even without interrupting the progress of the machine; and the inking apparatus, of which there is a set for either forme, is provided with various important contrivances which fully answer every purpose required in that indispensable part of the operation of printing.

My machine has had a trial of six months:* its ordinary speed is, according to the required quality of the work, at an average of two thousand impressions, or one thousand perfected sheets per hour, but is capable, by exertion, of doing much more; the speed, in fact, is only limited by the time necessary for the boy to lay the white paper to the gauge, or mark, and the power which the men are capable of exerting who turn the wheel, the labour of which is considerable if followed up at more than one thousand per hour. I have, therefore, three men to turn, in order that each one may be alternately at rest, or sitting to receive and lay even the printed sheets as shot from the cylinder; thus every man of those three has twenty-minutes' relief in each hour. Another man of more intelligence acts as foreman, or overlooker, whose business it is to attend generally to the machine and workers, place the paper by tokens on the supplying board, and take away the printed sheets from the other end: a little boy performs the business of the layer-on, but which requires very considerable precision, as the rapidity of the machine will be interrupted if his attention is in the least degree diverted; if any corner should be doubled, or otherwise require particular time for placing, he will be obliged either to throw it to one side, or to cry out "halt," and the machine must stop; it is, therefore, very necessary that the paper should previously have been turned and pressed and laid very even; should a sheet escape by being laid improperly for the gripers, it is liable, instead of being carried round the cylinders, to be dropped upon the forme, from whence it will be conveyed to the inking rollers, and, from its adhesion to the substance and the ink, will take some time in being stripped off, and some care of the overlooker to get the roller properly covered with ink to proceed as before, which is simply done by passing through the machine two or three waste sheets, till the roller has regained its proper degree of colour. I have a power in my machine of adding an additional roller to the inking apparatus at each end, which I apply (November, 1824.)

when particularly good work and fine ink are required; but this causes a great increase in the labour.

This machine occupies but very little space, about 5 feet by 10, or not more square feet than a common press, bank, and inkstand; but, although thus compact, it contains a vast quantity of extremely curious mechanism, and would require a very lengthened description to give a perfect understanding of its various parts and movements, but it is hoped that the distinct and accurate perspective view in the front of this work, will serve to make up that which is deficient here.

Mr. Napier has also constructed several machines upon the same general principle as mine, for newspaper-work; to print from only one forme, and that either with one or two cylinders; but these not requiring to reverse the sheet have none of the mechanism for perfecting; the paper is taken from the supplying board by an apparatus called the feeding bar, and conveyed round the cylinders by tapes; those with two cylinders possess double the speed of those with one; for, having the inking apparatus in the centre, the type is inked and an impression is taken both in the motion to and fro, being supplied with paper at both ends from boards at the top of the machine, which, when printed, is discharged underneath the supplying boards; of course it is calculated that one forme shall be ready and worked before the other, and the machine at liberty for perfecting, otherwise a second machine must be employed. The Morning Post, the News, &c. are printed by the single cylindrical machine, called the Imperial Printing Machine. The Courier, the British Traveller, &c. are printed by the two cylinders, called the Double Imperial Printing Machine; of the speed of these two machines, as compared with my own, experience does not enable me to speak; but I have reason to believe that they give ample satisfaction to those by whom they are employed; for the Proprietors of the News, Sunday-paper, in an article addressed to their readers, December 8th, 1822, publicly declare," that now they are enabled, without any extra exertion, to work off from 1200 to 1500 in the hour;" and the Courier of November 14th, 1823, says, "We think it right to announce to our readers, that the Courier is now printed by a machine of such extraordinary mechanical power, that it is capable of throwing off considerably above two thousand papers per hour; it has, indeed,

on one occasion, produced at the rate of 2880 impressions within the hour." Both of these speak of the single machine, and reckon by one side only; so that in each case, a second machine must be employed to perfect, or print on the other side. The power of one man is sufficient to turn these single cylinder machines; but two are kept, who relieve each other at short intervals.

After all, in the great variety of forms, and qualities of work passing through any printing-office, recourse must still be had to the aid of good manual presses and experienced pressmen. The serious expense of a printing-machine* can only be repaid by executing an extraordinary quantity of work in a much less portion of time than that usually occupied for the same work done by ordinary means. As, therefore, the time consumed in layingon, or making ready a forme, must be valuable in proportion to the number of sheets which might be struck off in that time; so, frequent repetition of the previous process for short numbers would counterbalance all gains arising from the speed in working. Machine printing will therefore be only applicable to works of But those of which limited numbers are printed; those also requiring a superior description of press-work, with fine ink; fine, and large paper, copies, with alterations of margin; and many other peculiar circumstances which are continually occurring, will always require a judicious choice of men and materials, for the old mode of working, varied as circumstances may at the moment require. Half-sheet work, or jobs printed on one side only, are either impracticable or disadvantageous at a perfecting machine.

extensive sale.

* Between six and seven hundred pounds.

ON PRINTING INK.

CHAPTER VIII.

First Improvements in Ink, by Baskerville, in 1760—Mr. Bulmer, 1790— First Manufacture for Sale-Mr. Blackwell-Mr. Thomas MartinMartin and Grafton of Birmingham-Secrets of Ink-making-The Black-Qualifications of Good Ink-Receipt for making Baskerville's Ink-Of the Varnish; Dangerous Process-Receipts for Black Ink and Red Ink-French mode of making the Varnish, Blacks, and mixing for Ink-Mr. Savage's Receipt-Coloured Inks-Observations on the Colour to be kept up-Specimens of Qualities-Mr. Griffiths, and other Makers.

IN speaking of this preparation, so essential, as regards its quality, to good printing, it is my intention to go somewhat more into detail than any of those who have hitherto written on the subject of printing. Notwithstanding all the efforts which have been made in this country, there is still a wide field open for further improvement in this article, and though many makers have from time to time started into notice, none of them have been hitherto fortunate enough to attain perfection.

Mr. Beale Blackwell was the first maker of ink of any note in this country; he established considerable works for the supply of the trade, and for a long time kept all competitors at a distance:* at length Messrs. Martin and Co. erected their works at Birmingham, and it is but justice to those gentlemen to say, they have been the means of making greater improvements in the manufacture than any who preceded them. The writer of this has tried most of the inks which have been recommended to the trade, from a desire of

* The manufactory established by Mr. Blackwell (of whom see p. 283) is now carried on by Mr. Colvil, who was in partnership with him for some

years.

encouraging competition and finding a better article, but has constantly found those trials only confirmatory of his opinion in favour of that supplied by the firm just mentioned, and is perfectly willing to let his credit, in his profession, rest upon the use of their ink, in competition with any ink, or improved ink, made in this kingdom.

In the address they circulated in January 1817, they observe :"The Art of Printing having, within a few years, arrived at a point of excellence unattempted at any former period, it may seem surprising that so essential an article to its beauty as Printing Ink should have so long remained in an unimproved state. It is, however, indisputably true, that this preparation has been found in numerous instances very defective; the ink frequently, from its tenacity, tearing off the fibre of the paper, and thus causing picks; at other times not drying properly; and still more frequently, from the impurities and imperfect combination of the oil and black, running on the paper and turning it of a yellow colour, thus destroying the excellency of the work, which, in every other respect, may have been executed with the greatest care.

"In the hope of avoiding these defects, which it is utterly impossible the printer should foresee, and of producing an ink, that, while it combines beauty and richness of colour, is calculated to bring off a clear impression from the finest shades of wood engraving, we have had recourse to numerous experiments, many of which have been of an expensive and troublesome nature. From the facility we possessed (being printers) of trying the products of these experiments, we were the better able to form a decided judgment as to the results-that we have succeeded, its extensive use must now fully evince," &c.

These observations prove them to have a knowledge of the requisites of the art they are practising, and though they have not hitherto attained the absolute perfection to be desired, still they may be fairly said to stand foremost on the list of competitors.

Few printers, of any eminence, in this country attempt to be entire makers of their own ink,* the improvement of the manufacturer's ink being the most that has been attempted by any printer of much practice, with the exception of Mr. Bulmer, and this has

* Even those who make their own ink are glad to obtain the black of the manufacture now spoken of.