Bromoil printing and bromoil transfer

by Emil Mayer

It is thus possible in the bromoil process to produce very comprehensive changes with rubber, needle and ink, without destroying the character of the picture. With some experience this work is done so quickly and easily that it is not necessary to retouch the negative at all, even with portraits. The removal of imperfections in the complexion or the softening of too sharp features can be effected much more quickly and with more certainty as to the effect on the finished bromoil print than on the negative, especially as retouching on the negative shows up unpleasantly in enlarging.

The possibilities of after-treatment of a bromoil print are manifold. Thus, for instance, by means of the eraser very natural appearing clouds can be rubbed into the cloudless sky of a landscape not taken with an orthochromatic plate, if in inking the sky is properly darkened. In the background and subordinate planes of a portrait, a certain draughtsmanlike character can be attained by suitable delicate strokes with the rubber. Ugly lines of the hair or clothing which could not be suitably dealt with in the inking-up, can now be altered with a little skill. A dull landscape may be made more lively by picking out a few lights.

Finally, it may be mentioned that it is also possible to change the color of the paper base of the print, though this is best done before the application of the ink. Commercial bromide papers as a rule are only obtainable in white or yellowish tints. Another tone may be imparted to the paper, for instance reddish or bluish for certain effects; this is effected by swelling the bleached and fixed bromoil print in a dye solution which has been found suitable by preliminary trial with white paper. The paper fibers and the gelatine assume the desired color and the print after soaking is removed and worked up as usual; this staining may also be done with finished prints.

Refatting of the Print.—As already mentioned, the finished bromoil print shows on its surface places with different degrees of gloss, since the parts of the picture which took a good deal of ink, as for instance the shadows, are more shiny than the rest. In order to remove these sometimes unpleasant effects; the finished bromoil print can be immersed in a fat solvent, which completely removes the glossy medium from the ink film. After the evaporation of the solvent the bromoil print has a perfectly matt surface.

Frequently, however, this complete dullness of the surface does not please the worker, because, especially with soft ink prints, it causes a marked loss of brilliancy. It is thus necessary to choose between a brilliant surface with unequally glossy places, or a uniform matt surface. I have undertaken experiments to place in the hands of the bromoil printer a means of imparting to his prints any desired degree of gloss, after removal of the unpleasant uneven shininess. Attempts to obtain brilliancy by the use of ordinary varnishes failed. Whether the varnish was sprayed on or the print was immersed, there was always a certain damage to the surface, since the ink film, which lies rather loosely in the form of powder on the defatted soft ink prints, combined irregularly with the varnish and caused some trouble. I was finally successful with the following plan, which is a logical consequence of the nature of the bromoil print and the varnish inks used in making it.

Dissolve from 5 to 10 ccm of linseed oil varnish in 500 ccm of benzol (77 to 154 minims to 16 oz.). Then the defatted and perfectly flat print is completely immersed in this solution for one minute and hung up to dry. Perfect flatness of the print is necessary, otherwise troublesome markings are formed in drying, which, however, may be removed without difficulty by repeating the process. Irregularities may also be caused by supporting the print by the fingers on the back before hanging it up; the warmth of the fingers evaporates the solvent more quickly, so that spots are caused. The print should only be handled by the edges until it is dry.

After the evaporation of the solvent, the linseed oil varnish dissolved therein is very evenly distributed throughout the whole film of ink; this restores to the ink a part of its varnish which was removed in the defatting, but more evenly distributed, so that now the whole print shows a gloss, which is hardly noticeable, but which considerably increases the brilliancy. If this gloss is not sufficient, more varnish should be added to the bath; if it is too strong, more of the solvent is added. In this way any degree of gloss desired can be obtained. If it is too strong, it can be removed again with benzol. When the bromoil print is to be retouched it should be defatted before retouching and afterward treated as just described, so that the varnish bath may also act on the retouched places.

If no retouching is required, then the defatting can be effected in the varnish bath, which then effects a kind of equalization, since the shadows rich in varnish give up the medium, while the other parts of the picture take it up.

By the use of weak varnish baths for after treatment of defatted bromoil prints, surfaces of velvety appearance may be obtained.

Application of Ink to Dry Prints.—When the gelatine film has been swollen to the highest possible relief even the very soft inks take only with difficulty and in consequence frequently irregularly. Sometimes the formation of such places is unavoidable, especially when prints with very great contrasts have to be used. We are then forced to choose a relief which permits the inking of the darkest parts of the print. The warm water, or ammonia, bath requisite for this acts so strongly on the slightly tanned or untanned parts, that an excessive relief is obtained, and then the ink takes with difficulty or not at all. This most frequently happens with skies which are very dense in the negative.