BROMOIL PRINTING
AND
BROMOIL TRANSFER
BY
DR. EMIL MAYER
PRESIDENT OF THE VIENNA CLUB OF AMATEUR PHOTOGRAPHERS
AUTHORIZED TRANSLATION
FROM THE SEVENTH GERMAN EDITION
BY
FRANK ROY FRAPRIE, S.M., F.R.P.S.
EDITOR OF AMERICAN PHOTOGRAPHY
AMERICAN PHOTOGRAPHIC PUBLISHING CO.,
BOSTON 17, MASSACHUSETTS
1923
Copyright, 1923
BY AMERICAN PHOTOGRAPHIC PUBLISHING CO.
Manufactured in the United States of America
Electrotyped and printed, March, 1923
THE PLIMPTON PRESS
NORWOOD·MASS·U·S·A
The bromoil process has always been one in whichit has seemed difficult to attain success. Thoughmany books and articles on the subject have been published,every writer seems to give different directions andevery experimenter to have difficulty in following them.The consequence is that almost every successful experimenterwith this process has developed methods of hisown and has frequently been unable to impart them toothers. One reason for this has been that each makeof bromide paper varies in its characteristics from theothers and that methods, which are successful with one,do not always succeed with another. Various bleachingsolutions have been described, and, as the bleachingsolution has two functions—bleaching and tanning,which progress with different speeds at different temperatures—alack of attention on this point has doubtlessbeen a frequent cause of unsuccess. Little attentionhas also been paid to the necessity for observing thetemperature of the water used for soaking the print.The author of the present book has investigated thesevarious points very carefully, and for the first time, perhaps,has brought to the attention of the photographicreader the need for an accurate knowledge of the effectof these different variables.
In the following book he describes only a singlemethod of work, without variations until the process islearned, though he does describe various methods of[iv]work which may be used to vary results by the experiencedworker. His method of instruction is logical andbased on accepted educational principles. He describesone step at a time fully and carefully, explains thereasons for adopting it, and then proceeds to the nextstep in like manner. We feel sure that every reader, whowill be reasonably careful in his methods of work andwill follow these instructions literally, will learn how tomake a good bromoil print. After attaining successin this way, the variations may be tried, if desired.
While the author gives instructions for testing outpapers to see if they are suitable, it may be advisableto record here the results of some American and Englishworkers. H. G. Cleveland in American Photographyfor February, 1923, recommends, in addition tothe papers specially marked by their makers as bromoilgrades, th