A drawing which is to be reduced by the photo-engraving process must be large enough so that the lines may be clean cut and distinct. If there is much detail, there must be room enough for careful drawing. Lines that are crowded will run together when reduced.
On the other hand a drawing, if made too large, will lose in value when reduced.
As a rule the original drawing is larger than the plate, although it may be the same size or even smaller. In the latter case it will be enlarged when reproduced.
THE METHOD OF ENLARGEMENT
Where drawings are to be made for reproduction by printing, the customer will give the artist the size of the plate which will be the size of the picture when reproduced. The artist leaves a margin on the left-hand side and at the bottom of his paper. He then draws the exact size of the plate in the lower left-hand corner and a diagonal line through the opposite corners, extending it indefinitely. (See Figs. 1 and 3.) Fig. R is the size of the plate. The plate is to contain one figure.
Extend the line b far enough to give a good height to draw the figure. Draw c to the diagonal fine. Draw d from where c touches this line, to a. When reduced, the rectangle a, b, c, d will be in the same proportion as Fig. R. Any horizontal and vertical line meeting on the diagonal will mark off the same proportion.
The proper size space having been determined, fill in this space with one figure as in Fig. 2. The customer is paying so much for every square inch of metal plate, consequently, he does not wish to waste space; make the figure touch the edges of the plate on all sides,
Fig. 3 is the beginning of a layout for three figures. Fig. 4 is the way to space the figure. Fig. 5 is the way to place the figures.
Fig. 2 is a suit layout; other layouts (for hats, waists, underclothes, etc.) are enlarged in the same way. Leave at least one inch margin, draw the size of the plate, enlarge it, then place as many ovals as there are to be figures. Place all ovals before drawing the figures.
When arranging several figures, make a variety of positions of heads, and a variety of positions of feet. Make the figures express interest in each other. Newspapers and some business houses require " swingy " figures with plenty of dash and " go." Many pattern houses are more conservative and like the figures more normal. Some houses have the figures drawn on separate papers. These they cut out and paste on a large sheet of paper in an arrangement to suit themselves. In this case they give the artist the height of the figures to be drawn.
If one figure is supposed to be at a little distance back of the others, follow the rules of perspective and make the far figure smaller. Keep the figures in the foreground the same size.
Fig. 6 is a catalogue, underclothes layout. This layout calls for two figures and nine garments.
Keep the space well covered and the separate garments the size of the ones on the figures. The place at the upper right-hand corner is left for printing. It is called mortice. A figure or garment may slightly overlap the edge of the space for printing. Odd spaces may be filled in with backgrounds, such as tables, vases, mirrors, etc., or out-of-door views. See Lesson XXVII on Perspective.