Photographic Wall Paper and Calico Printing

Scientific American 19, 11.5.1867

Photographic wall paper and calico printing, seems to be the next thing coming. Mr. Dancer has been improving on the process of Mr. Mercer, the directions for which are as follows: - 34 oz. of sulphate of iron is converted into peroxalate, diluted to 2 gallons, and will impregnate 200 square yards of paper. The paper having been floated on the solution until fully wet, is then exposed, and afterward steeped in some solution that acts only on the parts where the iron has been reduced from the peroxide to the protoxide. Red prussiate of potash and sulphuric acid act well, making the image blue and the ground white. Sulphocyanide of potassium and a salt of copper form another bath: the protoxide of the picture deoxidizes the copper, and the sulphocyanide of the suboxide of copper is fixed in the cambric or paper. This may be converted into the red prussiate of copper. A beautiful variety of colors may be obtained by substituting iodides, chromates, prussiates and oxides of other metals for those of iron or copper, an with these bases may also be used various dyes.