US2273568A - Colored print - Google Patents

Description

Feb. 17, 1942. i R. a. FISHEL 2,273,568

COLORED PRINT Original Filed March 14, 1959 s Sheets-Sheet 1 Z perr 6. F15 lie Y INVENTOR.

ATTORNEY .5

Feb. 17, 1942.] R. G. FISHEL 2,273,568

COLORED PRINT Original Filed March 14, 1939 s Sheets-Sheet 2 w PAPER oerf F/"s/ie/ INVENTOK ATTORNEYS Feb. 17, 1942. R. G. FISHEL I 2,273,568

COLORED PRINT Original Filed March 14, 1939 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 YElLvW f Q j! ELALA' INVENTOR.

ATTORNEY.

Patented Feb. 17, 1942 COLORED PRINT.

Robert G. Fishel, Evanston, IlL, assignor of onethird to Frederick I. Eppey, Detroit, Mich., and

Ill.

one-third to Arthur H. Watson, Highland Park,

Original application March 14, 1939, Serial No.

261,820. Divided and this application November 13, 1939, Serial No. 304,200

, 2 Claims.

The present invention relates to improvements in color prints. It is particularly directed to the provision of a novel picture in colors, built up by the super-positioning of a plurality of printed images of the picture, each in a difierent primary color.

The present application is a division of my application Serial No. 261,820, filed March 14, 1939, for Colored prints and method of. making the same.

In the'making of colored pictures it is customary to take photographs of the subject, using difierent filters for different negatives so that a negative reproducing, for example, the blues in a subject, a negative reproducing the reds, and a negative reproducing the yellows may be obtained. The present invention contemplates the use of such negatives for making ordinary printing plates in the usual fashion. These printing plates may then be used to make any number of prints in the primary color for which the nega-v tive was taken. Ordinary transparent printers ink is utilized in the printing machine for this Purpose.

Photographic devices for taking the negatives for the several colors are now in common use.

The difiiculty that has heretofore been encountered lies in the production of copies from the negatives obtained from the color photography. By the present invention it is possible to produce as many copies as are desired from printing plates corresponding to each negative. It is contemplated by this invention that the copies will be made from the printing plate and assembled and superimposed to produce a finished color picture, the only care necessary being taken in the superpositioning of the one sheet upon another so that the images coincide. It is apparent that if the negatives and the plates from which the prints are made reproduce the image in the same size for the different colors, the reproduction of the picture is a problem of making and superimposing prints from the printing plates.

It is also a purpose of the invention to provide a new product comprising a backing sheet and a plurality of different layers of primary colored ink images superposed on the backing sheet with transparent, self-sustaining films interposed between and carrying the ink layers.

The features and advantages of the present invention will appear'more fully as the description proceeds, reference being had to the ac companying drawings wherein a preferred form as limiting the invention except insofar as it is of the invention is shown. It is to be understood, however, that the drawings and descrip tion are illustrative only, and are not to be taken limited by the claims.

In the drawin s,

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a completed picture embodying the present invention;

Fig. 2 is a diagrammatic view illustratingthe several images and their supporting sheets wherein the process of combining the primary colors is taking place;

Fig. 3 illustrates a succeeding step in the process of combining the colors;

Fig. '4 is a sectional view taken substantially on the line 44 of Fig. 1, showing the several layers which make up the final picture in their proper relations;

Fig. 5 is a diagrammatic view illustrating the step of registering a transparent film with its ink image with a base already having an image thereon, and

Fig. 6 is a diagrammatic view illustrating a multiple operation of a plurality of printing presses with the assembly of the several prints in accordance with the present invention.

Referring now to the drawings, in Fig. 1 I have illustrated a picture which is made up of a plurality of superposed prints made on an ordinary printing press with ordinary printers transparent ink. In this figure, a base I 0 may be a sheet of paper, a piece of glass or any other suitable base material. Upon this base there is printed from a suitable plate an image II. This image is shown as being printed in black ink. A transparent self-sustaining film l2 has printed thereon an image of the same subject as the black ink image, but in this case it is printed with yellow ink which is indicated at l3. The layers of ink in this figure are shown of substantial thickness, but it will be readily appreciated that the thicknes is materially exaggerated. A second transparent film at M carries an image of the same subject in red ink, a layer of which is indicated at l5. A third transparent self-sustaining film l6 carries an image of the same subject, but this time it is printed in blue ink, as shown at H.

It will be appreciated that in printing the several images each plate from which the prints are made has, in turn, been made from a photographic negative which was taken with the proper color filters so as to respond to the parin the subject, the plate would ink the print so it would have a corresponding heavier or lighter color thickness of ink.

In the method of carrying out the invention, the transparent self-sustaining films I2, I4 and I6 are provided with suitable paper back sheets (see Fig. 2). These sheets I have indicated by the numerals I8 and I9 in Fig. 2. The paper backing sheets I8 and I9 are adhered to the transparent films by a suitable water soluble adhesive so that upon immersing the print and its paper backing in water the backing can be slipped off, leaving only the transparent film and its image of ink. In printing the several images from the printing plates, it is desirable to print in the same position with respect to the several images a registering mark 20.

When it is desired to assemble a plurality of images to reproduce a colored picture, the back-' ing sheet III is placed upon a suitable support, then the print carrying the yellow ink for that particular picture is inserted in water until the paper backing will slip from the transparent selfsustaining film I2. The transparent film is then placed on top of the backing sheet II! with its ink layer I3 facing upward and with the unprinted side of the film I2 superposed upon the black ink II. Where this is done by hand, the transparent film I2 is then manually shifted in the manner illustrated in Fig. until the two images II and I3 are registered. The films I2, I4 and I6 are not water soluble, and. therefore can be handled wet Without damage and without injuring the printers ink images thereon. By using a suitable fiat strip, the water between the transparent fihn I2 and the base III is pressed out and the film is pressed down tightly upon the base. The thickness of the printers ink layers II, I3, I5, etc. is so slight that the transparent films can be brought in close contact with each other. These films will adhere. and thus produce a laminated structure composed of alternate separated layers of ink and the supporting transparent films.

In Fig. 3 the yellow ink carrying transparent film I2 is shown in its final resting position, while the films I4 and I6 are shown with the sheets I8 and IQ of paper backing being removed preparatory to superposing the films I4 and I6 upon the film I2. The nature of the transparent film makes it possible to shift the image manually as illustrated in Fig. 5 without any difiiculty. Moreover, the transparent layer in between the several colored layers of ink gives to the picture a depth which is not otherwise obtainable. There is no .danger of the ink layers mixing because they are separated throughout the entire process. Furthermore, there is no danger of injury to the ink layers in ordinary handling because they are adhered to the film and are fully dry at the time the composite picture is built up.

It is contemplated that in carrying out the process the printing of certain colors of the images may be upon a suitable background material other than the transparent film. For instance, it has been found practical to print the yellow and the black direct upon an opaque sheet or base. In such case other primary colors may be used upon the transparent self-sustaining films for superimposing colored images upon the base.

The transparent films must be of a nature that they will retain shape while being transferred from the printing press to the ultimate support. In other words, they are not dissolved away and they hold the ink placed thereon and prevent any appreciable distortion until the picture is completed.

In the manufacture of reproductions in color of a subject, the photography of today enables one to obtain negatives wherein the proportions of a primary color are reflected in the degree of exposure of that particular negative. From such a negative a printing plate is obtained which, when inked with transparent printers ink of that primary color, will print a sheet with a fair reproduction as to relative density of the distribution of that color over the subject.

As shown in Fig. 6, I may use a plurality of presses A, B, C and D, each provided with a printing plate made to apply its particular ink in the proper relative density upon a sheet in the outline of the subject. Each press turns out prints in a particular primary color. The press A may apply black ink II to a paper backing sheet Id. The press B applies yellow ink I3 to a transparent film I2 which is adhered by a water soluble adhesive to a paper backing 2I. This assembly, when the ink is dry, passes through a bath 22 and the paper backing 2| is removed. The piece I2 of transparent film, wet and slippery, but carrying its ink I3 and holding the ink in place, is laid over the black ink II upon the paper It. There is enough adhesive remaining to cause the film to adhere to the paper III when it is pressed down in place.

The press C applies red ink I5 to the transparent film M which is adhered to the paper' backing I8. This assembly passes through a bath 23 and the film M with its red ink imag I5 is superposed upon the black and yellow assembly. Similarly, transparent blue ink II is applied to the film I6 by the press D, The paper backing I9 is soaked off in a bath 24. Then the trans parent film I6 and its blue ink image are superimposed upon the red ink I5 and its film I4.

.The necessary adhesive quality may be readily given to the transparent films if there is not enough adhesiveness after the paper backing is removed.

It will be noted that owing to the nature of the process the resulting product will not be inclined to become distorted by high and low spots. Obviously, a part of the picture that is heavy in one color will be correspondingly light in others. Also, the thickness of the ink layer is such that the inherent yield of the transparent film material will accommodate the thickness with no appreciable bulging.

The disclosure in Fig. 5 brings out the inherent advantage of separate, transparent films of a self-sustaining nature. Obviously, one could not handle the ink alone in this fashion.

The film can be shifted here and there over the base until proper position is attained.

The additional depth of the picture due to the interposed layers of transparent material is of advantage over direct ink upon ink printing in that it provides for better blending of color reflections and adds luster and depth to the appearance of the picture.

Furthermore, the transparent film as a printing base is the same for all colors. Therefore, uniformity of results is assured at all times. This fact avoids the problems of printing with one color upon an ink free surface and with the next color upon an ink filled surface. In fine color reproduction, this improvement is very'important. Any mixing of the colors due to plgcing ink directly upon ink is entirely elimina-e The present invention presents distinct advantages over the use of film dyeing in the reproduction of color pictures. In the dyeing process the entire film is dyed and the proportionate coloring is due to etching away part of the film so as to decrease the proportionate amount of coloring due to a. particular layer of film. It is obvious that the present invention simplified the reproduction of a number of pictures when compared with the dyeing method. By the dyeing method each film must be separately dyed and separately etched so that there is greater difficulty in obtaining uniformity of result. Any variations in the density of dye color applied to the film or any variations in the depth of etching will be refiected in the final picture. With the present invention, the known printing plates will reproduce a large number of prints which are practically indistinguishable from each other. The depth of the transparent ink on the several prints will be substantially the same. Therefore, when one series of prints from a series of plates, such as are illustrated in Fig. 6 of the drawings, pro- 'duces a picture, a succeeding series of prints on the same presses will produce a picture so like the jfirst that they are indistinguishable for all practical purposes.

In connection with certain kinds of work, it is not essential that the transparent self-sustaining films be. printed upon before they are placed one upon the other. The method may be carried out by printing the base color, such as black, upon a supporting sheet, then forming a transparent self-sustaining film on the supporting sheet. For example, this may be done by spraying the sheet with a film forming material. The second printing press may print from the plate made in accordance with the yellow coloring in the subject to be reproduced and deposit its yellow trans parent ink upon the sprayed film, after the film has hardened. When the yellow transparent ink is dry, the transparent film material may be sprayed over it and the red ink press may print directly upon this second transparent film. The process can thus be continued until the desired combination of primary colors has been built up. In each case, the ultimate picture will comprise layers of transparent printers ink in the desired primary colors alternated with transparent films. Care must be taken, of course, to obtain proper registration of the several printing operations. There is no danger of the colors becoming mixed because they are always between transparent films.

The fundamental features and advantages in the product obtained lie in the combination of the several separate layers of transparent printers ink whose relative densities or thicknesses correspond to the relative proportions of coloring in the original subject with the transparent selfsustaining films which separate the ink layers and provide uniformity of printing surface.

Where the prints in the several colors are being made upon transparent films that are handled separately, each print preferably has a coating of a suitable adhesive upon the side opposite the transparent ink image. This coating in the main form of the invention described herein may be the same water soluble adhesive that secures the film to its paper backing. In such case the film may be a nitrocellulose or other film that is not water soluble. Other types of adhesive coatings may also be applied. For example, the film may have a coating thereon that softens under heat. The fundamental requirement is that the film must hold the ink in place and still be adhered to the backing and lower film layers.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. A colored picture comprising a backing and superimposed alternate layers of transparent water insoluble separating films and transparent ink images in different primary colors, the ink images being adhered to the films and separated thereby, the relativ depth of ink in the several images being so proportioned that the thicker ink layers of one color and thinner ink layers of another color are superposed.

2. A colored picture comprising a backing and superimposed alternate layers of transparent water insoluble separating films and transparent ink images in different primary colors, the ink images being adhered to the films and separated thereby, the relative depth of ink in the several images being so proportioned that the thicker ink layers of one col-or and thinner ink layers of another color are superposed, aid transparent films having an adhesive coating thereon on the sides thereof opposite their ink images, said adhesive coatings serving to hold the the backing.

films together and to ROBERT G. FI SHEL.

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