the purpose of keeping the print damp during the working-up, as is usually stated; on the one hand this is superfluous in view of the possibility of repeated soaking, which is to be described later, and on the other hand it would not produce the desired result. It is erroneous to suppose that the water which passes from the damp support to the paper side can equalize the loss of water which the film suffers by evaporation from its surface. The pad should, therefore, only be so damp that the bromoil print adheres firmly to it, when under the brush. The pad should absorb and hold moisture; but this should not be imparted to the brush when it touches the pad in working-up the edges, otherwise water will be carried on to the print and cause spots. For this reason damp blotting paper or filter papers should be absolutely rejected for the pad. If such papers are used for the damp pad, the brush, which in working the edges must inevitably touch them, will not only take up water but also the paper fibers and, transferring them to the print, cause trouble. Moreover, sheets of paper in a damp state are difficult to lay smooth and are scarcely usable.

The best material for the pad is the copying sheets used for copying books, which consist of two layers of linen with an intermediate film of rubber. Such sheets have the advantage that when damp they always remain flat and smooth. A damp piece of linen, doubled and smoothed out, is also simple and certain. The pad must lie absolutely flat, because any ridges become most unpleasantly visible in inking-up, particularly with thin papers, as the brush always slips from the highest parts of the ridges and causes inequalities in the print.

Removal of the Water from the Surface of the Print.—After the prepared print is removed from the water and laid on the pad, the water adherent to its surface must be removed. This is best effected in the following way: Take a large, absorbent, lintless cloth, spread it smoothly over the print, and press it gently with the flat of the hand. By repeating this, the water is easily removed without endangering the film; whether the drying is complete can be judged by examining it obliquely. The freedom of the cloth, used for drying the print, from fluff and lint is of great importance. If the cloth gives up fibers to the surface of the print, these cannot be seen at first. In inking-up, innumerable minute dark spots and lines appear on the film, as the deposited fibers take the ink very strongly and thus suddenly become visible. It is frequently erroneously assumed that such troublesome defects come from the brush. This is seldom the case; on close examination these fibers will be seen to be particles of the textile material. When possible, linen that has been frequently washed should be used for the drying.

When the water is to be removed from a print that has already been inked and again soaked, care should be taken that the cloth is freed from any folds by damping and subsequent drying, for such folds can, when pressed on the print, damage the film of ink. Although this is not of material importance, as such faults can be easily evened out by hopping, yet these small precautions avoid unnecessary trouble. Sidewise or wiping movements of the cloth should be carefully avoided, especially if the print has already been inked, because the ink is unnecessarily smeared by the wiping. After removal of the cloth one should make sure by examining the print obliquely that the water has been completely removed from the surface.

It is advisable to keep several cloths ready for drying off the film, for this will have to be done fairly frequently during the work. Care should be taken to remove most carefully every trace of water; water which is picked up by the brush causes spots, for the drops of water in the brush keep the ink away from the points of contact. In such cases it will be seen that white spots make their appearance in different parts of the print, continuously shifting their position during the work. By perfect drying off, these phenomena, which are in any case not necessarily important as regards the final result, can be avoided. In drying off a print already inked-up, the cloth will as a rule remove some ink from the surface; such cloths should not be used again until they have been washed, because they may transfer ink to a place where it is not wanted.

The Brush Work.—The prepared print, lying flat on the pad, and with its surface freed from adherent water, should now be inked up.

Before beginning the application of the ink a little stiff ink, at least as large as the working surface of the brush, should be placed in a corner of the palette. This should be spread out flat, thin and free from ridges; then the knife should be wiped and a little soft ink spread in another place.