“Process blocks,” which reproduce so admirably all kinds of drawings and engravings, are, when carefully printed, sometimes very difficult to detect from direct lithographs.
Ulster King of Arms.
Pen and Ink Drawing by Rev. Wm. FitzGerald,
reproduced by process block. Much reduced.
PROCESS BLOCKS.
LINE WORK.
There are quite a number of processes that have been brought into use with more or less success, as Graphotype, Dallas-type, etc., to which it is not necessary to refer, as for all practical purposes Zinc Etching holds the field against all others, either for Half-tone Blocks, or for Line-Blocks of every kind, of which last a number of examples are here given, with an explanatory title to each specimen.
For work of the very finest kind, the Photogravure or Heliogravure, printed by the copper-plate press, bears the palm, but it has the disadvantage of being very expensive. Those desirous of knowing more fully concerning the various processes in use may be referred to a very excellent volume in the “Book Lovers’ Library”—“Modern Methods of Illustrating Books,” by H. Trueman Wood, M.A., Secretary to the Society of Arts, and published by Elliot Stock.