Turkish Delight Duplicator Recipe

Turkish Delight Duplicator Recipe © Steve & Jenny Glover, 1993, 1999, 2000

We still use a "Turkish Delight" duplicator for small print run stuff (apa contribs, small con newsletters of the informal persuasion) and security printing (Postscript output -> ghostscript -> 9 pin printer -> coloured Banda paper --> unduplicatable tickets for whisky tastings etc).

Anyway, here's Jenny's recipe (as obtained from a friend of a friend of a 'freedom fighter' who apparently used to run across the veldt duplicating leaflets with one hand and scattering them with another ...)

You will need:

• 1 large roasting tray
  • This needs to be big enough for a sheet of paper. It is going to be the 'bed'.
• Sheets of good quality typing paper
  • laser printer or photocopying paper will do quite well. This is for the master copies. More or less any non-glossy paper will do for the copies
• "Spirit Duplicator" carbons
  • One UK trade name is 'Banda'. Ordinary carbon paper will not do. These sheets come in a range of colours, but purple seems to be traditional. You prepare your master by typing or printing (with an impact printer, not a laser or inkjet!) so that the carbon material comes off onto your master sheet. Alternatively, you can also make your own hekto inks.
• Gelatin
  • From a reasonably good grocers' shop or supermarket (look in the baking section)
• Water
  • From the tap is just fine...
• Sugar
  • Just your average White Death
• Glycerol
  • AKA Glycerine. From a Pharmacist, Drugstore, or Friendly Chemist.

Preparing the 'bed'

[This recipe uses gelatin, which can be produced from non-animal sources, but which usually isn't. Somewhere we have an equivalent recipe that uses carrageenin gel or agar agar, but you will have to work these ones out for yourself by trial and error, as we're not so practised with these ones]

In a large saucepan dissolve 100g gelatin in 375ml water then begin to warm it gently while adding 385g of sugar. When it has dissolved, add 715g glycerol and slowly bring the mixture to the boil. Stir gently for one minute while boiling to avert the wrath of the Foam Ghods.

Remove the mixture from the heat and pour it slowly into your tray (care! this mixture boils at a higher temperature than water -- for the purposes of rug rats and house apes, treat it as molten fat).

Make sure that the tray is on a flat surface where it can be left for a few hours until the gel sets.

While the gel is cooling, the Foam Ghods can be further appeased by using tissue paper to remove bubbles, foam and 'bits' from the surface.

Using the duplicator

First, moisten the surface of the bed by swirling cold water across it and wiping it dry with a fine sponge. There should be no droplets of water left at this point.

Take your master copy and lay it face down on the gel, smoothing it down with the back of a spoon (or by hand), taking care to avoid bubbles and areas that are not in contact with the surface.

Leave it there for a few minutes to allow the ink to transfer into the top of the gelatin (care: the longer you leave it, the deeper the ink goes, so the more copies you can make, but if the surface was too wet, you run the risk of incurring the wrath of the Dhemons of Diffusion).

Remove the master carefully (it may be re-usable, depending on how many copies you need) -- if it tears, never mind, the surface was too dry anyway.

Take a sheet of ordinary paper and slowly smooth it down over the right part of the bed. Peel it back, and step back in amazement! It works!!

Repeat 30-50 times, omitting the step back in amazement as the miracle becomes mundane. If you want more copies clean the surface (see below) and replace the master.

Cleaning the Surface

Cover the surface briefly with warm water. This will dissolve the ink (huzzah!!) but also some of the surface (boo! hiss!) so swirl it away quickly while using a separate fine sponge (which will soon become a fine fhannish shade of purple -- and not one you would want to use to do your sensitive fhannish face with) to remove the ink. Wash the surface with cold water to help reset the gelatine, dry the surface again, and use a sheet of white paper to check for any leftover ink on the surface (ink below the surface isn't often a problem). be careful not to damage the smoothness of the surface.

Damage Control

If you do damage the surface, all is not lost. Simply (if you are using a metal tray only) re-melt the surface and let it re-form, obeying the imprecations and instructions above re: the propitiation of the Foam Ghods.

For serious damage, remove the gel from the tray, and redissolve in a little boiling water, bring back to boil as above and continue with the procedure as appropriate.

The Catch?

This file is sort of shareware: if you use this recipe, we'd like to see a copy of the zine, flyer or artwork you produce. Our address is:
Steve & Jenny Glover, 3f2 (t/r) 2 Trinity Court, Trinity, Edinburgh EH5 3LE, Scotland.