You must write your letter with a special aniline ink, called hectograph ink, and use a new steel pen to do it with.

While the writing is getting dry take a small clean sponge, wet it with cold water, squeeze it as dry as you can, wash the face of the gelatine with it before you try to make an impression or else you will spoil the pad.

This done, lay the sheet of paper with the written side down on the pad and gently rub your fingers over every part of it. Let the paper stay on the pad for a couple of minutes, then grip a corner of it and pull it slowly and evenly from the pad as shown in Fig. 78. Now you are ready to make your copies.

To do this lay a clean sheet of paper on the pad, rub it as you did the original, let it remain for a minute and pull it off. Keep on making copies until you have as many as you want or the impression gets too faint.

Fig. 78. Pulling An Impression From The Copygraph

When you get through pulling copies wash the face of the pad with a moist sponge and let it dry thoroughly before you make a new copy.