The following information on marbling paper is intended to supplement that already given in the previous chapter.

Gum-tragacanth should alone be used as a size, for most of the troubles in marbling arise from the use of an inferior gum or the inclusion of some other ingredient with the size. Good bright colors must also be used, and must be well ground; in fact, when a colour seems intractable, sometimes the best remedy is to put it on the slab again and grind it.

When preparing the colors specially for marbling paper, a little beeswax is added, about 1 oz. to the pound of the colour being sufficient. This prevents the colour rubbing off on the hand, and causes the paper to take a better glaze when being milled or rolled. Some colors require more than others, the greens and blues perhaps requiring most wax.

The illustrations here given show well known patterns; but before describing them it may be stated that if, instead of a common white paper, one covered with a colored enamel or gold or silver is used some very beautiful effects can be produced.

Fig. 55 illustrates a pattern of marble paper called "Nonpareil." To produce this pattern, besides the colors and a brush for each, a peg rake and fine comb will be required. Into each cap of color, carefully ground and mixed with water, put a few drops of gall and stir well with the brush to be used. Skim the surface of the trough, and throw or sprinkle on the colour by beating the brush against an outstretched finger of the left hand or against an iron pin held in the left hand. Begin with red, and sprinkle this so as to cover the entire surface of the size in the trough, following with black, yellow, or orange and blue, and finish with a top colour, which may be left to the fancy of the operator. Rake the colour with the peg-rake; that is, put the rake into the solution at the front of the trough and push it back, then move it to the right about the width of a peg and draw it to the front again, and lift it out. The colour will now lie in regular streaks across the breadth of the trough. The pegs must reach to the bottom of the trough. Now draw the fine comb (Fig. 49) carefully through the colour from left to right, and the pattern then is ready to be taken up on the paper.

To place a sheet of paper on the marbling colour, as the latter lies in the trough, and lift it again after it has taken up the colour requires some skill. By two opposite corners take up a flat sheet of paper, hold it over the trough until confident that the hands are in proper control, lower the right hand until it rests on the side of the trough, and allow merely the corner of the paper to come in contact with the solution, at the same time lowering the left hand slowly until the entire sheet is on the surface, and the left hand resting against some portion of the trough. Then raise the right hand until the sheet has been lifted off. If the paper is too large to manage in this way, allow it to lie on the solution, and place across the trough from front to back a light rod such as a lath, taking hold of the sheet by the two right-hand corners and placing it over the rod; then by gently raising the rod, lift the paper off the trough and spread it out flat or hang it up to dry. If the paper is lowered too quickly, the air will get under it and produce white spots; and if, when the paper lies on the trough, attempt is made to get the air out, unsightly marks will be formed. The varieties of this pattern are infinite; for in­stance, any number of colors may be used, or only one color; hence there is blue nonpareil, black non­pareil, etc.

Reversed nonpareil is illustrated by Fig. 56, and for this it is usual, although not necessary, to use a wider comb (shown by Fig. 50), which in this instance wiII be drawn through the colour from right to left.

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