800. Even Illumination

Even Illumination. The negatives must be evenly illuminated. The proper distance from the light being equal to the diagonal of the print, the negative from which postcards are to be printed should be at least 6 1/2 inches from the light.

801. Home-Made Apparatus For Printing

Home-Made Apparatus For Printing. The simplest form of printing apparatus is the electric incandescent bulb, gas jet or oil lamp, with a small platform constructed at proper height and correct distance from the light to give even illumination and uniform exposure to every print. If electric light is employed a stationary socket can be attached to the work table so that the bulb will be perpendicular. An upright block, against which to set the printing-frame, should be fastened on the table at a distance of about 8 inches from the light. To reduce the time required for giving full exposure it would be advisable to use a 32-candle power bulb. A switch, for turning the current on and off to make the exposure, will be an additional convenience, and will reduce the electric light bill. Another arrangement for an electric printing light is shown in Volume IV, page 210, its construction being described in paragraphs 689 and 690.

802. Still another simple and practical contrivance for printing from wet negatives without using a printing-frame is to arrange electric bulbs in the bottom of a box (having the box fit in the work table, with the top on a level with the table) and cover the top of the box with a sheet of ground-glass. The negative, covered with a thin sheet of clear celluloid, is placed on the ground-glass and the paper held in contact while printing, by employing the back of an ordinary printing-frame, hinging one end of it to a block located at the rear of the ground-glass. In addition to the regular bulbs a ruby bulb may be placed in the center of the bottom of the box. When the printing light is turned off the ruby light is automatically switched on, thus enabling the printer to adjust the postcard on the negative before printing.

803. Printing Machines

Printing Machines. Countless suggestions have been advanced for various home-made printing machines; so it is not necessary for details to be given here. Further than this, there are on the market practical printing ma-

Making Post-Cards for Quick Delivery. 393 chines constructed to fill the most exacting requirements of the printer of developing paper.

804. Among the electric printing machines on the market are the following: Reimers' Electric Contact Printing Machine; Mclntire Photo Printer; Ingento Rapid Frame; The Vote-Berger Contact Printing Frame; The Kilborn Automatic Electric Printer; The Artura Printing Machine; Courtright's Automatic Printer, and The Dick Printer. These are all practical machines, involving principles which have proven to cover in one way or another the requirements of the photographer who desires to turn out large quantities of postcards or developing paper prints.