Copying pencil
A copying pencil, also an indelible pencil or chemical pencil,
History
Copying pencils were introduced in the 1870s and were originally marketed for copying documents, especially for making permanent copies of a permanent original. This was achieved by creating a hand-written document using a copying pencil, laying a moist tissue paper over the document and pressing it down with a mechanical press. The water-soluble dye in the writing would be transferred in its mirror image to the tissue paper, which could then be read in
The most commonly used dye was aniline, which produced a stain that was bright purple, mauve, or some color in between, depending upon the manufacturer. Since the aniline dye was poisonous to humans, many injuries and illness related to copying pencils were reported in the medical literature, especially in the late-19th and early-20th centuries.[3]
By the end of the 19th century, better copying methods had become available. Consequently, the copying pencil was being used as an indelible pencil, a precursor to the
Copying pencils saw extended use in
Modern uses
In Italy and other countries, their use is still mandated by law for voting paper ballots in elections and referendums.[5] The signs written with copying pencil cannot be tampered with, without leaving clear traces on the paper.
Health risks
Indelible pencils were the cause of significant health risks due to the presence of
Notes
- ^ "Pharmaceutical journal; A weekly record of pharmacy and allied sciences, Volume 17". 1858. Retrieved 2017-11-15.
- ^ a b c d e f g Dube 1998.
- ^ a b Owen 2008, pp. 40–42.
- ^ "Parcels in the USSR (in Russian)". Retrieved 2017-11-15.
- ^ "L. 6 febbraio 1948 , n. 29". Retrieved 2016-11-28.
- ^ Mason & Allen 1941, p. 133.
References
- Dube, Liz (1998), "The Copying Pencil: Composition, History, and Conservation Implications", The Book and Paper Group Annual, 17, The American Institute for Conservation, retrieved 28 September 2013
- Mason, M.L.; Allen, H.S. (1941). "Indelible Pencil Injuries to the Hands". Annals of Surgery. 113 (1): 131–9. PMID 17857706.
- Owen, David (2008), Copies in Seconds: How a Lone Inventor and an Unknown Company Created the Biggest Communication Breakthrough Since Gutenberg--Chester Carlson and the Birth of the Xerox Machine, Simon & Schuster, pp. 40–42, ISBN 978-1-4165-9832-9, retrieved 28 September 2013