The methods of taking impressions suitable for transferring having been described in the last chapter, we proceed now to show the manner of putting them down upon the stone, so that they may be printed from. There are three distinct variations of transferring, each having its own special advantages.

1st. Transferring damped transfers to dry stone, either warm or cold.

2nd. Dry transfers to wet stone, and

3rd. Damped transfers to wet stone.

110. Transferring to Dry Stone is the mode usually, and in some offices invariably, adopted. The stone may be warm or cold, but in all cases must be thoroughly dry. If the drawing, writing, copper transfer, or other work, is of an unusually fine character; or if the ink used is of a very hard nature, the stone may be warmed with advantage; but it should not be made hot, or the transfer-ink may spread, as it can hardly be expected but that some part of the work will contain heavy lines, which would, of course, be more liable to spread than finer ones.

The damping of the transfer-paper requires care and experience, and may be done as described in par. 104. It has before been stated that the object is to render the composition sufficiently adhesive to stick to the stone under pressure, and this may be ascertained by taking a corner of the paper containing no work, and squeezing it between the finger and thumb, to which, if it attaches itself by the composition, the transfer is ready for the stone. Care must be taken that the thumb and finger are not damp or the transferrer may be thereby deceived.