TRIMMING, MOUNTING, AND FINISHING THE PRINTS.
whatever process the prints may have been produced, they will not be in a fit state for preservation or presenta tion until they have been suitably trimmed and mounted. Now, although the mounting and finishing of a print would at first sight appear to be an extremely easy operation to perform, as a matter of fact it is one which proves a stumbling-block to a large proportion of amateurs. This is in some measure, no doubt, due to slovenliness or careless ness, though these are not the sole causes. The reader, there fore, from the first, must learn to pay attention to this purely mechanical work, because very much of the effect of the print will be due to the manner in which it has been trimmed and mounted.
In the first place the effect will depend to a large extent upon the amount of subject included in the picture, which may often be improved in its composition by a judicious cutting down or trimming. In ascertaining whether this should be done or not, the employment of a number of cut-out mounts with openings of various sizes, which may be put over the print until the best result is obtained, will be of great assist ance. Never be afraid of cutting down the picture if thereby its composition can be improved ; recollect that size has nothing to do with merit, a,nd if it is apparent that a half plate picture will be improved by being reduced to half its dimensions, do not hesitate, but make the necessary reduction.
The size of the print being determined, we may proceed to trim and mount it. Various cutters are sold at the shops, but a good sharp penknife may be used, or an old razor, or, best of all, a knife such as is used by shoemakers for cutting leather. Whichever is used, it should be kept sharp by constantly rubbing on a hone, and not allowing to get blunt, or jagged edges will occur in the print. A drawing board makes a capital cutting-board, and an ebonite straight edge or T square is better for a, cutting edge than the glasses usually sold for the purpose, which are frequently not true. The print being placed in position on the cutting boa,rd with the straight edge upon it, the print should be cut with one stroke of the knife, using just sufficient pressure to effect the purpose. A wooden cutting-board necessarily
will not have a very long life, so more pressure than is required should not be used. ' A sheet of plate glass will be more durable, but it will blunt the cutting-knife sooner than the drawing-board.
Opinions a,re divided iu regard to the choice of a mountant, but on the whole I do not think starch can be beaten for cleanliness and simplicity. It should, however, be properly made and free from lumps. Some kinds of starch a,re very unsuitable. Glenfield starch is much the best for mounting purposes. To make it, place two teaspoonfuls at the bottom of a, gallipot, and make it into a perfectly smooth thick paste with cok/ water, then fill up the pot with boiling water, stirring evenly but quickly all the time ; continue the stirring for two or three minutes until the starch clears and thickens it may then be allowed to cool, when it should solidify into a, thick jelly. The trimmed print is then placed face downward upon a sheet of clean newspaper, and the starch applied to its back. It may be either brushed or spread by means of a roller squeegee ; the latter is the better mode, as any small lumps in the starch are then broken up. Put a small portion of starch in the middle of the back of the print, and pass the squeegee backwards and forwards over the print until its surface is evenly covered, in the same way as printing ink would be applied to a litho stone. Then lift the print carefully by opposite corners taking care to avoid getting any starch on its face, which would cause smears, and lay it clown evenly in position on the mount, upon which two small pencil dots should have been previously made as a guide to position. If it is not quite even, it may be easily shifted until it is so. No attempt to rub or press it into contact with the fingers should be made, but a piece of clean blotting paper slightly larger than the print should be laid over it, and a large size roller squeegee —not the one previously used for spreading the starch— should be applied with a moderate degree of pressure over the surface. The blotting paper may then be removed, and the mounted print allowed to dry spontaneously.