■470 HANDBOOK OF PHOTOGRAPHY 



transfer paper, the two being lifted together from the water and placed on a horizontal 

 sheet of glass, the tissue uppermost. The two are then held together by pressure of the 

 fingers at one end, while with the other hand they are squeegeed together. This 

 squeegeeing is not difficult, but there is a slight knack to it, and it should be done in a 

 certain definite way. The squeegee should start a little beyond the middle of the 

 paper, the first few strokes being light, merely to expel the water and any possible 

 air bubbles between the gelatin surfaces. Then, the tissue being held down at the 

 other end, the squeegeeing is repeated in the other direction. All water and air 

 bubbles having been driven out by this light squeegeeing, the squeegee is then applied 

 more heavily, to press the transfer paper and the tissue into firm contact. This part 

 of the operation should be very strongly done — though not enough so as to tear the 

 tissue — and should be continued until the backing paper begins to rub up in tiny rolls. 



When squeegeeing is completed, a piece of lintiess blotter is placed on the print, 

 another sheet of glass is laid on this, and rather heavy pressure is placed on the whole. 

 With moderately smooth papers a weight of 15 or 20 lb. is sufficient; with the very 

 rough surfaces of transfer paper, it maj^ be necessary to use a copying press. Some 

 workers prefer to use waxed paper instead of blotting paper, but the writer feels that 

 if the combination dries out somewhat better adhesion is secured. The print should 

 remain under pressure for from 15 min. to 1 hr., the longer time being for the very 

 rough papers; probably 20 to 30 min. is a good average time. It is then removed from 

 between the sheets of glass and is developed. 



Development. — A tray a size larger than the transfer paper is filled to a depth of 1 in. 

 or so with water at about 95°F., and the transfer paper with its adhering tissue is lifted 

 from the glass, taking care not to bend it to any great extent and is slid gently into the 

 water, the tray being then rocked almost continuously. Air bubbles will appear in 

 great number on the back of the tissue, and these should be lightly brushed off. The 

 temperature of the water is gradually raised a few degrees, either over a gas stove 

 or an electric plate or bj'' the addition of a little hot water, until at about 100 to 105°F. 

 — the exact point depending on various circumstances — the pigmented gelatin will be 

 seen oozing out from under the edges of the backing paper. This oozing should be 

 allowed to continue for 1 or 2 min., when one corner of the backing paper is lifted by 

 means of a fingernail and an attempt is made to strip it off. If it is ready to release, it 

 will come away from the transfer paper very readily; if it resists, the corner should be 

 pressed down very lightly and the temperature of the water raised 2 or 3 degrees, 

 when, after a minute or so, another attempt may be made. When the backing paper 

 releases easily, it m&y be stripped off, keeping the entire combination under water and 

 using a smooth uninterrupted pull. Resistance to stripping comes from one of three 

 causes: (1) the water is not warm enough, (2) the print is seriously overtimed, or (3) 

 the print has been allowed to dry out too much under pressure. If more than an 

 extremelj^ slight amount of force is used in stripping, frilling or tearing of the print 

 is very likely to result; the backing paper should release with the verj^ slightest effort. 

 An indication of the correctness of printing time and of transferring may, perhaps, 

 be found at this point, since with an average negative, if the work has been properly 

 done, the backing paper will probably show a more or less distinct negative image. 

 The pigmented gelatin remaining on the transfer paper wiU be soft and smudgy, giving 

 little or no indication of an image. 



The backing paper is thrown awaj'^, and development of the print proceeds. The 

 easiest way to do this is to grasp one corner of the transfer paper and jiggle it back 

 and forth under the surface of the water, raising it from time to time for the dissolved 

 gelatin to drain off. This operation is continued until all or nearly all the surplus 

 gelatin and pigment have been washed off; quite possibly it will be necessary to raise 

 the temperature of the developing water a few degrees in order to reach the desired 



