PRINTING UPON ALBUMENISED PAPER, the reader has carefully followed out the instructions contained in the foregoing chapters, he will probably have succeeded in producing some negatives from which he will be anxious to obtain prints. The negative, of course, is only a means to an end, from an artistic point of view, is anything but pretty, all the lights and shades of the view being reversed, those portions which represent the high-lights being dark, the clearer portions of the plate representing the shadows. This being the state of things, the beginner will doubtless experience some em barrassment informing a correct judgment as to what con stitutes a good negative ; nor is it, indeed, a less difficult matter to give a lucid definition in a handbook. If at this stage he can obtain the advice of a photographer, such aid will be invaluable to him. Failing that, he should submit his negatives to the Editor of the Amateur Photographer, who would, doubtless, put him on the right track. He should also purchase an album, into which he should make it a rule to paste a print from every negative taken, writing underneath it full details of the exposure and development of the plate, the paper used in printing, the toning bath employed, etc. This will prove a most valuable record of progress, and will enable him to see what im provement he makes as his photographic education advances.
But, to be of real educational value, all prints, whether good, bad, or indlfferent, must take their places in its pages.
Those entering the ranks of photography at the present time have a large number of different printing processes from which to choose ; but it is obviously impossible to refer to all of them in detail in the pages of an elementary text book. I therefore propose to describe but three—namely, silver printing on albumenised paper, silver printing on gelatino-chloride paper, and printing on gelatino-bromide paper. The first two of these are what are termed " print ing out " processes—that is to say, the action of light pro duces a visible image during the process of printing ; while the third is what is known as a " development process " 3 that is to say, the prepared paper requires to be developed after exposure, in order to make the image visible.
I- will first deal with printing upon albumenised paper, and the necessary operations may be divided into "print ing," " toning," " fixing," and " washing." Some ready sensitised paper will be required. Let it be purchased from a respectable dealer, for it will be difficult, if not impossible, to obtain good results from cheap paper. If of good quality, it will cost about 10d. a sheet, and, for a first ex periment, two sheets will be sufficient. If negatives of one size only are to be printed from, it may be purchased cut up to the proper dimensions (in our case half-plate), otherwise the full sheets will be found to measure 22 by 18. It will keep in good condition for some considerable time if properly stored, and kept in a dry place. The way I keep mine is to cut it up to the required size, fold several sheets of stout white blotting paper over it, placing the whole under pressure in a printing-frame away from the light in a drawer.
The dark-room table having been carefully wiped with a clean duster, the printing-frames are laid upon it, and the springs being loosened, and the back removed, a varnished negative is laid inside and allowed to rest upon the rebate. A piece of the sensitised paper is then laid face downward upon the negative, care having been taken to only touch the sensitive surface at the extreme edges, otherwise finger marks would probably show in the finished print. Two or three pieces of stout blotting paper, the exact size of the negative, should be laid on the top, the back of the printing-frame then being closed, and the springs readjusted. A moderate amount of white light may be employed for carrying out the foregoing operation, just enough to comfortably see by ; but if sunlight should fall upon the window, a piece of yellow tammy should be temporarily hung up, for although the sensitised paper is far less rapid than a gelatino.
bromide dry plate, yet it would rapidly darken if exposed to rays of white light. All the frames having been filled, they will then be ready for the next operation of printing. It will be best not to print in the sun ; indeed, unless the negatives are abnormally dense, better results will generally be obtained in diffused light. They should be exposed to light, therefore, by placing them flat upon a window-sill upon which the sun does not shine. As in taking the negative, the duration of the exposure cannot be ascertained by rule. It will vary with the strength of the light and the density of the negative. The actinic power of light varies in England enormously ; a negative which will give a good print in ten minutes in diffused light in summer, might require a whole day in winter. The facilities for judging correct exposure are however, in this case far greater, for the operation may be watched as it proceeds. Supposing the day to be a bright one in either summer, autumn, or spring, the frames may be brought in for in spection after an interval of about ten minutes. The frame is held firmly, and one of the springs gently removed, and the hinged back folded over. The print may then be examined by carefully lifting the pads and paper, taking great care not to shift their position, which would cause a double image, and consequently a blurred print. We shall now see the picture in its proper light and shade, and every delicate detail of the negative will be reproduced in the print. If the printing has gone far enough, the whole of the detail will be visible, and the picture will be of a rich, reddish, chocolate colour. We must, however, not stop the process at this stage, but continue the printing until the shadows look heavy and the detail in them disappears. At this stage, probably, if the negative is a suitable one, the darkest por tions of the print will assume a bronzed appearance ; when this happens, the print may be removed from the frame, and a fresh piece of paper inserted. Our reason for thus over-printing is that the subsequent operations of toning and fixing considerably reduce the print, and had we stopped the printing at the moment when it looked best, we should have had but a poor, -weak, faded picture by the time all the subsequent operations -were completed. Although print ing is a simple operation, it must be performed carefully if good results are to be obtained. Many amateurs seem to think that the duty of looking after the frames may be delegated to any one—a sister, a, cousin, or a younger brother ; or, indeed, in some cases stick the frame up in a window in the morning, leaving it until they return from business, trusting to chance that the proofs are not over-printed. Such methods will never succeed. It is best to postpone printing operations until a morning or a day can be devoted to the work, in which time a good many prints can be got off. It is better and more economical to print and tone two or three dozen at a time than to do only one or two. It is not absolutely necessary to tone and fix the prints directly they are printed, but it is always better to do so when it is possible, as the results are generally finer. When it is impossible to do this, the prints, previous to toning, should be kept between blotting-paper under pressure in the same way as the unprinted paper. The best negatives for printing in silver are those which are fully exposed and not too dense, but which show a good range of gradation. Silver printing, however, is the most accommodating of processes, and passable results may, by the exercise of a little care, be obtained from inferior negatives. For in stance, very thin negatives should have a piecz,‘ of ground glass placed over the frames during printing, a,nd should be slowly printed in a weak light. Dense negatives, on the contrary, will print better in a strong light, or even in sunshine.