A coarse mesh will give you a strong but "cruder" image. A fine mesh will make the watermark appear creamy in its "shading." A representative from a fine paper company informed me that they normally use #70/48 mesh but that a skilled craftsman could use #100 mesh for very fine work. There is no question that translating a two-dimensional image, especially a color image, into a finely shaded watermark—whether using a traditional wax process or a photographic process—requires not just skill but artistry. Once you have your watermark device—be it wire line; laser-cut, adhesive-backed plastic design; or chiaroscuro watermark— make sure that it is secured evenly to the surface of the papermaking mould. Using very fine brass wire, I usually sew the chiaroscuro watermark to the surface of a preexisting wove mesh of a papermaking mould. Traditionally the chiaroscuro watermark is sewn directly to the ribs of the mould to promote good drainage. Sewing one mesh on top of the other slows down the drainage which in turn results in a slight loss of clarity and crispness of the watermarked image. The key is to make sure that the watermark mesh lies flat on the mould and is evenly sewn down. There should be no air pockets between the surface of the watermark device and the surface of the mould. The watermarking pulp can be made out of any cotton rag or cotton linters. Beat it until it looks and acts like "pixie dust." Those tiny particles of overbeaten cotton will give you incredible detail. Do not add size to the pulp but do add some hand-ground pigment like carbon black to give the watermark a little color and definition. The earth pigments seem to work best to "outline" the watermarked image. If you find that the sheet crumbles apart when you try to couch it, add a small quantity of overbeaten abaca or linen pulp to the cotton for strength. You can also couch the fine cotton watermark sheet onto a very translucent abaca backing sheet, then you have the best of both worlds, but it is quite a bit of work. When you pull the sheet, don't do much of a shake, if at all, or you will disturb the clarity of the image. The agitation can also cause pesky air bubbles marring your image. Most importantly, don't hold your breath! Breathe evenly as you pull the mould straight up out of the vat. The pulp responds to your calm and focus by magically drawing a clear, crisp image.

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