Many of my colleagues are of the opinion, that marbled edges are inferior to drawn edges, but this is a great mistake, and here we are able to show in what directions the marbling art is able to develop to its full glory.
The field for marbled edges is so large and prolific in the variations of shade, that there are really no limits to its capabilities.
While making experiments in this field, by accident I came across some edges without having an idea of the effect of the combination which so astonished me by its beauty.
It would be endeavoring too greatly to describe the method of producing all effective marbled-edges which came to my knowledge in my many years' experience, I therefore name but a few which will certainly invite imitation and study.
Marble is the design of an edge of a book, which has a ground or back color and over which a net of veins of different colors is stretched.
For the production of marbled edges, the following preparation of size is advisable and in general use: boil 7 quarts of water and 3-1/5 ounces of carrageen moss, after boiling add 1 quart of coldwater, in which one ounce of common soda has been dissolved, allow it to stand for 12 hours, and filter it through a linen cloth when it will be ready for use.
The preparation of colors is effected as with drawn marbles on a small surface of size, but it is necessary, that the colors for marbled edges expand more than the others. As first color, black is generally used, which is thrown on by a brush in the same way as in making nonpareil marble, but the other colors must be thrown on by a broom-corn whisk and the more colors are used, the smaller must be the drops of the colors which are thrown on the size, and it is further essential that they should be evenly divided around. Then use gall-water which consists of 10 parts water and 1 part gall and serves to arrange the different colors so that one color can be concentrated in one point, secondly, it has the effect of forming a white network of veins, which enhances the effect of the other colors, and finally, the ground color comes into play, putting the whole carpet of colors into motion. This color is nothing but a common nonpareil color and is used either by itself or in a mixture with other colors.
In preparing the ground or body color, enough of gall is added so as to slightly force the other colors into veins. An equal part of sprinkling-water is added to it, to give it the energetical power of spreading out essential to theformation of a beautifully veined net. The body-color is thrown on by a medium sized bristle brush, which must be tied near the end for this purpose. This brush is to be equally moistened with the body color, the best would be to moisten it by the aid of a common brush. When this is done throw the color by beating the bristle brush on a small board upon the carpet of colors. By this process larger or smaller specks of the body-color are formed.
The marbled edges are always named from the body-color, as the latter always occupies the largest space on the edge. For dark-red marble the following colors are used: black, light pink (10 parts white, 1 part safflower-carmine), light-grey (10 parts white, 1 part black), gall-water and, finally, the ground color.
The latter is composed of 2 parts carmine-lake, 1 part black and 3 parts sprinkling-water.
This kind of marbling is the most profitable of the veined marbles because it can be produced very rapidly.
For this purpose prepare the black color with gall in such a way, that a drop will spread out on the size to a spot of about 5-1/2 inches in diameter, then add an equal quantity of sprinkling water, dip a large broom-corn whisk or a bristle-brush into the color and throw it by beating on a boardupon the size which has been cleaned off by a strip of paper. The color appears on the size a gray color with white veins, from which the edge can be taken.
To produce this use the following colors; black, orange or citron yellow, Indian red with a little black and Oriental blue, finally adding gall water and the body color. This ground color consists of 1 part Indigo and 1 part sprinkling water.
This marble is one of the most common, but if the colors are well selected as given in the following paragraph it will give a fine effect.
Black first, Havana brown second, chamois third, gall water, and, as ground color, humin-brown with a little carmine lake and one part sprinkling water.
To produce this the following colors are necessary, black, dark purple, light bluish green, gall-water and a mixture of black with sprinkling water, by which the ground shade, gray, is obtained. A lighter or darker gray is obtained by adding more or less sprinkling water to the ground color.
This marble has a very beautiful effect although in producing it but three colors are used. It belongs to the so called large-veined marbles and forms an olive grayish ground with a fine net ofveins of black, dark-brown and white. It is produced in the following way; first black is put on with the brush, then brown is squirted on by the aid of a broom-corn whisk and then gall water and finally the body color is added. The body color consists of 2 parts black, 1 part green and the necessary sprinkling-water. If the shade of the body color is too deep, some pure water is added. For producing large veined marbles, the brush must be well filled with color, so that in throwing on of the color quite large drops will fall.
It was formerly an unknown thing to produce a black marble over which a net of light-colored veins was stretched. My investigations have resulted in my becoming able to produce this brilliant and effective marble.
The colors used are scarlet-red, bluish-green and gall water, the latter representing the white, this network of veins comes out excellently from the dark ground-tone. The scarlet-red color is first taken and must spread out in a like way, as the black in the other two marbles. Then follows bluish-green and gall-water and finally the body color is added. The latter makes a special preparation necessary. Take 3/5 of an ounce of ivory-black add 1/6 of an ounce of a thick solution of gum, grind the whole mixture with a mixture of shellac-ammonia which has been diluted with a little water. If the color is ground perfectly fine it is diluted with thesolution of shellac-ammonia and is ready for use. Should it not be powerful enough to force the colors into veins, a few more drops of gall must be added. This body color is likewise thrown on by the aid of the large bristle brush as all other body colors.
As beautiful as this kind of marbling may be, there is a disadvantage in its use as the body color must always be newly prepared, because on the second day after standing it curdles, and cannot be used any more.
By mixing the colors very beautiful effects may be obtained. One of these fine marbles is the bluish-gray. To prepare it the following mode is used; claret red (2 parts carmine-lake and 1 part black) and as body color, Oriental blue mixed with black and sprinkling-water.
To produce this the following colors are used; black, yellow, cinnabar-red or Indian-red, Oriental blue and gall water and finally the gray body color.
The colors are put on in the following way; first black with the brush into a ribbon-like form, then yellow is squirted on in small drops by means of a broom-corn whisk, then follow red, blue and gall water which are treated like yellow, and finally, the body color is squirted on by the aid of a whisk or the large brush. The latter forces the colors by its great spreading power into beautiful veins, afterwhich the edge can be taken off. The body color consists of 1 part black and 2 parts sprinkling water.
This is one of the most beautiful specimens of marble and according to the shading of the body color most beautiful effects can be produced by it. The following colors are used to produce it; black, carmine-red (1 part carmine lake and 1/2 part black), gray (1 part black and 10 parts white), finally gall-water and the body color.
The mode of producing it is the same as described before. The body color consists of 1 part black, 2 parts of sprinkling water and as much green as is necessary to produce the desired shade.
Before adding sprinkling water to the body color, black, only so much gall is added that it will but slightly push the different colors thrown on.
These marbles are in great use and are much liked on account of their rapid and easy production, especially when many books are to be marbled; they appear very elegant on account of their fineness.
For hair marbles but one or two colors are employed which are diluted with water to 1/3 their volume. Add enough of gall to the first color so that in throwing the same on the size it will spread sufficiently to form a ribbon from 5 to 6 inches wide. Take a whisk and throw on the second color in drops that are not too large and as nearly as possible, equally distributed, then, with the bristle-brush, or sieve and brush throw sprinkling water on the colors. In this way hair veins are formed, showing more or less ground according to the quantity of sprinkling water thrown on.
The size is produced for all hair-marbles alike. In the morning boil 3-1/5 ounces of carrageen moss in 7 quarts of water and after the boiling add 1 quart of cold water, stir the whole mixture several times and allow it to stand during the day until it is fully cooled off. In the evening the size must be again diluted by another quart of water and it isthen filtered through a piece of linen and left to stand over night. The next day it is ready for use. This holds good during the summer months as the temperature of the air will just make the size useful for this purpose. During the winter months the size must be allowed to stand for 36 hours before use.
To produce this variety of marble there is a screen or sieve necessary as well as a wide brush having stiff bristles. By adding gall from time to time, the black is made so expansive that a single drop will be spread out to a spot of about 8 inches in diameter. Dip the brush into sprinkling water, shake the brush well so that the superfluous water is thrown out, hold the sieve above the size and move the brush quickly and lightly over it. In this way the hair marble is finished and may be taken off.
For this to be produced the best color is Indian or mineral red since all other chemical coloring substances which are bound to bodies will usually run, on strong compression, into hair veins. Only the excellent lakes of Munich will withstand this treatment, but the fineness of the veins leaves much to be desired, whereas Indian red answers every purpose.
The mode of producing it is the same as appliedin producing black hair-marble, but, instead of black, Indigo is used. Indigo is the only one among blue coloring matters that admits of the necessary expansion for the production of hair veins without running off or gathering into small lumps.
For the production of this marble, black and Indian red are taken. The black is first thrown upon the size as in black hair-vein marble, the red is then treated by adding gall until a drop thrown upon the black will spread to about 2 inches in diameter. The trial is made with a brush, but for the purpose of producing the marble a whisk is taken, by means of which the red is thrown upon the black in very small drops and close to each other.
To produce this marble Indigo and Vandyke brown are taken. The Indigo is put on first then the Vandyke brown is thrown on by a whisk, and finally, the carpet of colors is forced into forming veins by sprinkling water, which is applied by aid of the brush and sieve.
The table upon which marbling is to be executed must be firm and immovable. On it the utensils necessary to marbling are placed. The trough, colors, gall in a closed bottle with stopper pierced by a tube, a vessel with water, the comb, the size skimmer are all to be within easy reach. They should be placed about in the following order; in front, nearest to the workman and to the right, the trough, the receptacle for the waste color and board for skimming off the size to the left, beyond the trough the vessels in which the colors and gall are kept, behind the first vessels containing the colors the dish containing water, and alongside this the bottle containing gall and next to it the comb and stylus. On the left side of the trough there must be a sufficiently large space for the books to be marbled.
Before closing the article on marbling, I will add a few words to the precautions to be observed whilemarbling. Before all else, see that the air in the room, where the marbling is to be done, is free of dust, as the falling dust, especially in drawn marbles will form many white spots, which spoil the effect of the marbling.
Cleanliness should always be observed, as the beauty of the marbles and their rapid production depend on it. Protect the size from dust by a lid, which you place on the vessel, and have a large soft sponge ready to remove the superfluous size after each immersion of the book, by which a rapid drying is obtained and the moisture is prohibited from impregnating the book.
I must mention here a newly discovered medium which has been found essential in the formation of beautiful veins in plain marble; take 1/10 quart of shellac orange, add 1/8 quart spirits of ammonia, allow the whole to boil for 5 minutes stirring repeatedly (by which a uniform solution of shellac in ammonia is obtained), take it from the fire and dilute the solution with about 2 quarts of water. Throw the fluid by means of the brush on the size and then throw on the body-color,seeplain gray marble. In this way beautiful white veinswill appear, which is explained by the fact, that the surface of the size is covered with an expanding medium, which can be forced together by the body-color, but is strong enough to hinder the union of the latter.
If gilt, silver or aluminium edges are to be marbled, burnish slightly and moisten by a soft brush with a solution of powdered alum in hot water which is of the consistency of a thin pap.
The marbling of the gilt-edge is then executed in the usual way before the coating of alum is entirely dry.
After the marbling is done, water is poured over the edge until it is entirely clean.
When the edge is completely dried it is rubbed over with a waxed rag and is then burnished in the usual way. For marbling the usual marbling colors are applicable, but it should here be added, that very dry edges will not take the marbling colors readily.
For the purpose of marbling on a large scale especial arrangements have to be made, and it is wonderful how elegant and practical are the marbling rooms of large establishments. For instance the tables and floors are of stone andcement, or of wood covered with zinc plates, and the troughs and receptacles to take off the fluids which have been employed are to be found in universal use. Even large iron cranes are erected to hold the books together and lift them off, and to transport them to the revolving drying apparatus, which can be heated.
These arrangements are in keeping with the extent of the business and can here only be lightly passed upon.
The marbling trough is a long flat oblong box of about 20 inches in length, 10 inches wide, and 1-1/4 inches deep inside, and should be painted within with white oil-paint so that the size appears light making the colors more readily discernible.
This trough must have inserted on one side a sloping partition of sheet zinc so that the waste of color may be skimmed over it by aid of paper slips or a piece of wooden board without running it over the top.
In addition to the trough containing the marbling size, a second smaller trough or basin of 10 inches width, and 1-1/4 inches depth is necessary for the reception of the waste of color. This is to be placed, while marbling, immediately to the left of the first trough.
This is a piece of wooden board about 2 inches high, about 1/4 inch thick and of the exact width of the trough. At both ends the board is slightly wider than the trough, protruding, and while the larger part of the board moves over the surface of the size, the projecting ends act as guides by sliding over the rim of the trough. In this waythe board is always kept in a like position and serves to remove the air bubbles and films and also the color waste.
Recently, strips of blotting paper 1 inch wide have been frequently and successfully used for the removal of waste of color. They are applied in the same manner as the board.
of wood or bone, is used for the drawing of the colors in producing nonpareil marbles. This was described in the chapter on nonpareil edges.
For the production of nonpareil marble, the comb is employed, made in the following way; take two strips of heavy pasteboard, 12 inches long and 2-1/2 inches wide, divide one of these exactly where the needles are to be inserted, draw grooves so that the needles can be laid in; glue the part in which the needles are to be laid, insert the needles in the grooves as aforesaid, and, after drying, the second strip of pasteboard, is glued upon the first.
The needles best adapted to comb making for use in comb marbling are fine pearl needles of steel; they are preferable to the common pins because they do not bend and do not offer any resistance to the size while drawing the colors, and also because they cut the colors easily without forming furrows.
The comb is so prepared that the pasteboardprotrudes slightly at both ends, by this the movement of the comb is defined by the rim of the trough. It is advisable to prepare about three such combs with the needles separated from each other about 3/32, 3/16 and 1/4 inch respectively.
The peacock comb consists of two common combs having strong needles separated from one another by 1/2 inch. These two combs are put together by means of a pasteboard frame in such a way that they can be moved 1/4 inch to the side.
Moved sideways the needles of one comb move to the centre between the needles of the other comb, they cover each other as soon as both combs are moved 1/4 inch in the opposite direction.
To distribute the colors equally for drawn edges it is necessary to divide the color around on the size as explained in the chapter on nonpareil marble. This is almost impossible if a common brush is employed as the drops cannot be voluntarily directed by it, I have had, therefore, brushes made with bent bristles which make the distribution of the drops easier.
This whisk is made of soft broom-corn about 1 to 2 inches thick. The upper end is tightly bound with string or wire so that about 5 inches of straw protrude. These whisks are used in producing marble-edges.
A bristle brush 3 inches long and from 2 to 2-1/2 inches thick is bound by a well waxed packing-thread about 1-1/4 inches from the top so that the bristles are open for a length of 1-3/4 inches. This brush is very well adapted for distributing the drops.
In marbling large lots of books, large broom-corn whisks are profitably used for throwing on the body color or sprinkling water. Being possessed of the above mentioned utensils which only are expensive at first, nothing is further necessary for the production of beautiful edges.
THE BOOK CLAMP.
The clamp is used to hold several books together which are to be immersed at the same time into the marbling trough. They are of iron entirely, are eccentrical in their movement and make a very quick handling and an easier holding of the books possible.
For the purpose of producing nonpareil marble an equal distribution of color is desirable.
APPARATUS FOR THROWING ON COLORS.
It consists of four small color receptacles and apparatus from which protrude needles equi-distant from each other in the form of a rake.
The throwing of marble-colors at equal distances and in equally large drops on the size is made possible by it in a very certain and easy way and is even a good help to the inexperienced marbler in the production of even and exemplary edges. For the production of comb-marble on a large scale this apparatus is especially profitable as by using it much time is saved.
Table I.Trying of Colors.Trying of Colors for Nonpareil Marble.Trying of Colors for Nonpareil Marble.Black 3 to 4-1/2 inches in diameter.Blue, yellow and red in rings within each other.SeePage 105.
Trying of Colors for Nonpareil Marble.Trying of Colors for Nonpareil Marble.Black 3 to 4-1/2 inches in diameter.Blue, yellow and red in rings within each other.SeePage 105.
Trying of Colors for Nonpareil Marble.
Trying of Colors for Nonpareil Marble.Black 3 to 4-1/2 inches in diameter.Blue, yellow and red in rings within each other.SeePage 105.
Trying of Colors for Nonpareil Marble.
Black 3 to 4-1/2 inches in diameter.Blue, yellow and red in rings within each other.
Table II.Trying of Colors.Size too consistent.Size too consistent.Result of drawing the colors with a stylus.SeePage 104.
Size too consistent.Size too consistent.Result of drawing the colors with a stylus.SeePage 104.
Size too consistent.
Size too consistent.Result of drawing the colors with a stylus.SeePage 104.
Size too consistent.
Result of drawing the colors with a stylus.
Table III.Throwing on of Colors.Ribbon-like Throwing on of Colors.Ribbon-like Throwing on of Colors.[First color] for Nonpareil Marble.SeePage 105.
Ribbon-like Throwing on of Colors.Ribbon-like Throwing on of Colors.[First color] for Nonpareil Marble.SeePage 105.
Ribbon-like Throwing on of Colors.
Ribbon-like Throwing on of Colors.[First color] for Nonpareil Marble.SeePage 105.
Ribbon-like Throwing on of Colors.
[First color] for Nonpareil Marble.
Table IV.Throwing on of Colors.Throwing on of the other colors for Nonpareil Marble.Throwing on of the other colors for Nonpareil Marble.[Ribbon-like in two stripes.]SeePage 106.
Throwing on of the other colors for Nonpareil Marble.Throwing on of the other colors for Nonpareil Marble.[Ribbon-like in two stripes.]SeePage 106.
Throwing on of the other colors for Nonpareil Marble.
Throwing on of the other colors for Nonpareil Marble.[Ribbon-like in two stripes.]SeePage 106.
Throwing on of the other colors for Nonpareil Marble.
[Ribbon-like in two stripes.]
Table V.Drawing with the Stylus.Drawing of the colors thrown on for Nonpareil or Comb Marble.Drawing of the colors thrown on[see preceding table] for Nonpareil or Comb Marble.SeePage 106.
Drawing of the colors thrown on for Nonpareil or Comb Marble.Drawing of the colors thrown on[see preceding table] for Nonpareil or Comb Marble.SeePage 106.
Drawing of the colors thrown on for Nonpareil or Comb Marble.
Drawing of the colors thrown on[see preceding table] for Nonpareil or Comb Marble.SeePage 106.
Drawing of the colors thrown on
[see preceding table] for Nonpareil or Comb Marble.
SeePage 106.
Table VI.Nonpareil Marble.NARROW COMB.NARROW COMB.WIDE COMB.WIDE COMB.NARROW AND WIDE COMB.NARROW AND WIDE COMB.COMB DRAWN BACK.COMB DRAWN BACK.DOUBLE COMB.DOUBLE COMB.COMB DRAWN CROSSWISE.COMB DRAWN CROSSWISE.
NARROW COMB.NARROW COMB.WIDE COMB.WIDE COMB.NARROW AND WIDE COMB.NARROW AND WIDE COMB.COMB DRAWN BACK.COMB DRAWN BACK.DOUBLE COMB.DOUBLE COMB.COMB DRAWN CROSSWISE.COMB DRAWN CROSSWISE.
NARROW COMB.NARROW COMB.
NARROW COMB.
WIDE COMB.WIDE COMB.
WIDE COMB.
NARROW AND WIDE COMB.NARROW AND WIDE COMB.
NARROW AND WIDE COMB.
COMB DRAWN BACK.COMB DRAWN BACK.
COMB DRAWN BACK.
DOUBLE COMB.DOUBLE COMB.
DOUBLE COMB.
COMB DRAWN CROSSWISE.COMB DRAWN CROSSWISE.
COMB DRAWN CROSSWISE.
Table VII.Peacock and Bouquet Marbles.PEACOCK MARBLE.PEACOCK MARBLE.PEACOCK MARBLE.PEACOCK MARBLE.PEACOCK MARBLE.PEACOCK MARBLE.BOUQUET MARBLE.BOUQUET MARBLE.AMERICAN MARBLE.AMERICAN MARBLE.FANCY MARBLE.FANCY MARBLE.
PEACOCK MARBLE.PEACOCK MARBLE.PEACOCK MARBLE.PEACOCK MARBLE.PEACOCK MARBLE.PEACOCK MARBLE.BOUQUET MARBLE.BOUQUET MARBLE.AMERICAN MARBLE.AMERICAN MARBLE.FANCY MARBLE.FANCY MARBLE.
PEACOCK MARBLE.PEACOCK MARBLE.
PEACOCK MARBLE.
PEACOCK MARBLE.PEACOCK MARBLE.
PEACOCK MARBLE.
PEACOCK MARBLE.PEACOCK MARBLE.
PEACOCK MARBLE.
BOUQUET MARBLE.BOUQUET MARBLE.
BOUQUET MARBLE.
AMERICAN MARBLE.AMERICAN MARBLE.
AMERICAN MARBLE.
FANCY MARBLE.FANCY MARBLE.
FANCY MARBLE.
Table VIII.Hair-Vein Marble.BLACK. See page 148.BLACK.Seepage 148.BROWN.BROWN.RED. See page 148.RED.Seepage 148.BLUE. See page 148.BLUE.Seepage 148.RED AND BLACK. See page 149.RED AND BLACK.Seepage 149.BLUISH-BROWN. See page 149.BLUISH-BROWN.Seepage 149.
BLACK. See page 148.BLACK.Seepage 148.BROWN.BROWN.RED. See page 148.RED.Seepage 148.BLUE. See page 148.BLUE.Seepage 148.RED AND BLACK. See page 149.RED AND BLACK.Seepage 149.BLUISH-BROWN. See page 149.BLUISH-BROWN.Seepage 149.
BLACK. See page 148.BLACK.Seepage 148.
BLACK.Seepage 148.
BROWN.BROWN.
BROWN.
RED. See page 148.RED.Seepage 148.
RED.Seepage 148.
BLUE. See page 148.BLUE.Seepage 148.
BLUE.Seepage 148.
RED AND BLACK. See page 149.RED AND BLACK.Seepage 149.
RED AND BLACK.Seepage 149.
BLUISH-BROWN. See page 149.BLUISH-BROWN.Seepage 149.
BLUISH-BROWN.Seepage 149.
Table IX.Turkish Marble.BLACK.Thrown on in ribbon form.See page 138.BLACK.Thrown on in ribbon form.Seepage 138.RED.Small drops thrown on with broom-corn whisk.See page 138.RED.Small drops thrown on with broom-corn whisk.Seepage 138.BLUE.Small drops thrown on with whisk.See page 138.BLUE.Small drops thrown on with whisk.Seepage 138.YELLOW.Small drops thrown on with whisk.See page 138.YELLOW.Small drops thrown on with whisk.Seepage 138.GALL WATERto produce white veins.See page 138.GALL WATERto produce white veins.Seepage 138.GROUND COLOR GRAY,Sprinkling water with Black.See pages 138 and 139.GROUND COLOR GRAY,Sprinkling water with Black.See pages138and139.
BLACK.Thrown on in ribbon form.See page 138.BLACK.Thrown on in ribbon form.Seepage 138.RED.Small drops thrown on with broom-corn whisk.See page 138.RED.Small drops thrown on with broom-corn whisk.Seepage 138.BLUE.Small drops thrown on with whisk.See page 138.BLUE.Small drops thrown on with whisk.Seepage 138.YELLOW.Small drops thrown on with whisk.See page 138.YELLOW.Small drops thrown on with whisk.Seepage 138.GALL WATERto produce white veins.See page 138.GALL WATERto produce white veins.Seepage 138.GROUND COLOR GRAY,Sprinkling water with Black.See pages 138 and 139.GROUND COLOR GRAY,Sprinkling water with Black.See pages138and139.
BLACK.Thrown on in ribbon form.See page 138.BLACK.Thrown on in ribbon form.Seepage 138.
BLACK.Thrown on in ribbon form.Seepage 138.
RED.Small drops thrown on with broom-corn whisk.See page 138.RED.Small drops thrown on with broom-corn whisk.Seepage 138.
RED.Small drops thrown on with broom-corn whisk.Seepage 138.
BLUE.Small drops thrown on with whisk.See page 138.BLUE.Small drops thrown on with whisk.Seepage 138.
BLUE.Small drops thrown on with whisk.Seepage 138.
YELLOW.Small drops thrown on with whisk.See page 138.YELLOW.Small drops thrown on with whisk.Seepage 138.
YELLOW.Small drops thrown on with whisk.Seepage 138.
GALL WATERto produce white veins.See page 138.GALL WATERto produce white veins.Seepage 138.
GALL WATERto produce white veins.Seepage 138.
GROUND COLOR GRAY,Sprinkling water with Black.See pages 138 and 139.GROUND COLOR GRAY,Sprinkling water with Black.See pages138and139.
GROUND COLOR GRAY,Sprinkling water with Black.See pages138and139.
Table X.Turkish Marble.DARK RED.See page 139.DARK RED.Seepage 139.BLUISH GRAY.See page 142.BLUISH GRAY.Seepage 142.BROWN.See page 140.BROWN.Seepage 140.OLIVE.See pages 140 and 141.OLIVE.See pages140and141.BLACK.See page 141.BLACK.Seepage 141.CHAMOIS.CHAMOIS.
DARK RED.See page 139.DARK RED.Seepage 139.BLUISH GRAY.See page 142.BLUISH GRAY.Seepage 142.BROWN.See page 140.BROWN.Seepage 140.OLIVE.See pages 140 and 141.OLIVE.See pages140and141.BLACK.See page 141.BLACK.Seepage 141.CHAMOIS.CHAMOIS.
DARK RED.See page 139.DARK RED.Seepage 139.
DARK RED.Seepage 139.
BLUISH GRAY.See page 142.BLUISH GRAY.Seepage 142.
BLUISH GRAY.Seepage 142.
BROWN.See page 140.BROWN.Seepage 140.
BROWN.Seepage 140.
OLIVE.See pages 140 and 141.OLIVE.See pages140and141.
OLIVE.See pages140and141.
BLACK.See page 141.BLACK.Seepage 141.
BLACK.Seepage 141.
CHAMOIS.CHAMOIS.
CHAMOIS.
ColoredandDecorated Edges.
ACCORDING TO THE
NEWEST DISCOVERIES
BY
Eminent Specialists.
A great similarity to marble edges have the so called starched edges.
To produce this kind of an edge no especial practice and no important preparations are necessary, but it permits of many varieties.
For this purpose, books already cut are placed into the hand press, and in such a way, that the edge is horizontal.
Dissolve a small quantity of pure rice starch in water until it has the consistency of a paste, add the different colors, which must be soluble in water in order to color properly, such as carmine or vermilion, cinnabar, Turkey, burnt umber, Prussian-blue, ultramarine, etc.
When the color added has been carefully united by stirring with the solution of starch, throw, by the aid of a small whisk, the solution so colored in drops that are not too small on the edge placed horizontally, so that the edge is covered as uniformly as possible.
As soon as the starch thrown on is dried, sprinkle on by the aid of a sprinkling brush and sieve, a darker color over the whole surface and allow the whole edge to dry again, then brush offthe superfluous starch, and the colored and spotted edge will appear with veins interspersed.
The edge will be more effective and more similar to marble, if, for example, bluish-gray colored starch and then other starch mixed with red, the former in small the latter in larger drops, are thrown on so that the edge is quite well covered. Finally, a dark-brown color is sprinkled over the whole surface.
Such edges have the effect of bluish-gray marbling imitations which are interspersed by dark veins. If you sprinkle on fluid gold bronze i. e. bronze finely ground in gum-arabic, instead of the dark-brown color, you obtain the celebrated gold veined edge in connection with the starched edge.
Unsized paper is the best for producing starch edges because it quickly absorbs the moisture of the starch and color.
To sized paper the color does not stick so readily and for that reason often runs together. To prevent this, moisten the edge before applying the starch color, with some ox-gall, and allow the first color to dry thoroughly before applying the second.
The beautiful marbled edges have nearly driven every other kind of edges entirely out of the market.
Aside from marbled edges, colored edges are mostly used. They will keep their place on account of the simplicity of their production and their bright coloring effects.
Red-edges, especially when prettily made, give a dignified aspect to a book, so to speak, and they are therefore frequently and properly employed.
Our highly developed color industry offers to us a very great number of red colors, especially the carmine, vermilions and cinnabars, all of great value in our trade. These colors will not fade, the former carmine possesses great intensity, and cinnabar has the power to obliterate colors underlying it.
When cheap colored edges are to be produced even aniline colors can be taken into consideration. For instance, eosine is a red color, which used by itself or in combination with carmine and other red colors makes a beautiful color for edges but it will fade on exposure to the sun.
The preparation of these colors is of importance. Genuine carmine should, after the different pieceshave been crushed, be ground for a short time with a little spirits of ammonia and then allowed to stand until completely dissolved. To dilute it, a thin solution of gum or water (the best is rain water) may be used. If too much spirits of ammonia has been employed the color will assume a bluish hue.
The heavy cinnabar makes a more powerful binding medium necessary, the best being a paste of starch or a solution of gum-arabic. Careful crushing and a thorough grinding of the color are essential.
Genuine carmine has a red color with a slight bluish cast whereas cinnabar approaches yellowish-red. A pleasing, pure red can be produced by using Turkish red. A bright lustrous shade is obtained by adding some red aniline color.
If edges have to be colored blue, use ultramarine blue for dark, or cobalt blue for light.
Both colors must be mixed with gum-arabic or paste by grinding, and, if necessary, be diluted with water.
To produce yellow edges, chrome yellow is mostly used. It is for sale in all different shades from the brightest greenish-yellow, to the darkest orange-yellow.
In using it, like any other mineral or earth colors, it is finely ground and mixed, for use, with paste.
Green edges are often produced by using Schweinfurt's green or silk-green. By mixinglight chrome-yellow with cobalt-blue, a beautiful rich green results.
For brown and black the well known colors umber, sepia, vegetable lamp-black, drop ivory-black and others are employed.
The color for producing violet edges can be best obtained by mixing cobalt-blue with Turkish-red or carmine.
It is always the most essential part of the process to grind the color uniformly with the paste, if it is desirable to obtain an edge of the same intensity of color.
A peeling off of the color while the edges are being burnished is due to a lack of paste, or of a too great consistency or too insufficient fineness of the color.
Recently our industry has taken this article in hand and furnishes a large number of beautiful, cheap and well prepared colors for producing edges which can be bought more profitably than they can be laboriously made.
As all colored edges, to give a beautiful effect, must be burnished after coloring, it is advisable to execute the coloring while the books are in the press, place the books after their front edges have been cut, by the aid of gilding boards into the hand-press and with a soft brush apply the color thinly. If the color does not thoroughly cover on one application, the operation must be repeated after the first coat has completely dried. When auniform color is obtained allow the edge to dry in the press and then burnish it well with a broad burnisher.
By using a little wax you will render the burnishing more successful.
The color will sometimes enter into unsized or wood paper notwithstanding heavy pressure.
To avoid this the edges must be moistened with a thin paste to which some alum is added. It is still better to use the grounding substance manufactured by William Leo, of Stuttgart.
If beautiful edges are to be produced, then, in cutting the book it is necessary to see that the knife of the machine is free from nicks, so that the cut is clean and smooth.
At the fore-edge of the book there will always appear some small parts of the different sheets protruding slightly. If this is to be overcome, these edges are to be treated as hollow edges which means that they must be scraped hollow before coloring and must be burnished with the round-burnisher.
The use of colored edges is always left to individual taste. The following rule may be of some advantage; colored edges must have a binding of an opposite color. A red edge will appear to most advantage with a white, gray, dull-green, dark-brown or antique binding.
Bindings of a reddish-brown color would lose in their general aspect by the employment of a red edge.
If books with red edges are to be covered with red, it is then essential that the colors of both are corresponding.
In the production of gilt edges, there have not been any essential improvements noticed.
If the gilt-edge is to-day produced more beautifully and perfectly than formerly, it is due in part to a more extensive experience and practice, and also to the excellent quality of gold-leaf now on the market.
No edges contribute so greatly to the generally elegant appearance of a book as gilt-edges; they are lustrous and rich and are more pleasing to the eyes of most men than the plain and unseemly colored edges, though a great deal of trouble and industry is necessary to the production of these beautiful effects.
A principal condition in the production of gilt-edges is the utmost cleanliness and skill in executing the necessary manipulations.
In cutting the book, great care must be taken that the cuts are entirely smooth and clean, without any blemish. Sharp knifes are therefore indispensable in this kind of work.
Gilt-edges demand an entirely smooth surface which is only produced by carefully scraping the surface with a steel scraper. The edge must be scraped perfectly smooth so as not to show themarks of the knife in cutting or those of the scraper. To this end the books, the edges of which have already been cut, are placed between gilding-boards in hand presses in such a way that the fore-edge protrudes but slightly over the cheeks of the press. After the press has been tightly drawn down and has been fastened firmly, the scraping of the edges can be begun. When this tiresome work has been finished, and an entirely smooth surface has been obtained, the surface is moistened with a paste-water and rubbed dry with clean paper-shavings. By this grinding and rubbing off, the edge becomes shiny and dry, and gains in the power of resistance, which is of great importance for the burnishing that occurs in the later stage of gilt-edging.
The smooth, hard ground of paste is not sufficient for the production of gilt-edges that are perfectly beautiful.
They must be colored lightly with bolus or chalk, (the most adapted to this work is the finely washed Armenian bole.)
The book-binders supply establishment of Wm. Leo, of Stuttgart, provides an excellent article.
This bole after it has been finely ground and scraped, must be mixed with a solution of albumen (the white of the egg) such as is used for laying on gold leaf, and must be spread lightly and evenly over the edge by a fine broad hair brush or with a fine sponge, to prohibit the scaling off of the gold.
This process must be repeated. The ground of bole gives the gilt-edge a dark shade and a high lustre and glow.
When the grounding of bole is entirely dry, and all the parts clinging to the edge have been carefully brushed off, we begin the most difficult part in the production of gilt-edges, the laying on of the gold.
As binding medium between the gold-leaf and the edge of the book, a solution of the white of the egg is used. Carefully separate the white of the egg from the yolk and dilute the same with 1 pint of water and stir until a perfect mixture of the two results. After this fluid has stood for several hours, it becomes perfectly clear, the froth of the egg floating upon the surface is removed and the solution is ready for use.
Paper containing lime makes a stronger size necessary.
To transfer the gold-leaf, which has been cut on the gold cushion to the size required, on to the edge, a rectangular light wooden frame of wood or paste board is used, across which two horse hairs or silk threads are stretched parallel to the long sides of the rectangle in such a way that they can be moved at will nearer to or farther from one another.