MODERN MKTHODS USED FOR REPRODUCTION OF PICTURES. 541 



importance. In legard to the style of tlie drawing the utmost care 

 should be taken to make the lines firm and clear, and the shading 

 should be kept open. 



It is not desirable to use washes of any kind in drawings 

 required for reproduction by ordinary process. A very simple and 

 beautiful method is now in operation to aid the "process artist" 

 in rapidly putting on his shading and stipple eilects by the use of 

 semi-transparent tilnis made of prepared gelatine, these are known 

 as 



" Day's Process " Films. — These fine plates or films of gelatine 

 can be purchased to reproduce shading in line, cloud cti'ects or 

 sky, foliage and water etiects. The films are stretched and fixed 

 in a wooden frame, and are then rolled with an ordinary inking 

 roller. To place the shading film over the drawing is the next 

 opei'ation, and then an agate burnisher is passed over the reverse 

 side of the medium leaving the impress of the tint or shading on 

 the drawing. These films or shading mediums are semi-transparent, 

 so that the effecis find outlines of the drawings are in constant 

 vietv through tlie film when working. The stipples are doubtless 

 produced originally by hand, for they are most artistic and correct, 

 and save tlie artist much tedious labour. They are largely used 

 in America and can be obtained in many varieties. 



PRINTING. 



A few words are not perhaps out of place on this subject, for 

 however perfect a block may be, the result will be unsatisfactory 

 if carelessly printed. 



In America far more attention is bestowed on the printing of 

 illustrated works than here, or even in England. Much longer 

 time is allowed for "making ready" and for "bringing up " at 

 press. Much higher wages are i)aid than we are accustomed to 

 in Australia, and tlie result is a liiglier standard of Avork. The 

 perfection of printing attained in the American magazines is 

 largely owing to these causes, and to the superiority of the 

 American printing machines. 



Having mentioned the methods that may be called the "modern 

 processes " applicable to printing on a letter press machine and 

 with type, I may briefly refer to some of the latest processes 

 available for book illustration or for the reproduction of pictures, 

 but which must be worked by special kinds of processes, hence 

 they are only used for more costly work, and when long numbers 

 are not required. There are the carbon-type, the AVoodbury- 

 type, the collotype, and the autotype. "NVe will take the two 

 latter which, 1 believe, are the more modern. 



The word autotpye is intended to convey the reproduction of 

 the ai-tists' work in monochrome unaided by the eye or the hand 

 of another — the only means used being the actual forces of light 



