CHAPTER VI
Detailed Method of Printing
Success in printing depends very much on care and orderliness. It is necessary to keep to a fixed arrangement of the position of everything on the work-table and to have all kept as clean as possible. To see the deft and unhurried work of a Japanese craftsman at printing is a great lesson, and a reproach to Western clumsiness.
The positions indicated by the diagram on page 11 will be found to be practical and convenient.
The special tools used in printing are the "baren" or printing pad, which is the only instrument of pressure used, and the printing brushes.
THE BAREN OR PRINTING PAD
As made by the Japanese, the baren is about five inches in diameter, and consists of a circular board upon which a flat coil of cord or twisted fibre is laid. This is held in place by a covering made of a strip of bamboo-sheath, the two ends of which are twisted and brought together at the back of the board so as to form a handle. The flat surface of the bamboo-sheath is on the under side of the pad when the handle is uppermost. The ribbed bamboo-sheath is impervious to the dampness of the paper in printing, and the pad may be used to rub and press directly on the back of the damp paper as it lies on the block without any protective backing sheet. The collotype reproduction facing page 12 shows the shape and character of the baren.
Japanese printing pads may be obtained from some of the artists' colour-men, or from Japan through various agencies. They are by far the best instrument for the purpose. A pad lasts a considerable time, and when the bamboo sheath wears through may be re-covered as described below. If the new bamboo sheath is unobtainable, the baren may be re-covered by a sheet of vegetable parchment (of the kind used for covering pots of jam), laid on when wet, and twisted and bound at the end like the original bamboo covering. A baren used and re-covered when worn will last for an indefinite time in this way.
TO RE-COVER A WORN BAREN WITH BAMBOO SHEATH
Damp the new leaf in water with a brush on both sides thoroughly.
Wipe dry both sides. Lay it on a flat surface and stretch wider with the fingers on the inside, keeping the leaf flat with the palm of the hand.
Rub the inside of the leaf with something hard and smooth across the width on both sides.
1. Cut AG, BG with leaf folded.
2. Place the round pad in position on the flat leaf.
3. Stretch the leaf to lap at sides EF.
4. Turn in EA and BF fold by fold, first one side and then the other.
5. Pull hard before beginning the other end.
[Illustration: FIG. 19.--Method of re-covering baren.]
6. Cut away CH, DH, holding down firmly the end done.
7. Twist up the ends tightly, pull over to the centre, and tie tightly together; cut off ends.
8. Polish on board and oil slightly.
Twist the inside part of the baren occasionally to save wear by changing its position within the sheath.
Several substitutes have been tried in place of the Japanese baren, with coverings of leather, shark's skin, celluloid, and various other materials, but these necessitate the use of a backing sheet to protect the paper from their harsh surfaces.
An ingenious rubber of ribbed glass which works directly on the paper has been devised by Mr. William Giles, who has produced beautiful results by its means.
If one is using the Japanese baren, its surface needs to be kept very slightly oiled to enable it to run freely over the damp paper. A pad of paper with a drop of sweet oil suffices for this, and may lie on the right of the printing block where the baren is put after each impression is taken.
An even simpler method is that of the Japanese craftsman who rubs the baren from time to time on the back of his head.
BRUSHES
Japanese printing brushes are sold by some artists' colour dealers, but these are not essential, nor have they any practical superiority over well-made Western brushes.
[Illustration: FIG. 20.--Drawing of brushes.]
An excellent type of brush is that made of black Siberian bear hair for fine varnishing. These can be had from good brush-makers with the hair fixed so that it will stand soaking in water. Drawings of the type of brush are given above.
Three or four are sufficient; one broad brush, about three inches, for large spaces, one two-inch, and two one-inch, will do nearly all that is needed. Occasionally a smaller brush may be of use.
PRINTING
To begin printing, one takes first the key-block, laying it upon a wet sheet of unsized paper, or upon wads of wet paper under each corner of the block, which will keep it quite steady on the work-table. A batch of sheets of printing paper, prepared and damped as described in