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Pho′to-re-lief′ En-grav′ing.

Properly, one in which, by photographic means and subsequent manipulations, a printing surface is obtained which stands above the general level to receive the ink and may be printed as type or woodcuts.

Paul Pretsch, November 9, 1854, prepared a surface of bichromated gelatine with other less essential chemicals, and exposed under a transparent positive. By plunging this, after exposure, into water, the unaltered gelatine swells into relief, forming a surface which may be copied by the galvanoplastic or stereotype process to form a relief-printing process. Also known as a photo-Galvanograph (which see).

Poitevin, December 13, 1855, had a process substantially similar, using plaster hardened with protosulphate of iron to obtain a cast.

Osborne and Robertson, in 1860, transferred the photolitho- [1690] graphic transfer-sheet to zinc and etched the zinc to make a relief.

Leggo, about 1866, coated the back of a transparent positive with gelatine and bichromate, allowing it to gelatinize only, not to dry, exposed from the face, and finally washed away the unaltered gelatine, leaving a number of depressions, corresponding to the positive parts of the picture. A casting was made from this in the electro-bath or by stereotype.

Woodbury's process, though called photo-relief, scarcely comes within the definition. See Woodbury process.

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