ELEMENTARY PHOTO-MICROGRAPHY. 115 



though immaterial in a pictorial print, might 

 utterly spoil a photo-micrograph. Yet it is all- 

 important that both fixing and washing be thorough 

 if anything like permanence be desired. This 

 somewhat unfavourable feature of bleaching out 

 may nevertheless be utilised to advantage in 

 prints from thin negatives where the background 

 is fogged and contrast not satisfactory, as the loss 

 of colour helps one to obtain the best print possible 

 under the circumstances. 



Details on P.O.P. are brought out with greater 

 clearness by a process known as " squeegeeing." 

 This puts a high polish on the paper, and gives a 

 transparent appearance to the shadows. After the 

 final washing is completed, the wet prints are 

 laid face downwards on a piece of clean smooth 

 glass which has been previously polished with 

 French chalk, and lightly pressed in contact with 

 a roller, or flat " squeegee," to get rid of any air 

 bubbles. Run over the back of prints with a piece 

 of blotting paper to remove as much moisture 

 as possible, and set up to dry. Probably the 

 prints will fall off by themselves when dry ; but, 

 if not, the point of a knife inserted at one corner 

 will enable them to be separated easily from the 

 glass. On no account attempt to strip them until 

 perfectly dry. 



The little clips similar to clothes' pegs are useful 

 foi drying the prints. The paper is gripped at one 



