For drawing in general or the use of effects in drawing it should be noted that with all these papers the drawing may be somewhat overdone, and this is necessary in order to obtain the corresponding vigorous action in the reproduction. The printing ink is, as a rule, never such a deep black as the drawing ink, nor is the paper which is used for printing ever so white as the lines of the toned paper. The contrasts would, therefore, in printing become too {27} little, and flat unsatisfactory pictures would be obtained. With these drawings, therefore, the two opposites, “black and white,” may be used to the extreme, even if the drawing is not satisfactory to the artistic eye.
For making the drawing red paper ought not to be used, as when photographed red appears dark. Then blue proof paper, or paper rubbed with lead pencil, should be used.
A drawing for photographic reproduction ought never to be rolled, and still less be folded; if it is to be sent away it should be packed flat.
(D.) REPRODUCTION OF PRINTS.
It is frequently required to make photo-lithographs of old prints. As already mentioned in the introduction, we distinguish three different methods of printing, of which the two first, typography and lithography, are confined to the rendering of well-defined lines or points, whilst copper-plate printing can to a certain extent reproduce lines and tones. As regards the reproduction of the first two, so far as their fundamental character goes, no insuperable difficulties present themselves, when they correspond at least to the general requirements of a drawing. Since a reproduction, with exceptions, can never be better—obviously without very complicated retouching—but always somewhat inferior to the original, the appearance of the original will always be some guide as to the quality of the reproduction that can be produced.
If, however, prints are prepared specially for this purpose, the following points should be observed:—
1. For printing a matt surface a so-called pure white chromo paper should be used.
2. The ink should be black and of good body, the impression clean and sharp, every line exact and not in the least fuzzy.
The expert lithographer will easily prepare his impression. Assuming that he has a good original stone, he will more easily make good and correct prints from the engraving from the chalk, pen or other drawing than the typographer. The latter has to give his impressions the correct finish by means of overlays, without the correct making and use of which no good picture, whether it be characters or a drawing, can be obtained actually on a typographic press. The reader is referred to my article in Professor Eder’s “Jahrbuch für Photographie und Reproductionsverfahren” for 1891, where I have treated of this at length. Prints produced by the third method, copper-plate printing, give far greater difficulties to the photo-mechanical worker. Every pull from the engraved plate—etching scraper drawing and photogravure excepted—possesses a tone on its surface, which is, moreover, very unequal, and although increasing its artistic qualities, offers, however, considerable difficulties for reproduction. This can {28} only be avoided by very troublesome retouching, which is frequently prejudicial to the beauty of the picture.
If pulls are specially prepared for reproduction the copper-plate printer must very carefully polish his plate and print without a tone, but still this must not be done so that the plate is too strongly polished that the depths lose their vigour; this would give an absolutely incorrect picture as regards gradation of tone.