Hints on Working Bromes.

As Typo is ever ready to further the interests of our art, a few words upon the use (or abuse) of one of the greatest beautifiers the intelligent pressman has or can ever have placed in his hands, may not be unacceptable. I refer to the use of gold and silver bronzes. At the present time, the use of gold-bronze is almost essential to the production of high-class work. Scarcely any specimens of fine color-printing are devoid of gold, as it can be used in conjunction with any one, two, or three colors without destroying their density or blend. In working bronze, it is absolutely necessary that the following points should be attended to:—1. The rollers should be well seasoned, made of glue and treacle, and slightly sponged before putting on the machine. (We have used patent composition, but find the glue-and-treacle rollers, if properly made, far superior.) 2. The inks that should be used, and that produce the best effect, are, for gold, yellow chrome, and mid- or thin-varnish, but a great deal depends upon the quality of paper used; and for silver, a pale blue, consisting of flake-white, mid-varnish, and just enough ultramarine to bring it to a light sky-blue. Copper and fire-colored bronzes should be used over a slightly red or warm ground. A few drops of copal varnish added to the ink will cause it to dry harder, and there is less likelihood of it rubbing off; but never, on any account, thin the color with oil. Not only does it destroy the adherent qualities of the varnish, making the work patchy, but it spoils the bronze, which turns green, and loses its lustre. There is a diversity of opinion as to the color upon which bronze-powders should be used; but I make the foregoing statement, knowing from experience that the colors named give the best results for ordinary work. Of course, there are many cases in which a different shade of bronze is required, and then the pressman must use his discretion. For instance, take a job worked in three colors—gold, blue, and red. It is absolutely necessary that the gold, to be in contrast to the red, should be of a brassy color, or light. In this case, the chrome-yellow should be used; but in working gold by itself, on white enamel card, a little red or Vandyke will bring out the bronze, and wonderfully improve it. 3. Having seen to the rollers, and decided upon the color to be used, we must select our boy to apply the bronze. Let me here state that although this is the most particular part of all bronze-work, it is, without exception, performed by the most inexperienced « devil » in the establishment, who is generally borrowed from his « gully, » planted in the machine-room, and in less time than it takes to relate is unrecognisable amidst the cloud of bronze which he sets afloat to cover himself and spoil the ink-tables and rollers of all the machines in the room. The bronze should be applied by a person qualified to watch the color, and should never be left to the mercy of the boys, who will smudge more sheets and waste more bronze than would pay for a competent hand, apart from the risk they run of poisoning themselves and everyone else in the press-room. To maintain the greatest amount of brilliancy in the work, the powder should be applied with a piece of soft cotton-wool, only enough being taken up to cover the lettering with a solid coat. This should be gently rubbed to polish the surface, and passed to a boy to lay-out, or if the copal varnish is used, to dust-off. The great secret in good bronze-work is to use as little powder as possible, and to rub lightly, and well-polish it after applied. By using a small brush and a spot or two of benzine to rub off the form every now and then, the work will be kept from filling up, and the color improved. A great deal more could be said with regard to bronzes and bronze-printing; but I am afraid I have exceeded the mark, and must reserve it for another time.