CHAPTER II

OF INK, CRAYON, ETCHING, AND COLOR

I

CHEMICAL INK

The first and most necessary material in a stone printery is the so-called chemical ink, which would better be named fatty or alkaline ink, since it is a mixture of fatty and resinous materials with alkali. It is used partly to write or draw directly on the stone, partly to cover the stone as with an etching surface, and partly to transfer to the stone from paper.

The purpose of this ink is, first, to cause a mass of oily, fatty substances to soak into the pores of the stone and also make certain portions of its surface fatty; and secondly, to resist acids according to requirement in such degree that the stone shall remain fat where needed, that thus the design, applied with this ink, shall be left untouched by acid.

I have remarked before that countless different mixtures can be made, most of which fulfill the purpose. But there enters the consideration that it must be an ink easy to use, that handsome work may be done by the artists with perfect ease.

Various mixtures answer this purpose very well, and I have found sometimes that men could work better with mixtures made by themselves than they could with those that I used for my own work. Perhaps this was a matter of imagination, or the real reason lay in the pen-cutting, it being well known that one man can use a pen that is absolutely worthless for another.

I myself have tested the values of some mixtures so thoroughly that I can declare almost positively that it will not be easy to find better ones for any purposes. I will describe these fully.

First of all, stone-ink is divided into two great classes. One is thicker, being used for drawing on stone. The other is more fluid, being used for transfers.

The following mixtures of the first kind are the best:--

(1) White Wax 8 parts Soap 2 parts Lampblack 1 part

This ink does not really serve for writing or drawing on the stone, but is used mostly for coating those places that are to be protected from the etching fluid. If this ink is needed in a thickened form, the wax should be heated in an iron pan till it burns and the combustion should continue till one half of it is consumed. The longer it burns, the harder will be the remnant.

(2) White Wax 12 parts Tallow (Ox Fats) 4 parts Soap 4 parts Lampblack 1 part (3) Wax 12 parts Shellac 4 parts Soap 4 parts Lampblack 1 part (4) Tallow 8 parts Shellac 8 parts Soap 4 parts Lampblack 1 part (5) Wax 8 parts Shellac 4 parts Mastic 4 parts Soap 4 parts Lampblack 1 part (6) Wax 8 parts Tallow 4 parts Shellac 4 parts Soap 4 parts Lampblack 1 part (7) Wax and Gum quajak 12 parts Tallow 4 parts Soap 4 parts Lampbblack 1 part

The wax and gum are melted in equal proportions, the undissolved portion is discarded and of the mixture twelve parts is used as above.

(8) Wax 6 parts Shellac 4 parts Tallow 2 parts Mastic 3 parts Venetian turpentine 1 part Soap 4 parts Lampblack 1 part

There is no important difference between the inks in the seven last formulas. Those that contain shellac remain fluid a little longer but are harder to prepare. It is not necessary to be painfully minute about the proportions of the various materials, providing the proportions of soap and lampblack be correct. The soap is about one fifth and the lampblack about one twentieth part of the whole. If too much soap is used, the ink will dissolve more readily, but the solution will become slimy more quickly. Too much lampblack would make the ink run.

MAKING THE CHEMICAL INK

In making any of the inks mentioned, first divide the required quantity of soap into two equal parts. Put one part into an iron pan with the other substances, and heat till the mass begins to burn. Let it burn till almost one half is consumed. Then cover the pan with an iron lid, or place it very carefully into a basin of water to extinguish and cool the mixture.

One part of the soap is mixed in at once, that the combustion may make it mix well with the other substances. But it loses some of its strength and sates itself with carbonic acid, so that it is not quite so powerful as before to attack the fats. Therefore a second part is added after the combustion. Then the complete mixture is heated again, but only to a degree sufficient to melt the soap.

Now take up a bit of the mass with a clean knife and see if it is easily soluble in river or rain water. If the soap was good (something not always the case), the quantity named in the formulas always suffices. If it does not contain enough alkali, little pieces of soap must be added till the mass is soluble. Then the lampblack is added while the mass is being stirred without cessation.

The lampblack must be of the finest sort, and should be roasted and burned in a closed vessel until it ceases to give off any yellow smoke.

When everything has been stirred till the mass is nearly cold, it is kneaded into any desired shape, sticks being the best, and so saved for use.

The following remarks are to be noted especially:--

(1) The soap is to be the ordinary soap made from ox fat and lye. In the formulas its weight is calculated in fresh form, which, of course, includes considerable water. If the soap is very dry, less must be used.

Venetian or vegetable oil soap is not so good because the ink easily becomes slimy afterward when dissolved in water. It does not resist acids so well, either. If, however, the other kind is not to be had, or to be had only in poor quality, the Venetian soap will do. It will be necessary merely to make frequent fresh solutions in water of the ink.

(2) Lampblack is not the only substance available for giving color to the ink. Vermilion, red chalk, indigo, blue lake of logwood, and several other colors can be used, so long as they do not consist of acids or other salts, and thus have properties that could alter the nature of the soap. The finer kinds of ordinary lampblack can be used without burning, but then a part of the soap always is rendered inactive, because the lampblack usually contains a considerable quantity of inflammable wood acid which unites with the alkali, neutralizes it, and thus destroys its effectiveness against fats. Therefore, if it is not roasted beforehand, it may be necessary to mix more soap with the ink after it is made, and this does not completely remedy the trouble. Lampblack can be purified by rubbing down with strong lye and then boiling in sufficient water till no trace of alkali remains, if roasting and burning be undesirable for any reason.

Better even than this purified lampblack is one that one makes for himself from ox or other animal fat, from wax, or better still, from a mixture of ox fat and resin. The fat is melted and poured into an earthen lamp similar to those used for city lighting, with a cotton wick. The lamp is lit and placed under a plate of iron or brass, so that the smoke must settle on it. The plate must be close to the flame. The soot is scraped off from time to time and dropped into a glass, which is kept covered. This process continues, the lamp being refilled till one has the desired quantity. This soot is very fine and bland, and so good that one can do more with an ounce of it than with three ounces of the ordinary kind. The ink made from it is extraordinarily fine and good.

It is to be noted in conclusion that the more soot is used, the blacker will be the ink, but the coarser will be the work, because the ink will have the tendency to spread. The less soot is used, the finer will be the work; but it is not easy then to see what one is doing or to judge if the design is strong enough. The quantities given in the formulas appear to me to be the best, especially if the self-manufactured soot is used.

(3) To dissolve the ink, rain water or pure soft river water is best. The rain water must not be very old or stale, otherwise the solution will get slimy.

(4) The severe combustion is not vital for making the ink, but helps very much in making it easy to use.

(5) When shellac is part of the mixture, it is vital to burn the mass well, as only thus will shellac dissolve properly.

Shellac, which is made in China and East India from an insect belonging to the bee family, will melt under moderate heat, but will not dissolve in any animal fat or oil unless it has previously lost its inherent acid, which occurs only under combustion. If shellac is melted with oil or fat, it covers the bottom of the vessel in the beginning. With heat increased till it causes combustion, it begins to swell, rises to the surface, and at last covers the surface in the form of a spongy mass. If the heat still increases, it begins to dissolve into foam. Then it is time to remove the mass from the fire and to cover it with a tight lid, that the flame may be extinguished.

If shellac has been once melted and has hardened, it dissolves only slowly even under severe combustion. It is better, therefore, to bring the other substances to combustion first, and then to mix the shellac in small portions, which will dissolve much more readily because they will be attacked by the great heat in the moment of melting and will not have time to swell first and get hard.

As soon as the mass has cooled a little, the second part of soap is added, and the whole heated, without burning, merely enough to melt the soap.

(6) None of these mixtures can be kept well any length of time in fluid form, that is, dissolved in water, because it becomes slimy after a very few days, sometimes sooner. It can be liquefied again by mixing with water, but not without affecting its durability. Therefore the ink must be stored dry, in which form it lasts for years without change. When required, a small quantity, about the size of two peas, is rubbed down in a very clean small earthen or porcelain vessel, such as a saucer. Those mixtures that contain tallow rub the easiest. The others, containing harder substances, require more pressure. The ink should be spread evenly over the bottom of the vessel. Then a coffee-spoonful of rain or other soft water is poured in, and the mixture is rubbed with the finger till the solution is perfect. Then it is put into a small, very clean pot of glass or porcelain and is ready for use.

(7) A great deal depends on the proper quantity of water. A good ink must be completely dissolved, with no solid particles left. It should be about as fluid as a good, fat milk or vegetable oil. If it is too thick, it makes the work difficult. If it is too thin, it will not withstand the etching fluid. A few experiments will teach the proper proportions. Even a good ink will make poor lines if it is laid on too thinly and not firmly enough. This, however, is due to the artist's lack of skill or to defective pens, of which I will treat hereafter.

With this quantity of ink it is possible to work for a whole day. Thus each day fresh ink can be mixed; and it is to be noted that the vessels must be cleansed scrupulously that no trace of the previous day's ink be left in them. The ink will dry during the work, and as soon as this begins to interfere with its use, one or two drops of water will thin it again sufficiently.

This is about all that need be said about the chemical fatty or alkaline stone-ink in general. Particular remarks will be found in the description of its use for particular methods.

II

HARD BORAX INK

Besides the inks described, it is well to make the following and keep it in stock for uses whose great value will be explained later.

Shellac 4 parts Borax 1 part Water 16 parts

Borax and shellac must be put into a clean pot filled two thirds with water and boiled for an hour. As the water boils away it must be replaced. When the shellac has been mostly dissolved, the mass is removed from the fire, cooled, and filtered through a clean cloth to separate the undissolved portions of the shellac.

This solution can be kept for years in a tightly closed glass. To color it, a portion is to be cooked in a copper or iron ladle till it is thick as honey. Fine lampblack or vermilion is stirred in till the mass is thoroughly united. Then water is added, and the composition boiled again till it is a perfect solution. This black or red ink is first-class and can be kept well in tightly closed glass.

III

FLUID INK

Herr Andre, in Offenbach, uses an ink which has the useful property of remaining good for years in fluid form. I do not find it so good for the very finest work as those I have described, but for music and script it is excellent. It consists of:--

12 parts shellac 4 parts mastic 1 part pure ox-fat soap 1 part purified crystallized soda 1 part lampblack

This is mixed with water and boiled in a clean vessel, being constantly stirred till it is dissolved. Then the boiling is continued till the water has disappeared almost entirely. Fresh water is added and the boiling continued till everything has dissolved anew. Then the mixture is filtered through a cloth and kept in a vessel where it is secure against dust. If it is seen on cooling that it is too thick it can be thinned easily with water. Also, when it dries during use it can be liquefied by adding water, unless dust has entered it.

IV

TRANSFER INK

All the above-named inks are intended for use directly on stone. If it is desired to write on paper and transfer this writing to the stone, those inks mostly prove too hard, unless one would use warmed stones, as described later. This, however, makes added work: therefore, I give here the recipe for an ink excellent for cold transfers.

Shellac 3 parts Wax 1 part Tallow 6 parts Mastic 5 parts Soap 4 parts Lampblack 1 part

The mode of preparation is exactly like that of the rest. The mass can be kept only in dried form, not mixed with water. The evidence that this ink is good for transfer work is that, after it has stood for some days, it still manifests stickiness when touched with the finger. If the ink does not transfer well to the stone under moderate pressure, it is too hard, and can be improved by mixing in a little butter or vegetable oil, but it is necessary to dissolve the whole mass again over the fire. If the design squashes under pressure, the ink is too soft. It is necessary to consider the temperature of the place where it is kept, and even the time of year, in order to produce the proper consistency of ink for the best transfer work.

V

HARD ETCHING GROUND

Certain methods of stone-printing demand, besides the ink, a fatty, acid-resisting mass to coat the plates. It is either the same as the material used by copper-plate etchers, or, at least, is very similar to it.

Etching Ground for stone is as follows:--

Wax 12 parts Mastic 6 parts Asphalt 4 parts Resin 2 parts Tallow 1 part

This is melted in an iron pan over a fire hot enough to melt the asphalt perfectly. Combustion is allowed to ensue till a third of the mixture has been consumed. When thoroughly cooled, it may be shaped in any desired form and saved for use.

A good surface is made also by common wax, boiled and burned till almost five parts of it have been consumed.

VI

SOFT ETCHING GROUND

For some processes there is needed an etching ground which has the property of not coating the entire surface, permitting the etching fluid to penetrate at many spots uniformly, or, if it resists the etching fluid, still so easily affected by manipulation that it will admit the acid according to such manipulation. There are two ways to make it.

(1) Thick linseed oil varnish 1 part Tallow 2 parts (2) Wax 1 part Tallow 5 parts Linseed oil varnish 3 parts

The application will be described in the instructions about aquatints, etc.

VII

ACID PROOF INK

So I name a color which has the property of resisting acid when the stone is inked with it. It is useful in many cases, and even necessary. It is well, therefore, to make a supply of it.

2 parts thick linseed oil varnish 4 parts tallow 1 part Venetian turpentine 1 part wax

All must be well melted, mixed with four parts lampblack, well rubbed down and kept in a closed tin vessel.

VIII

CRAYON

Chemical or fatty crayon is a composition intended to be used on the stone plate in dry form like Spanish or Parisian chalk. The inks described previously have the property of soaking into the stone and making it greasy where applied. The same happens if they are applied dry, the degree of their penetration and adherence merely being less.

The mixtures that may be used to make crayons are countless. Wax and soaps, however, are better than resinous materials. Therefore it is likely that the compositions here named will be pretty nearly the best.

(2) Wax 4 parts Soap 6 parts Lampblack 2 parts, roasted, or better still, made as explained before.

The wax and soap are melted together. The lampblack is added then. All is rubbed down fine on a hot plate, and then placed on the fire again till it is fluid once more. Then it is poured on a stone plate coated with a little oil, so that it forms a cake of about one eighth inch thickness. When this has cooled a little, it is cut into thin pieces and put away till needed.

(2) Wax 8 parts Soap 4 parts Lampblack 2 parts

Burn the wax till one half is consumed, then melt the soap with it, and treat the mixture as before.

(3) Wax 4 parts Spermaceti 4 parts Soap 4 parts Lampblack 2 parts

The first three materials are melted together, the lampblack is added, and then the whole is treated as before.

(4) Wax 8 parts Spermaceti 4 parts Soap 4 parts Lampblack 2 parts

The wax is to be half burned away, then the spermaceti and soap are to be melted into it, and the whole treated as the other formulas.

(5) Shellac 4 parts Wax 8 parts Soap 5 parts Lampblack 3 parts

The shellac is to be completely dissolved with the wax by means of combustion after which the rest of the treatment is the same as before.

(6) Shellac 4 parts Wax 8 parts Tallow 2 parts Soap 5 parts Lampblack 3 parts

The same treatment, except that the tallow is to be mixed in after the shellac has dissolved. This crayon is a little softer than the others. The same is true of the following two.

(7) Wax 8 parts Tallow 4 parts Soap 6 parts Lampblack 3 parts

Wax, tallow, and soap are melted together and burned till one third of the mass has been consumed. Then the lampblack is added and the rest of the process is as before.

(8) Wax 2 parts Tallow 6 parts Mennig 2 parts Lampblack 2 parts

Wax, mennig, and lampblack are heated and constantly stirred till the mennig dissolves in froth and changes from red to brown. Then the lampblack is rubbed in thoroughly, the whole warmed again properly and shaped into sticks.

These are the best compositions, thoroughly tested by me, and it is very good to make a stock of all or most of them. In the case of the recipes for chemical ink, the differences are not great, and it is largely a matter of taste as to which kind one may use. But in the case of the crayons, each of them produces a different grain which creates a particular effect; so that by using various kinds of crayon one will gain greater perfection of work, or, at least, find execution easier than with only one crayon. Also, they are in proportion to the greater or lesser roughness of the stones; and the darker shadings are easier to produce with soft crayons than with hard ones, while the hard ones are best for fine shading and outlines.

The lampblack used for crayons must be burned out first, else it will develop blisters, which is the case also if the composition is poured on the plates too hot.

Crayon that contains much shellac is likely to soften in damp air; therefore it should be kept in tightly closed vessels.

IX

CONCERNING COLOR FOR PRINTING

The manufacture of printing-ink or color is very difficult and dangerous on a large scale. I counsel all to take lessons from a book printer when he makes it.

The varnish must be prepared in the open, far from buildings, because of its combustibility. The best utensils and skilled workmen are required, because otherwise terrible accidents may occur, and even life be lost through explosion of the copper receptacle. Whoever does not require as much as one or more hundredweight of varnish in a year, would better buy it from printers or make only a small quantity, one or two pounds, and in an open vessel. For this purpose I will describe the process.

One, or at most two pounds of good old but not rancid linseed oil are poured into a clean iron pan which has a long, strong handle and is so large that the oil takes up only one half or, better, one third of the space. This is heated over a good fire till it burns, which is facilitated by applying flame to it. Oil that is too new has much water and other impurities that make it froth and run over. In that case the oil must be poured into the pan only in small quantities, when one must take great care to avoid spattering. As soon as the oil burns, the pan is removed from the fire and placed in a safe spot. If it is hot enough, it will continue to burn. It must now be stirred from time to time with an iron rod. Usually the flame increases under this stirring, but sinks again immediately at its cessation. So long as it does this, there is no danger that the flame cannot be easily extinguished if need be. But when it begins to continue burning with a great flame after the stirring stops, and at the same time to bubble and froth, it is high time to cover the pan with a close lid and leave it covered till the oil no longer takes fire when exposed again to the air. Then a dry knife is introduced and as much oil removed as will adhere to its point. If it does not permit itself to be pulled into long threads when cool, but is too thin, it must be heated again until it gets the required consistency.

A good varnish dries very readily of itself, and it is not only unnecessary but inadvisable to mix a drier with it, as varnish so treated is too likely to off-set on the stone.

Several strengths of printing-varnish are needed for the various methods of lithography. Therefore a stock of thin, medium, and thick varnish is needed.

In making the thin, the oil has been reduced to about two thirds through combustion. It is somewhat like fluid honey and does not pull into threads.

Only a little more than half the oil is left in the case of medium varnish. It is thick as old honey and can be pulled into threads a foot long.

In the thick varnish the mass is not much less, but it can be pulled into threads of a yard in length; and further boiling makes it thick and tough like gum elastic. In the latter case it can be used with advantage when rubbed down with oil and properly thinned. But as soon as it has obtained the last-mentioned degree of thickness and toughness, it must be cooled quickly, for then it is not far from hardening completely and becoming worthless. In the beginning it requires a long while for the oil to reach the first degree of thickness, an hour or more for a pound. But after that period the thickening progresses rapidly, so that a quarter of the time will bring it to the point of total toughness.

To make printing color of the varnish, the proper amount of lampblack must be mixed in. The roasted or burned-out is best in this also, because the ordinary lampblack delays the drying and turns yellow with time.

The more lampblack is mixed in, and the more thoroughly they are combined by rubbing down, the better will be the color. But lampblack must not be added in such quantities that the color becomes dough-like.

In describing the various styles of printing I will describe the best printing-inks also. I will merely make the general note here that designs on stone take the ink best when it is thin and fluid, but that there is less danger of off-set on the parts of the stone that are to remain white, if the ink is tougher or contains more lampblack.

Too much lampblack and too tough a varnish endanger the finer strokes and dots, however, so that they will not take ink, being, as lithographers say, rubbed out. The rubbing or grinding effect of too tough an ink is like that of pumice or other grinding material. With tougher varnish, clearer imprints can be made and they do not become yellow easily. But the inking is more difficult and demands greater skill, as well as heavier pressure in the press.

The varnish can be mixed not only with lampblack but with many other colors, which will be described when I reach color printing in this essay. Sometimes black lacquer is used with advantage instead of lampblack; and Frankfurter black is successful in the intaglio and aquatint methods.

X

RUBBING-UP INK

It happens often that weak parts of a design cannot withstand the etching fluid and are cut away; also, that fine lines are rubbed away through unskilled treatment during printing. Then frequently a very simple remedy is to ink the plate with the so-called rubbing-up ink.

This color consists of a thin varnish in which a portion of litharge of silver or mennig or white lead has been dissolved thoroughly over the fire, and a proper amount of lampblack added. Often it is good to add some finely powdered sand or powdered pumice stone.

To prepare this, a portion of the thinnest varnish is heated in a pan till it burns. Then about an ounce of finely powdered mennig (or another lead oxide) is stirred in to each sixteen ounces of varnish till all is thoroughly mixed.

A rubbing-up ink can be made also by mixing common printer's ink with vegetable oil, tallow, and a very little soap.

Each of these colors adheres to all those places that have a trace of fat and thus gradually makes faint places in a design receptive again.

Later I will describe how to use care in applying this color, so that the entire stone shall not be smutted and spoiled.