that they use is kept quite clean. This skilful orderliness is essential
to fine craftmanship, and is a sign of mastery.

The arrangement of tools and vessels on a work-table may be as the
accompanying plan shows:

[Illustration: FIG. 1.--Plan of work-table.

A. Block.
B. Sheets of damped paper lying on a board.
C. Second board lifted from B.
D. Brushes lying on a strip of wood.
E. White plate or dish containing colour.
F. Saucer containing paste of rice-flour.
G. Baren, or printing pad, lying on a sheet of paper
slightly oiled with sweet oil and tacked to
the table.
H. Deep bowl of water and brush for moistening
the damping sheets.
I. Saucer of water for use in printing.
J. Sponge.]

When printing on a table arranged in this way the board lying on the
sheets of damped paper at B is first lifted off and placed at C to
receive the sheets as they are done. If the block A is quite dry, it is
thoroughly moistened with a damp sponge and wiped. The colour from a
saucer, E, is then brushed over the printing surface thinly, and a trace
of paste taken from F is also brushed into the colour. (This is best
done after the colour is roughly spread on the block.) The brush is laid
down in its place, D, and the top sheet of paper from the pile is
immediately lifted to its register marks (notches to keep the paper in
its place) on the block. The manner of holding the paper is shown on
page 70. This must be done deftly, and it is important to waste no time,
as the colour would soon dry on the exposed block and print badly.

Pressure is then applied to the back of the paper as it lies on the wet
block. This is done by a round pad called the _baren_ by the Japanese.
It is made of a coil of cord covered by bamboo sheath as shown later
on page 62. The pad is rubbed by hand with considerable pressure, moving
transversely forwards and backwards across the block, working from the
left to the right. Once all over the block should be enough. The paper
is then lifted off and laid face upwards on the board at C. The block is
then re-charged with colour for another impression, and the whole
operation repeated as many times as there are sheets to be printed.

[Illustration: Plate III. The Baren, or printing pad.

(The pad is actually 5 inches in diameter.)

(_To face page 12._)]

When this is done all the sheets will have received a single impression,
which may be either a patch of colour or an impression