as to avoid grittiness. Besides, if the color is not thoroughly well
incorporated with the varnish, the ink will not stand. To preserve the
ink for future use, put it into some vessel with a cover, and pour water
over it. The water standing on top of the ink keeps it soft. Otherwise
the varnish would harden.

[24] (p. 60.) The heavy Dutch hand-made papers are still preferred by
most people for etchings; but it is very difficult, if not impossible,
to procure them in this country. The paper known as Lalanne charcoal
paper, which is likewise a hand-made paper, can be bought at the
artist's material stores. Good drawing-paper will also answer. The
worst, because most inartistic, of all, is the plain white plate paper.
The paper used for the etchings in the AMERICAN ART REVIEW, first made
especially for this journal according to my suggestions, has excellent
printing qualities, although, being a machine-made, unglued paper, it
lacks some of the characteristics of the Dutch hand-made paper. But its
texture is very good, and it takes up the ink even _better_ than the
Dutch papers.

Japanese paper can be procured of the firms named on page xiii.

Dry paper will not take a decent impression, and the sheets to be used
for printing must therefore be moistened. To prepare the ordinary paper,
take three or four sheets at a time, and pass them slowly through clean
water contained in a pail or other vessel. Wet as many sheets as you may
need, lay them on top of one another, place the pile between two boards,
and allow them to lie thus under tolerably heavy pressure for at least
twelve, or, better still, for twenty-four hours. The paper will then be
ready for use.

To prepare Japanese paper, lay each sheet between two wet sheets of
ordinary paper, and let it lie as before.

[25] (p. 60.) _Epreuves de remarque._ The _remarque_ usually consists in
leaving unfinished some little detail in an out-of-the-way corner of the
plate. After the _epreuves de remarque_ have been printed, this detail
is finished. A person who cannot tell a good impression from a bad one,
or does not know whether a plate is spoiled or still in good condition,
without some such extraneous sign, has slight claim to be considered a
connoisseur.

[26] (p. 62.) New York is, for the present, I believe, the only place
where steel-facing is done in America. I can recommend Mr. F. A.
Ringler, 21 and 23 Barclay Street, New York.

[27] (p. 62.) Zinc plates _can_ be s