Now examine the print, and if it is flat and dirty, the skin has not been soaked sufficiently before inking up, so remove the ink left by the paper by washing it over with a rag soaked in turpentine, then wash with a wet sponge, blot off the surplus and with the sponge again put a pool of water over the image, and allow it to soak for about five minutes; again wipe it off with a sponge, smash down and ink up again.
If the image is black and white without half-tones, the fault may lie in the negative, which perhaps is too hard; or if that is all right, then the skin has not been sufficiently exposed in the printing frame, in which case it may be at once thrown away, as no amount of coaxing will make it yield a good print. Or it may be that the skin is too damp, in which case rub it gently with the water sponge, on which a few drops of alcohol have been sprinkled; then blot off, ink up again, and pull another proof. {162}
If the back of the skin is “sunned” too much, the print will suffer by being dirty and flat, and will require sponging over with a little of the ten per cent. mixture of ammonia in water; then blot off, and again ink up; take care and keep the ammonia sponges away from the other sponges.
If the deep shadows show a white margin and are difficult to ink up, the skin has been exposed under the negative for too long a time; and if “smashing” down does not remedy the defect, the only chance of saving it will be to allow the skin to get thoroughly dry, and then (say the next day) to soak it up again for an hour.
Spots on the margin of the print may be removed by carefully painting them over with a camel’s-hair brush charged with dilute cyanide of potassium, carefully washing afterward to prevent spreading.
Each time the image is inked up, the mask must be laid back, so as not to interfere with the roller; then after inking up, it is again laid in position, so as to protect the margin of the paper upon which the print is made.
It must be borne in mind that the first print from the skin will not be the best it is capable of giving, therefore, before any of the above-named dodges are resorted to, the image should be inked up and proofs pulled four or five times; as a generul rule perfection will not be attained until about ten or twelve prints are made, using each time a good paper, as a soft spongy one will not pick up the ink on the skin.
Of course, a plain black ink will not suit every class of subject, therefore, when the operator requires a different tint or color, it must be made by a judicious blending of stiff ink of the proper colors mixed with lard as given above. When a distinct change of color is required, it is not a good plan to wash No. 1 roller, but have a separate No. 1 roller for each color. No. 2 roller may be washed for such a purpose.
If it is desired to print two tints, the darkest tint is applied with the No. 1 roller, the lightest with the No. 2 roller.