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.
[Illustration: Trying of Colors for Nonpareil Marble.
Black 3 to 4-1/2 inches in diameter. Blue, yellow and red in rings
within each other.
_See Page 105._]
Table II. TRYING OF COLORS.
[Illustration: Size too consistent.
Result of drawing the colors with a stylus.
_See Page 104._]
Table III. THROWING ON OF COLORS.
[Illustration: Ribbon-like Throwing on of Colors.
[First color] for Nonpareil Marble.
_See Page 105._]
Table IV. THROWING ON OF COLORS.
[Illustration: Throwing on of the other colors for Nonpareil Marble.
[Ribbon-like in two stripes.]
_See Page 106._]
Table V. DRAWING WITH THE STYLUS.
[Illustration: Drawing of the colors thrown on
[see preceding table] for Nonpareil or Comb Marble.
_See Page 106._]
Table VI. NONPAREIL MARBLE.
[Illustration: NARROW COMB.]
[Illustration: WIDE COMB.]
[Illustration: NARROW AND WIDE COMB.]
[Illustration: COMB DRAWN BACK.]
[Illustration: DOUBLE COMB.]
[Illustration: COMB DRAWN CROSSWISE.]
Table VII. PEACOCK AND BOUQUET MARBLES.
[Illustration: PEACOCK MARBLE.]
[Illustration: PEACOCK MARBLE.]
[Illustration: PEACOCK MARBLE.]
[Illustration: BOUQUET MARBLE.]
[Illustration: AMERICAN MARBLE.]
[Illustration: FANCY MARBLE.]
Table VIII. HAIR-VEIN MARBLE.
[Illustration: BLACK.
_See page 148._]
[Illustration: BROWN.]
[Illustration: RED.
_See page 148._]
[Illustration: BLUE.
_See page 148._]
[Illustration: RED AND BLACK.
_See page 149._]
[Illustration: BLUISH-BROWN.
_See page 149._]
Table IX. TURKISH MARBLE.
[Illustration: BLACK.
Thrown on in ribbon form.
_See page 138._]
[Illustration: RED.
Small drops thrown on with broom-corn whisk.
_See page 138._]
[Illustration: BLUE.
Small drops thrown on with whisk.
_See page 138._]
[Illustration: YELLOW.
Small drops thrown on with whisk.
_See page 138._]
[Illustration: GALL WATER
to produce white veins.
_See page 138._]
[Illustration: GROUND COLOR GRAY,
Sprinkling water with Black.
_See pages 138 and 139._]
Table X. TURKISH MARBLE.
[Illustration: DARK RED.
_See page 139._]
[Illustration: BLUISH GRAY.
_See page 142._]
[Illustration: BROWN.
_See page 140._]
[Illustration: OLIVE.
_See pages 140 and 141._]
[Illustration: BLACK.
_See page 141._]
[Illustration: CHAMOIS.]
APPENDIX.
Colored AND Decorated Edges.
ACCORDING TO THE
NEWEST DISCOVERIES
BY
Eminent Specialists.
STARCHED EDGES.
STARCHED EDGES.
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 off the 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 Production of Colored Edges.
THE PRODUCTION OF COLORED EDGES.
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 pieces have 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 mixing light 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 a uniform 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.
GILT EDGES.
GILT EDGES.
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 the marks 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.
LAYING-ON APPARATUS.
THE LAYING-ON APPARATUS.
[Illustration]
Much more practical than this frame is the laying-on apparatus. It can
be more easily and securely handled, and the laying on strings can be
more easily set.
By means of this simple instrument the sheets of gold-leaf which are
laying ready on the cushion and which must be so wide that they not only
cover the edge entirely but also protrude about 1/8 inch beyond the
gilding boards are transferred on to the sized edge. The sizing must be
done with a soft camels hair brush, not too thin and it is essential
that the gilding boards also become moistened.
The strings of this laying on apparatus or of the frame must be so far
distant from each other that they reach from gilding board to gilding
board.
The sheets of gold leaf that have been cut before must then be carefully
transferred, one by one, on the sized edge.
To make the gold-leaf adhere to the strings of the frame, the strings
are rubbed slightly upon the hair of the head by which means they absorb
sufficient fatty substance to hold the light sheets of gold.
If after the gold is laid on it should contain any imperfections or
breaks, other portions must be applied to these abrasions. The press is
then placed aside until the edge is entirely dry. In treating the upper
and lower edges i. e. after the book has been rounded, care must always
be taken that in sizing, not too much moisture impregnates the back part
of the edges as there is no pressure to prevent the size from running
in.
If the gilt-edge is to have lustre and glow by burnishing, great care
must be taken to dry the edge well.
An edge, which is not sufficiently dried, will exhibit breaks in the
gold on burnishing, and an edge which is too dry will never have the
desired lustre.
It is impossible to name the time within which gilt-edges become dry.
This depends upon the temperature of the room, the quality of the paper
in the book and on the quantity of albumen solution which has been put
on the edge.
The safest way to find out whether the edge is dry or not is to blow
upon it. If the lustre of the gold is dimmed for several seconds, the
edge is still too moist, but if the cloud vanishes immediately the edge
is sufficiently dry.
We can also determine by a careful easy burnishing whether the edge is
dry enough to be worked further.
The burnishing should always be executed with a flat agate burnisher,
and afterwards followed by a flat blood stone. The burnishing should be
commenced by covering the edge with a piece of thin smooth paper that
has been rubbed with wax.
First burnish the gold laid on slightly, afterwards continue with greater
force.
By this the edge acquires a uniformly dull aspect but a strong union of
gold and paper is thereby established.
Before beginning the real burnishing rub the edge with a soft rag upon
which a small quantity of pure white wax has been rubbed. This thin film
of wax renders the burnishing much easier because the burnisher is made
to glide more readily and securely over the edge.
The burnishing must first be executed lightly and then with greater
force.
The repairing of gilt-edges should be avoided as much as possible.
Should it become, nevertheless, unavoidable, then moisten the spots to
be repaired with the solution of albumen described above, lay on gold
leaf, allow the spots which you wish to repair to become dry, rub off
and burnish as usual.
In place of albumen solution, sulphuric ether can be used for repairing.
The latter has the advantage of causing the spots so repaired to become
dry immediately, but it causes a lighter spot to appear in the
gilt-edge. Alcohol, lightly applied, can also be used for this purpose
and with more security. The gilding of the hollow edge is produced in
the same way as that of the level edge. In scraping, curved scrapers are
used. To lay on the gold use the frame. Transfer the gold leaf from the
gold cushion to the strings of the frame, then carefully bring these
strings closer to each other, so that the gold leaf is no longer
straight, but somewhat hanging down. Then transfer it to the sized edge.
To burnish give the hand press an oblique position, making the front of
the press lay lower than the rear so that one half of the hollow edge
has a more horizontal position, and burnish it with a flat burnisher in
the same manner as the level edge. This being done, the remainder of the
hollow edge is likewise treated at the same time, giving the press a
different position. Only after the edge has been burnished on both sides
with a flat burnisher, is the round burnisher (tooth) used to finish the
hollow edge on its length.
Gilding on a colored, especially a red edge is very effective. These
gilt-edges with an underlying red-edge are of English origin and are
used generally for Bibles and prayer books. The fore edge of such books
is colored in an oblique position of the edge, and they therefore have
not a golden, but a red effect, when opened.
The production of such edges demands a certain experience, if the
coloring of the fore-edge shall have a correct effect, and the leaves of
the book are to be as little as possible impregnated by the color.
This color must be mixed like any other edge colors with gum-arabic,
starch paste or the white of an egg.
All etching substances, such as spirits of ammonia, must be avoided as
they often cause the color to soak too deeply into the paper.
In manipulating the fore edge, open the book slightly, fasten the edge
in this oblique position and then lightly apply the color.
When this has thoroughly dried, open the edge towards the other side and
continue with the same procedure.
The different leaves are thus not only colored at the edges proper, but
the color has also been slightly imparted to the upper and lower sides
of the leaves at the same time, and for this reason the edge of the
book, after it is gilded, appears reddish when the book is opened out.
The upper and lower edges must be treated as all other colored edges.
In producing the gilt-edge in the way above mentioned, rubbing off with
paste and grounding with bole must of course not be employed.
The production of edges with metal leaf or aluminium, is under the same
rules as for gilt edges.
To produce silver edges, a sizing material of a solution of gelatine
(one half of a gelatine cake to one cup of water) is used as a surrogate
to the albumen. This can also be employed in the laying on of aluminium.
For base metal leaf care should be taken that a soft, thin article is
used, the one of a light hue is more pliable on account of the larger
quantity of tin contained in it than is in the darker copper one.
The more pliable French aluminium is preferable to the brittle German
article.
If gilt-edges are to be produced upon unsized paper, the edges must be
sized with a solution of gelatine.
Colored Edges with Front and End Gilding.
COLORED EDGES WITH FRONT AND END GILDING.
The effect of edges gilt front and back with marbling between is
beautiful. This edge is especially applicable to books of large size.
The plain red-edge (carmine) and every marbled edge can be used in this
connection.
Antique marbles are greatly adapted to this kind of book-edge
decoration.
[Illustration]
The production of these edges does not offer any especial technical
difficulties. The book block must be treated as a hollow edge and must
be scraped and then decorated with antique marbling or red color.
This having been done, insert the book into the hand-press and mark
correctly how far the gilding is to be done.
To put on the gold, a solution of albumen is applied to the spots to be
gilded and then a good and substantial gold leaf is laid on. As soon as
the edge is dry, burnish as any other gilt-edge.
A fine chased pearl line at the meeting of the two edges, will greatly
enhance the effect of this beautiful edge.
The Punched or Chased Gilt-Edge.
THE PUNCHED OR CHASED GILT-EDGE.
The procedure by which the effect of the gilt-edge is enhanced and
enlivened by chasing is very old, in fact nearly as old as the gilt-edge
itself. It has been driven out of the market as many another thing by
over production and has finally become obsolete. In recent times it has
been taken up again on account of the progress in the industrial arts
and is now very highly esteemed. The design for such a decoration of
gilt-edges should always be prepared by an artist and should always
conform strictly to the decorations of the cover.
Technically, the production of such edges is not difficult. Some talent
for drawing and a sure hand are necessary, but the artist is repaid for
his labor by the interest he derives from the execution of such kind of
work.
There are two ways of producing them.
The first makes the ornament appear bright, while the ground remains
dull, in the other the dull ornament appears on the shining ground
surface.
The first is the more effective and the more easily produced.
The gilt-edge is here to be treated like every other plain gilt-edge, to
produce dull ground, burnish with a piece of paper between the book edge
and the burnisher.
CHASED EDGES.
[Illustration: Fd. Tondorf ClichË,--Property of OTTO SPAMER.]
CHASED EDGES.
Transfer the design on thin tissue paper, lay the paper carefully upon
the edge of the book placed in the press so that design and edge tally
perfectly, and fasten the paper by pasting it on the gilding boards.
If you now by the aid of a dull awl or a pin trace the design of the
tissue paper on the edge, it will appear and will be the gilder's guide.
When this has been done with all necessary care, remove the paper and
burnish the parts of the edge between the tracings by means of a small,
pointed burnisher.
This alone relieves the ornament from the dull gilt ground.
The full effect of such edges will be imparted when the outlines of the
ornaments are pressed in. To do this, fine steel stencils or stamps are
best used, the same as are used for fine leather work. These stamps and
the above mentioned agate burnishers can be obtained from Wm. Leo,
Stuttgart.
Take the point stamp in one hand and a light hammer in the other and
with an easy, equal, hammering make dot after dot of the marked pattern.
If the dull ground is then profusely marked with the small pearl stamp
as shown in the illustration, the effect of such edges leaves nothing to
be desired.
The effect is still more surprising when the ornaments are produced in
gold of a different hue or of silver or color. In the former case the
ornaments are carefully penciled in with albumen solution, gold of a
lighter hue, silver or aluminium is put on, and, when completely dried,
is burnished.