It is wrongly supposed that the art of arranging colours so as to produce
the best effects in printing is entirely dependent on the taste of the
operator; for harmony is determined by fixed natural laws. The increasing
demand for decorative or ornamental work renders it of some importance
to the letter-press printer to make himself acquainted with these laws;
as, without some attention to them, the most elegant designs of the
type founder, and the finest inks that can be made, may yield but an
indifferent, if not a decidedly unpleasing, result.
The following remarks will be of use to persons to whom the subject is
new; but for a thorough explanation of it they should refer to Chevreul
on _Colours_,—a valuable work in the French language, which has been
translated into English.
I. We may, in the first place, consider WHITE LIGHT as composed of
three primary colours—blue, red, and yellow—duly blended; these three,
in an infinite variety of proportion, serving to produce all the hues
in creation. If we take any two of these primaries and mix them, we
have a _secondary_ colour. Thus, blue and red form _violet_, blue
and yellow give _green_, red and yellow make _orange_. Each of these
secondary colours harmonizes perfectly with the primary which does not
enter into its composition. Violet, for instance,—itself a mixture
of red and blue,—harmonizes with yellow; green, having no red in its
composition, agrees well with red; orange, in the same way, forms a
perfect contrast with blue. Either of these contrasts has the effect of
mutually brightening the colours employed; a red and a green, &c. being
more beautiful when placed side by side than when viewed singly. This is
termed the HARMONY OF CONTRAST OF COLOURS; and a good example of it is
seen in the scarlet geranium, or the holly; the one showing a light green
leaf opposed to a bright red flower, and the other a deep green leaf with
a dark red berry.
The _mixing_ of colours is a very different thing from _contrasting_
them; for strange as it may seem, although one combination of the primary
colours gives _white_, yet another proportion will produce _black_.
While, then, red and green look beautiful side by side, it does not
generally answer to print red ink on _green paper_. The reason is, that
as the ink is slightly transparent, some of the green shows through it,
and appears somewhat black, and thus lowers the brilliance of the red in
the same degree as so much black ink would, if mixed with it. This remark
will apply to orange or yellow on a blue paper, &c. The darker and fuller
the body of colour used, the less it is affected in this manner.
The most perfect contrasts are those above mentioned, which are formed
by the complementary colours; yet the primaries blue, red, and yellow
also agree well together. But if such colours as are not in harmony are
placed near each other, the effect is very damaging to their brightness.
While red is made more brilliant by the proximity of green, it is dimmed
and spoiled by placing it next an orange. Neither blue nor red contrasts
well with violet, because the latter contains each of these colours in
its composition. In any case where they must come into juxtaposition,
the unpleasant effect may be lessened by adding a little of the opposite
colour: so, if a violet is to contrast with red, it will be well to give
it a shade of blue, making it more _purple_; if, on the other hand, it is
to contrast with blue or green, it should be made _redder_.
II. COLOURS WITH BLACK. In all contrasts, the depth of the colour is an
important element, but especially so in such as are to be affected by
the presence of black. In but few instances will the latter bear the
neighbourhood of a very deep colour to advantage, while it harmonizes
with the lighter ones by contrast of tone. Yellow, from its near approach
to white, should always be worked “full;” orange and green should also
be full, and moderately deep in tone, to contrast with black. If a blue
is employed, it should be light, or it will impoverish the black and be
weakened itself. A very light blue border, with a broad margin of white
between it and the body of matter enclosed, will give a clean, bright
look to black ink, and whiteness to the paper. A light pink (such as
carmine reduced with flake-white or with clear varnish) is also good;
yet perhaps the preceding is preferable. Dark and heavy borders are
frequently a positive injury to printing, where the working in a light
shade would have secured a good effect; for the border should always be
so far secondary to the matter enclosed as not to draw off the attention
too much to itself.
III. COLOURS ON TINTED PAPERS AND TINTED GROUNDS. Besides the kind of
harmony already mentioned, there is another, which is produced by the
contrast of light and dark shades of the _same_ colour. This might be
employed in letter-press more frequently than it is at present, with some
advantage, as the effects it is capable of yielding are very chaste and
pleasing. In a photograph or an engraving, all the effect is dependent
on difference of tones of one colour; and the beauty of a wood in summer
consists chiefly in the contrast displayed by a variety of shades of
green only. A deep green ink on a paper of a light tone of the same
colour is especially good, if a heavy letter is used; and indeed in
most printing in colours, full, solid-faced letter should be preferred
to outlines or shaded ones, which are difficult to work, and have at
best but an inferior appearance unless the darkest tones are employed.
A deep blue on a light blue ground, or against a light blue border, is
also good; and without the latter accompaniment it is not unpleasant on
a blue wove writing-paper. To secure the proper effect, however, the
tints should be of the same _hue_; that is, if the groundwork is of a
bluish green, the colour that is to be worked upon it should also be
a green inclining to blue; if, on the other hand, the ground is of a
yellower green, the body of ink should also be yellower; and so on. This
may easily be managed by adding a small portion of ink of the colour
required, until the hue is matched.
IV. NEUTRAL TINTS. In selecting borders for the more chaste description
of printing, it is a pretty safe rule to avoid such as cover much
surface, if they are to be worked in any strong colour or in black. When
lighter tints are used, they will bear extension over a larger surface;
and in this case a pale gray or neutral border will have a beneficial
effect on any body with which it is contrasted, as well as on black
itself, which is purified by its proximity. If the central printing
is in black _only_, or in black and yellow, a _lavender_ gray may be
substituted for the border. And in any case in which the central matter
is all in one colour, it will improve it to have a border of gray which
is _slightly tinged with the complementary of such colour_. Thus, if the
body be red, a very small portion of _green_ may be added to the gray;
and so forth.
It must be remembered that in ornamental printing absolute cleanliness
is indispensable. The same roller should never be used for different
colours, even after it has been washed. Instead of hanging exposed to
dust and to the air, rollers should be kept in a tightly-closed box; and
in this manner they will remain a long time in good order. The tins of
ink should be similarly preserved, and the lids never left off except at
the moment of using from them. These are small matters; but it is only by
patient attention to minute details that excellence can be attained in
printing.