The want of knowledge of colors gave me the greatest trouble when I began their manufacture as I had no information as to why this or that color was unfit for marbling.
The numberless experiments I made to this end remained without results. It was an exceedingly great trial to my patience, but by the pertinacity with which I clung to my investigations, I, at last, succeeded in making the important discovery, that the real value of color for marbling purposes is its body and that the color itself, which is bound to the body either naturally or chemically, is of less importance. By this discovery every difficulty that I had so long experienced was cleared away and it was made manifest, why it had been impossible for the marbling art to become sufficiently popular.
From this time on I had a foundation, upon which to continue my investigations with greater surety. Finally I succeeded in finding that the colors named later on are good and useful marbling colors.
When we look over the different special branches of our trade, we find everywhere great progress, which is even noticeable in the smallest workshop. Already, these wonderful achievements have become common property, only the art of marbling stood still on account of insufficient instruction and it has not made any progress in the last decade. This was due to a large number of men in our trade using mechanical marblers to avoid those obstacles, which had hitherto offered themselves in marbling.
The expectations which were placed on the mechanical marblers were not fulfilled, because, after a short use, and when not carefully kept clean, they became sticky from dust and color mixing so that they gave but very indifferent productions. The necessity of continually cleaning these mechanical marblers and their lack of uniformity are by no means recommendable properties.
Mechanical marblers should be retired to small book-binderies for use upon single books, where they are eminently in the right place, driving away the primitive sprinkled or starched edges.
The interest which was shown in mechanical marblers is a proof that all members of our trade, who use them, possess a liking for the marbling art and would be zealous friends of the same, if they but knew of the methods of marbling, that would give beautiful results without great difficulty.
To judge rightly the value of a new invention, we have only to see, whether it is introduced into the wholesale trade and is in continual use. This is the best test of inventions and the only proper basis, upon which to judge them correctly. We find the mechanical marblers exclusively in the small shop, because they do not answer the demands of the wholesale manufacturer in any way.
What the marbling art is able to offer, a person can only judge, who has seen exemplary edges and to whom marbling is not a stranger. No kind of edge, to which color is applied, can be compared to the effective splendor of marbled edges. In thousands of variations it imitates nature and delights the eye by its products. Although marbling has hardly reached the middle rung of the ladder of its development, it to-day stands unrivalled.
It is clear, that such an art should be fostered and nursed, if it is to grow to its full development. But here the investigation of one man is insufficient, a general interest is demanded and I hope, that this will be aroused by my work. After this slight diversion I will now begin to treat my real subject, the preparation of colors, and for that purpose, I will divide the marbling art into three important parts: the size, the color and the technical application.