How do they engrave banknotes so perfect?

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What I find amazing, the earlier notes printed from 1890 on to about 1970, including U.S. currency is how do they get the design so perfect? What I mean is, everything is perfectly balanced and symmetrical, baorders, numbers, lettering, line etching all perfect and perfectly spaced. Remember these notes were designed and hand engraved before computers were around, so they didn't have a CAD program or drawing/paint program to design the notes or to have the computer lay everything out perfectly before starting the engraving. Also you can't really make any mistakes while engraving a master printing plate for a banknote, again amazing that there are no errors with all the intricate engraving, especially on the portraits and fancy boarders.

I agree!

I believe they were done by hand then. When I collected coins before I switched to banknotes, I read how Thomas Shingles hand sculpted the dies for the 1949 dollar coin. The reverse showing John Cabots ship, simply gorgeous. He was not simply a Mint engraver but an awesome artist. That is why I admire even more the rich lathework, intricate designs, and detailed vignettes of the Dominion of Canda notes with a few, and regretably only a few in my collection. That's why many collectors consider them "ART!"

PD

Ps. get the book: The Art and Design of Canadian Bank Notes

He was not simply a Mint engraver but an awesome artist.

So true. I believe all engravers (and any artists involved-- such as Karsh the photographer) were at the top in their field.   I find all the 35 and 37 designs just amazing to look at.  Edwin Gunn, Louis Delnoce, Robert Savage, HP Dawson, G Gunderson, and Gordon Yorke were amazing engravers!  Gunderson and Yorke went on to engrave the 54 and multicolored series too.

What I also find incredible is how they manage to get the colours on the notes so vibrant and eye catching.  It would be interesting to see a film about the old printing technology, especially the steps, or stages of printing each sheet.  

Does anyone know of a documentary film that shows the old printing process?  I would also love to see the engraving process on film.  I hope it wasn't considered classified info-- but I can imagine it either being censored, or glossed over.  I will get that book eventually.

That would definitely make for a great episode of "How it's made" on Discovery. Especially in HD.