The Crown Prince of France - Chapter 70

Chapter 70: Lithographic Printing

Versailles Palace lay to the west of Paris, while Saint-Antoine District was to its northeast. To avoid running back and forth—primarily because he couldn’t bear the jostling of a carriage ride—Joseph spent the night at the residence of the Paris Chamber of Commerce president. The next morning, he went straight to the Saint-Antoine District.

This small suburban town on the outskirts of Paris functioned somewhat like an "economic zone," the only area around Paris free from the control of guilds. Artisans could find work here without being required to join a guild.

Because they could save on guild fees, artisans were willing to accept slightly lower wages. Consequently, numerous workshops seeking to cut costs had established themselves in this district.

Over the years, Saint-Antoine District had grown into a hub teeming with workshops and home to thousands of artisans and their families.

Joseph instructed Eymond to hire a guide and proceeded to visit several paper manufacturing workshops in the district. His brows gradually furrowed as he conducted his inspections.

These small workshops lacked the capacity to experiment with new papermaking technologies.

The largest workshop employed more than 200 artisans and was quite extensive, but its owner, Réveillon, was unwilling to try new papermaking methods.

After all, experimenting with new technologies required significant investment, and the outcomes were uncertain. The risks were simply too great.

Joseph considered gritting his teeth and purchasing the workshop outright to run it himself but ultimately decided against it.

Réveillon’s workshop was valued at no less than 500,000 livres, and initiating the production of affordable paper would require further investment.

Joseph’s recent spree of "cash diplomacy" had dwindled his fortune from over 2.3 million livres to a mere 700,000 livres.

If he poured all his funds into a papermaking venture, he would face immediate financial strain if other areas required capital.

After weighing his options, Joseph decided to temporarily shelve the matter of affordable papermaking until he had more funds at his disposal.

This outcome, however, was within his expectations. Industries like papermaking, which were large-scale and high-yield, could not achieve technological reform overnight.

If successful, though, an industrial upgrade in papermaking and its nationwide implementation could significantly boost the French economy.

...

When Joseph returned to Versailles, three plate-making artisans from Paris News had been waiting for him for some time.

Joseph glanced at the artisans, each carrying heavy toolbags on their backs and various hammers of differing sizes tucked into their belts. Then he looked at the polished marble floors of his chambers, which gleamed like mirrors, and immediately abandoned the idea of teaching them lithographic printing techniques here.

Eymond suddenly approached in quick strides and bowed, saying, "Your Highness, the chalkstone slabs you requested are still piled on the carriage. Where should we unload them?"

Joseph frowned and thought to himself, "If only there were a workshop available."

At the mention of a workshop, a location suddenly came to his mind. A faint smile curled on his lips as he said to Eymond, "Move them to His Majesty’s workshop."

“This…” Eymond hesitated, surprised. “Are you sure?”

“I’ll speak with His Majesty.”

Joseph then gestured to the three artisans. “Please, follow me.”

...

Ten minutes later, inside the well-equipped, spacious, and brightly lit workshop of Louis XVI, the King of France observed the chalkstone slabs and the artisans in coarse clothing with curiosity.

Joseph first expressed his heartfelt thanks to his father for providing invaluable support to France’s publishing industry. Then, adopting a solemn expression, he turned to the three artisans.

“The technique I am about to teach you is of utmost importance! Without my consent, you are absolutely forbidden to disclose it to anyone. Otherwise…”

After some thought, he chose the most severe penalty and declared, “It will be considered treason.”

The royal workshop was occupied by the current King and the Crown Prince. Outside, the imposing Royal Guards stood vigil. The artisans, unaccustomed to such a display, were so nervous their legs trembled. They didn’t dare lift their heads and repeatedly swore oaths never to utter a single word about the matter.

Eymond then presented pre-prepared confidentiality agreements, which the artisans signed one by one.

Joseph understood that, in the absence of patent laws, this technique couldn’t remain secret for long. In the future, he intended to promote lithographic printing throughout France.

For now, however, it was his ace in the hole, and he couldn’t afford to let the technology leak. Over the coming weeks, he would ensure the three plate-makers were closely guarded, at least until he had control over public opinion in Paris.

...

After completing the confidentiality protocols, Joseph formally began introducing lithographic printing.

He instructed one of the artisans to secure a polished chalkstone slab to the table. Then he prepared printing ink mixed with wax and rosin.

Once the additives in the ink dissolved completely, Joseph dipped a brush in the ink and wrote on the chalkstone slab: “Homage to His Majesty the King.”

An hour later, once the ink had mostly dried, Joseph brushed the slab twice with diluted nitric acid.

The inked areas remained unaffected, while the uncovered portions of the slab were eroded slightly.

“The base plate is complete,” Joseph remarked casually as he coated the slab with water and then applied printing ink.

He couldn’t help but reflect on his time volunteering in the mountains years ago, when he had helped the principal print exam papers using a mimeograph. Who would have thought that experience would prove useful here?

At this point, the water absorbed into the acid-eroded areas prevented the ink from adhering, while the dried ink portions absorbed the printing ink.

Joseph placed a sheet of paper over the slab, pressed it lightly, and carefully removed it. The paper now displayed a line of text: “Homage to His Majesty the King.”

The text, however, was reversed.

The three artisans exchanged glances, each seeing immense shock in the others’ eyes.

Although the text was simple and somewhat uneven, the entire process—from creating the base plate to completing the print—had taken just over an hour! This completely upended their understanding of printing.

Louis XVI, who had been observing with interest, finally asked leisurely, “Was there anything particularly notable about the printing process just now?”

The eldest artisan, sensing the King’s sincere curiosity, hurriedly bowed and explained, “Your Majesty, His Highness’s technique is revolutionary enough to render all current printing methods obsolete!”

Another artisan, unable to contain his excitement, added, “Previously, when using copper plates, we had to first coat the plate with wax, then lay a sheet of paper over it and carve out the unwanted portions.

“The pen would remove the wax beneath the paper. After completing the design, the copper plate was placed into an acid bath. Areas not covered by wax would be eroded, and the plate was then removed, the wax cleaned off, and ink applied for printing.

“Just carving the wax alone took an enormous amount of time. Etching the copper plate took half a day, and creating a single base plate typically required at least two to three days.

“But His Highness’s method involves directly drawing the required parts, which is far simpler than carving out the unnecessary portions!”

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