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Typo: A Monthly Newspaper and Literary Review, Volume 1
Trade Wrinkles
Trade Wrinkles.
To Find the Lay of the Pages in a Half-Sheet Form.— Fold a sheet to double the number of pages, page backwards on one side of the sheet only; open out, and the pages will appear in their proper position. One form thus arranged, when printed on both sides of the sheet, gives two perfect copies.
Postage Stamp Gum.—The Scientific American says:—The following cheap recipe for the mucilage used on postage stamps may be useful for many purposes: Gum dextrine, two parts; acetic acid, one part; water, five parts; dissolved in a water bath, and one part of alcohol added.
Tea in Lithography.—The American Lithographer has awarded a $100 prize for this « wrinkle »—to use strong tea to keep the zinc surface or lithographic stone clean. The discovery was accidentally made. Tea contains from 6 to 12 per cent. of tannic acid, which is supposed to be the active agent. It is scarcely necessary to add that milk and sugar are not required. It is a curious fact that the agents most in favor for this purpose hitherto have been either tobacco or beer; but tea has proved to be superior to either.
Leather for Tint Blocks.—A correspondent of the Inland Printer sends some good specimens of tint-work, printed from a surface of patent leather glued to a wooden block, and cut with a pen-knife. One of these ran 25,000 impressions, with scarcely any perceptible wear. To offset the pattern, he took an impression in ink, and bronzed it over. He also produced good results by pressing lace and similar materials into the face of the leather with a heated iron.
(From the Paper World.)
To Render Glue Waterproof, first soak it in water till it becomes soft, and then melt it with gentle heat in linseed oil.
A Marking Ink for Wooden Packages.—Dissolve asphalt in naphtha or turpentine to a thin fluid. This dries quickly, and the markings are nearly indestructible.
To Take Grease Stains out of Paper.—Apply pipeclay, powdered and mixed with water to the thickness of cream; leave it on for four hours.
To Take Dirt off Book Leaves without injuring the printing: Besides the ordinary use of bread-crumbs, for the removal of stains, a solution of oxalic acid, citric acid, or tartaric acid may be used. These acids do not attack printing ink, but will remove marginal notes in writing ink, &c.
To Toughen Paper.—To render paper as tough as wood or leather, combine chloride of zinc with the pulp in the course of manufacture. The greater the degree of concentration of the zinc solution, the greater will be the toughness of the paper, which is thus serviceable for making boxes, combs, &c.
(From the British and Colonial Printer and Stationer.)
Stereotyping Woodcuts.—Cuts should be thoroughly dry before moulding, especially if pieced; otherwise the great heat is liable to make them warp and split. [The safe method is to allow the mould to dry gradually under pressure, without applying heat.—Typo.]
Waterproof Glue.—In order to render glue insoluble in water, even hot water, it is only necessary when dissolving it for use to add a little potassium bichromate to the water, and expose the glued part to the light. The proportion of bichromate will vary with circumstances; but for most purposes, about one-fifth of the amount of glue will suffice.
To Renew Faded Inks.—Moisten the paper with water, and then pass over the lines of writing a brush, which has been wet in a solution of sulphide of ammonia. The writing will immediately appear of a dark color, and in the case of parchment, will so remain. On paper it gradually fades out, but may be restored at pleasure by the application of the sulphide. The action of this substance is due to the iron of the ink being transformed by the reaction into the black sulphide.