It can easily be understood that the larger number of colours used, the more costly this process is. Students often wonder why designs are sometimes not accepted by firms who use this process. Very often one of the most important reasons is that too many colours are employed. If a design is shown that can be produced with a striking effect with two or three printings only, it will certainly be considered before one requiring ten or twelve.
Lithography is used for the greater bulk of commercial work, such as posters, labels, Christmas cards, etc.
The great thing to remember when doing work for reproduction by chromo-lithography is to get a good effect with as few colours as possible. There is no need in this case to make the drawing more vigorous than is required, as the lithographer will endeavour to get exactly the same effect as in the original.
The student who is ignorant as to the different methods of reproduction employed should at any rate, after paying a little attention to the descriptions given, avoid making designs that are almost impossible to reproduce satisfactorily. The object of this chapter is not to teach the student how to reproduce his drawings by means of the processes described. The only reasons for dealing with the subject are to enable him to produce workable designs, and at the same time to give him an added interest in his work by an elementary knowledge of the methods of reproduction.
Designs for Christmas Cards.
By kind permission of
Messrs. Raphael Tuck & Sons, Ltd.