A Treatise on Calico Printing, Of Pencilling.

A Treatise on Calico Printing, VOL. I-II
Printed for C. O'Brien, Bookseller, Islington, and fold by Bew, Paternoster-row: Richardson, Royal Exchange: Murray, Fleet-Street: And the Booksellers of Manchester, Glasgow, Dublin, &c.
1792The Writer thinks little if any thing can be said of this operation, it being simply filling a line with colour, except in cases where pencillers have to form shades or shapes; of this it may be observed, and something more may he said in another place, that some attempts to be sure have lately been made, to make something like Drawers of them, by giving them only lines of pins, or others marks, as fig: 102, as a guide; but how accurately they ad here to such directions, or form a shape as it ought to be, every observer must form a decision.

In foreign patterns, it is known a deal of work is done by the pencil, but why not practiseable here, the writer will not (at present) say any thing further than, that there seems to him to be a line, beyond which, in this case, as well  as in others, it is absurd to attempt going beyond; - the best Penciller (such as we have in this country) can go but a little way in making shapes of any kind, without some boundary; of course (as above observed) respecting their pencilling to a line of pins, as well as their making shades in flowers, or other objects, it seldom does much credit to the designer, in the imitation of his design, which they so roughly and inaccurately make on the cloth, especially when the colour is of a deep hue; in other cases where a mere stain is perhaps only wanted, they may execute what the writer otherwise explodes, as here the pins, or whatever else it may be which they pencil to, catches the sight and takes off the attention from the inaccuracy or bad shape  of the pencilling.

See something respecting pencilling Rule 16 and 35 for putting on.