For blue, Turnbull's blue is employed; for yellow, light chrome yellow; for red, carmine dissolved in aqueous ammonia, evaporating, then adding water, etc. (See further on.)
To prepare the mixture, dissolve the sugar and soap in the cold water, add the gelatine, let it soak for an hour, then dissolve it in a water bath and mix by small quantity the colors finely ground together and wetted to the consistency of a paste. After filtering through flannel the mixture is ready for use.
For coating, the method devised by Mr. Alf. Harman has been found excellent in the hands of the writer, not only for the purpose in question, but also for coating paper with gelatinous or viscous (gum arabic) preparations.
“Take two tin dishes, such as used for the development of the carbon prints; arrange one on your bench tilted to an angle; the lower angle is intended to receive the warm water for keeping the gelatine mixture to a proper temperature. Into this angle of the tray arrange another tray somewhat smaller, and keep it from touching the bottom of the outer one by the insertion of any small article that will suggest itself. Into the inner tray the gelatine mixture is to be poured.”
“The actual making of the tissue can now be proceeded with, and is so simple and certain as not to be believed until put to the test. Purchase a roll of paper-hanger's lining paper of good quality, cut it into widths of about one and a half inch less than the width of your inner tray, and in length of, say, thirty inches. For the success of the operation it is necessary that the paper be rolled up the narrow way. Now having just sufficient water at a temperature of 100 deg. Fahr. (38 deg. C.) into the outer tray, pour the gelatine mixture into the inner one, and take one of the lengths of rolled paper, and, holding it by both ends, gently lower it on the surface of the gelatine; then at once slowly raise the end of the paper, which will unroll itself and become beautifully coated in far less time than it takes to describe. Twenty sheets may be coated in a quarter of an hour, and be equal in all respects to that made by the most expensive machine.”
In the description of this method of coating, Mr. Harman does not explain how the gelatine should be allowed to set before hanging up the paper to dry, which is, however, obviously important. It is as follows: Place on the tray a smooth board a little larger than the sheet of paper, leaving a small space at [pg 88] the end furthest from the body, and slowly, without a stop, draw off the paper, prepared side uppermost, on the board upon which it should remain until the gelatine is set. If the paper curls up, wet the back a little with a sponge before coating.
The following coating method, due to Mr. Chardon, is excellent for sheets of paper of the ordinary photographic size, 18×22 inches.
On a glass plate placed on a leveled stand, is laid a sheet of paper previously wetted, which is then flattened into contact with an India rubber squeegee, taking care to remove the air bubbles interposed. The quantity of gelatine necessary to coat the paper is regulated by means of a glass rod held by an iron lath, which serves to handle it; at each end of the rod is inserted a piece of an India rubber tube whose thickness regulates that of the gelatine layer. The mixture is poured from a small teapot, at the opening of which has been adapted a bent glass tube about three-sixteenths of an inch in diameter, between the rod and the lath, so that by a simultaneous motion, one can equalize the gelatine as it is poured on. When the gelatine is set the paper is hung up to dry. In drying, the gelatine contracts, and, necessarily, causes a deformation of the tissue, which curls up at the edges and loses its planimetry. To prevent this, while the gelatine is almost dry, the tissue is placed under pressure until quite desiccated. Dumoulin advises to apply on the film, while still soft and tacky, a wooden frame, which, by adhering to it. keeps the tissue perfectly plane as it dries.
Sensitizing.—The tissue is sensitized in a bath of potassium bichromate. The degree of concentration of the bath, which varies from 2 to 5 per cent. of water, is important. The [pg 89] tissue sensitized in a weak bath is less rapidly acted on by light and yields more contrasts than when imbued in a concentrated one. The former should consequently be employed for printing weak negatives, and the latter for those which are intense. A bath compounded with 30 parts of potassium bichromate, 1,000 parts of water and 2 parts of aqueous ammonia, is used for printing negatives of the ordinary intensity, the tissue being, then practically of the same sensitiveness, a silvered paper insolated to obtain a print not over-exposed. For intense negatives the ammonia should be discarded and replaced by the same quantity of chromic acid.