Dry colours

Of late years, the system has been adopted, with great success, of producing superior qualities of coloured printing inks by mixing fine dry colours with varnish. The following particulars are extracted from the American Printer, the only typographical manual, we believe, that refers to this interesting subject:—

1. No more should be mixed at a time than will be required for the job in hand.
2. Coloured inks should be mixed upon a slate or marble slab, by means of the muller, and never upon an iron or other metallic table. The table, before mixing, should be thoroughly clean, and perfectly free from the slightest soil or trace of other inks.
3. For working coloured inks the roller should not be too hard, and should possess a biting, elastic face. When change of colour is required it should be cleaned with turpentine, and a moist sponge passed over the face, allowing a few minutes for the roller to dry before resuming its use.

4. Various shades may be produced by observing the following directisons:—

   • Bright Pink Ink.—Use Carmine or Crimson Lake.
   • Deep Scarlet.—To Carmine add a little deep Vermillion.
   • Bright Red.—To pale Vermillion, add Carmine.
   • Deep Lilac.—To Cobalt Blue, add a little Carmine.
   • Pale Lilac.—To Carmine, add a little Cobalt Blue.
   • Bright Pale Blue.—Cobalt.
   • Deep Bronze Blue.—Chinese.
   • Green.—To pale Chrome, add Chinese Blue; any shade can be obtained by increasing or diminishing either colour.
   • Emerald Green.—Mix pale Chrome with a little Chinese Blue, then add the Emerald until the tint is satisfactory.
   • Amber.—To pale Chrome, add a little Carmine.
   • Deep Brown.—Burnt Umber, with a little Scarlet Lake.
   • Pale Brown.—Burnt Sienna; a rich shade is made by adding a little Lake as above.