A MOTION-PICTURE PRINTING MACHINE
A-A´—Rollers for negative film. B-B´—Rollers for positive film. C—Film gate where positive is held over negative for printing. D-D´—Negative film. E—Unexposed positive film. E´—Exposed, or printed positive film. F—Light which, shining through film gate, imprints image of negative on positive
The explanation of one printing machine will suffice to indicate the general principle. Some of the machines are worked by hand power, but in the larger reproduction studios electric power is used practically altogether for running the battery of printing machines.
The spool of negative film is slipped on to a spindle so that it can unwind easily, and immediately underneath it the roll of unexposed positive film, properly perforated along the edges in exactly the same way that the negative film is perforated, is suspended on a similar spindle. Of course the only light in the printing room is the photographer's ruby lamp.
The two films unwind and pass downward, with the sensitive surfaces to the inside, and the positive on the outside of the negative. They are drawn together, and with the positive stretched flatly over the negative they pass over a pair of smooth rollers and toothed sprockets which enter the perforations of the two films with mathematical accuracy. They then make a small loop and enter a side hinged gate which holds them tightly against the printing aperture. This aperture is a hole just the size and shape of each picture on the film, and through it shines a very bright light which casts its direct rays upon the negative and imprints the image of the negative film upon the sensitized surface of the positive film. After passing the printing aperture, the two films make another small loop, run down to another toothed sprocket wheel and roller, and then separate, the printed positive being rolled upon one spool and the negative upon its spool below.
The action of this machine is very similar to that of the motion-picture camera, for like the device for taking the photographs, the movement must be intermittent in order to obtain good results.
If the operator desires to see whether the two films are in exactly the right position and everything is going smoothly, he can, by the use of a lever in the printing gate, drop a little red screen between the light and the films, and by looking through the hole see through the unprinted positive, and the developed negative, to the light inside.
After a roll of positive has been printed, it is developed by just about the same process as is used in bringing out the images on the negative film. Then, after it is dried, the various scenes are joined together, titles and sub-titles put in, any final editing that is necesary is done, and the positive film is ready to be put on the projection machine for the first trial.
The preparation of the titles, sub-titles, and other explanatory writings that are thrown on the screen in the course of a cinematograph play is a comparatively simple matter. The words are written or printed out in large letters on cards and photographed by a camera with a slower movement than the ones used for recording moving figures. The positives are made from the negatives so taken, in the same way that positives of other films are made, and after development and drying are ready to be joined to the film in the proper places.