Crookes, William and George Wharton Simpson, ed. "Twelve Elementary Lessons on Silver Printing: Lesson I." The Photographic News.
From George Eastman House : Notes On Photographs
return to The Albumen Print, April 2008
| The following is excerpted from Crookes, William and George Wharton Simpson, Ed. "Twelve Elementary Lessons on Silver Printing: Lesson I." The Photographic News, January 26, 1883: 58-59. |
Agreeable to promise, we now commence the series of "Twelve Elementary Lessons on Silver Printing, Toning, Fixing, Washing, Mounting, Finishing, &c., &c." The intention is to describe each process separately, and in such a manner that young amateurs and beginners generally may be enabled to produce good results. Doubtless, the experienced photographer will not find anything herein written that he is not already acquainted with. Still it may be worth his while to peruse the papers at his leisure. With these few remarks by the way of preface, we will proceed with the "printing room."
The locale of the printing room will in the majority of cases be subject to the general convenience of the building and the amount of work required. In large establishments separate apartments are used for each operation, but if only a limited amount of printing is required, one room may be conveniently made to do the duty. It should be situated on or near the ground floor, with easy access to the garden. Having decided upon the room, the next thing is to fit it up in a convenient manner for working; this need not involve a great outlay, and amateurs, at least, will prefer doing it themselves rather than wait the convenience of the local carpenter. To show the requirement of a printing bench as clearly as possible, the accompanying sketch is appended, the scale of measurement being one-half inch to the foot.
- A. Top drawer on the left side for keeping albumenized paper only.
- B. Drawer for keeping brown paper, tissue, and coloured papers, also papier minéral, cardboard, &c.
- C. Shelf for sensitizing dish when not in use.
- D. Shelf for gold toning dish when not in use.
- E. Shelf for hyposulphite of soda fixing bath. Note that all dishes should be turned upside down when put away, previously receiving a good wash in clean water. By adopting that plan always, one can be sure of clean dishes.
- F. Box or cupboard for the reception of silver paper cuttings, waste prints, and defective pieces of sensitized paper; also the filtering papers used for filtering the sensitized bath, and the blotting-paper, used in blotting spots of silver solution on the sheets of sensitized paper.
- G. Boxes with hinged lids for storing the prints after they are removed from the negative; also the sensitized paper before printing to prevent any darkening action from the light in the room.
- H. Boxes or pigeon-holes to hold the negatives that have been printed until a convenient opportunity for storing them.
- I. Window glazed with pale orange glass fitted with extra yellow blind on spring roller for use on very bright days.
- J. Shelf for storing empty printing frames
- K. Shelf for bottles.
- L. Pigeon-holes for assorted vignetting masks.
- M. Space left for packing up printing frames at night or until a convenient opportunity to finish the printing of the negatives in hand.
- N. Space for oval, dome, or cushion shaped masks; these should, for convenience, be numbered, and afterwards kept in their places.
- O. Drawer for storing dusters, cutting shapes, diamond, &c., &c.
- P. Spaces for packing the printing frames when not in use.
- Q. Shelf for graduated measures
- R. Shelf with holes cut out to allow the neck of the funnel to pass through, thereby supporting it, and preventing the chances of the bottle or funnel and its contents being upset.
The space from J K L M to the end of the apartment will be found convenient as a drying room for sensitized paper and prints. A couple of stout staples should be driven into the wall opposite K, and two screw eyes or staples driven into the shelf K. A piece of Venetian blind cord and some American clips complete the arrangement. Use one side for prints, and the other for sensitized paper; on no account mix the clips; a small gas or paraffine oil stove burning below will distribute sufficient heat to dry the paper in a short time.
If the photographer is limited to one room for his printing and finishing operations, he must himself determine the position for his toning and fixing bench, having due regard to the water supply and light also; bearing in mind that the more convenient the place, the more work accomplished in a given time.
Enamelled iron troughs and dishes are to be obtained very cheaply, which are eminently suitable for washing and fixing prints; moreover, they are easily cleaned with a little common salt, and not liable to fracture.
Having put up a bench for toning, fixing, and washing, the remaining space may be utilized for mounting, finishing, and storage.
See also the next lesson.