CALICO-PKINTING 



583 



equally broad as at first ; an advantage which does not belong to wood-cutting. The 

 interstices between the ridges thus formed are filled up with felt-stuff. Sometimes a 

 delicate part of the design is made by the wood-cutter, and the 'rest by the insertion of 

 copper slips. 



The colouring matter or mordant, properly thickened, is spread with a flat brush, 

 by a child, upon fine woollen cloth, stretched in a frame over the waxcloth head of a 

 wooden drum or sieve, which floats inserted in a tubful of old paste, to give it elastic 

 buoyancy. The inverted sieve drum should fit the paste-tub pretty closely. The 

 printer presses the face of the block on the drum-head, so as to take up the requisite 

 quantity of colour, applies it to the surface of the calico, extended upon a flat table 

 covered with a blanket, and then strikes the back of the block with a wooden mallet, 

 in order to transfer the impression fully to the cloth. This is a delicate operation, 

 requiring equal dexterity and diligence. To print a piece of cloth 28 yards long 

 and 30 inches broad, no less than 672 applications of a block, 9 inches long and 5 

 inches broad, are requisite for each colour ; so that if there are 3 colours, no less 

 than 2016 applications will be necessary. The blocks have pin-points fixed into their 

 corners, by means of which they are adjusted to their positions upon the cloth, so as to 

 join the different parts of the design with precision. Each printer has a colour-tub 

 placed within reach of his right hand ; and for every different colour he must have a 

 separate sieve. Many manufacturers cause their blocks to be made of three layers of 

 wood, two of them being deal, with the grain crossed to prevent warping, and the third 

 sycamore, for engraving. 



The printing shop is an oblong compartment, lighted with numerous windows at each 

 side, and having a solid table opposite to each window. The table B (fig. 325) is 



325 



._ 



A y d 

 /" . < 



o a. c 



r? 



formed of a strong smooth flag, with a surface truly plane. Its length is about 6 feet, 

 its breadth 2 feet, and its thickness 3, 4 or 5 inches. It stands on strong feet, with its 

 top about 36 inches above the floor. At one of its ends there are two brackets c for 

 supporting the axles of the roller E, srhich carries the white calico to be printed. 

 The table is covered with blanket stretched tightly across and hooked at the side. 

 The hanging rollers E are laid across joists fixed near the roof of the apartment above 

 the printing shop, the ceiling and floor between them being open bar work, at least in 

 the middle of the room. Their use is to facilitate the exposure, and, consequently, the 

 drying of the printed pieces, and to prevent one figure being daubed by another. 

 Should they come to be all filled, the remainder of the goods must be folded lightly 

 upon the stool D. 



The printer stretches a length of the piece upon his table A B, taking care to place 

 the selvage towards himself, and one inch from the edge. He presents the block 

 towards the end to determine the width of its impression, and marks this line A B, by 

 means of his square and tracing point. The spreader or teerer now besmears the cloth 

 with the colour, at the commencement, upon both sides of the sieve head ; because, if 

 not uniformly applied, the block will take it up unequally. The printer seizes the 

 block in his right hand, and dips it twice in different directions upon the sieve 

 cloth, then ho transfers it to the calico in the line A B, as indicated by the four points 

 abed, corresponding to the four pins in the corners of the block. Having done so, 

 he takes another dip of the colour, and makes the points a b fall on o d, so as to have 



