A dictionary of the art of printing

“The usual rule for the type for notes is two sixes less than the text; i. e. English text has Small Pica notes; Small Pica text, Bourgeois notes; Long Primer text, Brevier notes; but when under this size a proportionally less quantity of note is required to constitute the above charges. Thus—If in a work set in Small Pica, the notes should be set in Brevier, which is three sizes less than the text; the same number of thousands should be composed for 1s. per sheet, as would be equivalent to the number of thousands contained in the four pages of Bourgeois, i.e. if the four pages of Bourgeois contain 10,000 letters, no more than that number of brevier should be composed without an increased charge.

“To compensate the compositor for time employed in making up, altering references, &c., the notes, although in the same size as any type used in the text, take the charge of 1s. per sheet.

“Notes upon notes, when set up in a smaller type than the note, are charged according to the rule laid down for notes.”

Art XII.] “In casting up a work with side-notes, the side-notes are not reckoned in the width of the page.

“Side-notes are cast up as double—that is, the length and breadth of the side-notes are taken, multiplied, and the product doubled. When the space between the notes do not exceed a broad quotation it is reckoned in measuring off the notes. The side-note width of the guard line and head lines are reckoned in measuring the depth of the notes. The reglets or leads between the text and side-note are reckoned in the width of the text, when the side-notes are cast up. One shilling per sheet for side-notes, in addition to their being cast up as double, is allowed for placing.

“Under-runners from side-notes are reckoned in the side-note, and paid 3d. each, in addition.

“When the bottom notes to law works, &c. are attended with extra trouble, in consequence of numerous contractions, an extra is paid.”

Art. XIII.] “The Saxon language is mentioned only in regard to the charge of one shilling per sheet, while works wholly done in that language seem to have been unintentionally omitted in the Scale; they are, however, paid the same as Greek without accents, according to Article XIV.

“The term ‘dead characters’ is extremely indefinite; and the charge allowed by this article is not limited to the languages of such nations as are extinct, but includes all languages for which roman or italic type is not employed, such as Sanskrit and other oriental characters; also German, Irish, &c. &c.

“This article defines only what charge is to be made for Greek, Hebrew, Saxon, &c. when introduced in small quantities in various parts of a sheet,—such as single words, half lines, or lines. If there be one word, and not more than three lines, the charge is one shilling for each character, in every sheet in which those characters occur: all above three lines is paid according to their value, preserving the 1s. per sheet for the first three lines. When the quantity of Greek, Hebrew, Saxon, &c. amounts to two-thirds, interspersed throughout the sheet, it is paid as all Greek, or an equivalent price allowed for the admixture.

“As it occasionally occurs that words in Greek, &c. are obliged to be set up in a different sized fount to the body of the work, when such is the case, extra is paid for justification.

“For the convenience of employers, and that each sheet of a work may be paid the same price, it is sometimes the practice to ascertain the quantity contained in the work, and put an average price upon each sheet. This was not formerly the general custom, nor is it, indeed, commendable, since by this mode it often happens that the task of setting up that part of a work containing the greatest quantity of Greek, &c. falls into the hands of those who have had no share of the lighter parts of the work, and thus endless and bitter disputes are caused by one man being called upon to perform that labour for which another has received the reward. The article limits the charge to ‘that sheet,’ and therefore a work in which small portions of Greek, &c. are introduced, should be charged according to the particular quantity in each sheet.”

Art. XIV.] “By ‘separate accents’ is meant the use of distinct accents with kerned letters.

“The composition of grammars being attended with extra trouble, ¼d. per 1000 is allowed for them. Therefore Grammars in Greek, Hebrew, &c. take the advance specified in Article V. Thus, a Greek grammar without space lines and accents is paid 9d. per 1000.

“Jobs in Greek, &c. of one sheet or under are also paid 1d. per thousand more than the prices above stated.

“It has been contended that works in Greek, Hebrew, &c. not being common matter, were not intended to be subject to the reduction upon reprints; but as the same advantage accrues to a compositor upon reprint Greek as upon reprint English, it is just that the reduction should be made; and therefore Greek, &c. set up from printed copy, is subject to the modification of the Scale proposed by the masters in 1816.”

Art. XV.] “The phrase ‘paid double’ signifies double the price of common matter. Although Hebrew with points is alone stated to be cast up as half body and half points doubled; yet Syriac, or any other language or character with points, is cast up in the same manner.

“Of the mode of casting up a work with points, the following is an example:—Supposing the work to be set up in small pica Hebrew with nonpareil points, it is cast up as half small pica and half nonpareil, that is, each page is charged as if it were a page of small pica and a page of nonpareil.

“Grammars, Dictionaries, &c. in these languages are cast up at double the price specified in Article V.

“This article applies only to works, or where several pages appear together. Small quantities of Arabic, Syriac &c. are paid according to Article XIII.”

Art. XVI.] “That is, if the sonnet type be long primer, the square of the page is taken as long primer, and the amount which the sheet or job would be paid as long primer is doubled.

“The rule is, however, but little applicable to the present style of letter-press music printing, the composition of which is now usually paid an ad valorem price, as double the price of sonnet type would not pay. Indeed, in music wholly instrumental, Art. 16. would be useless as a guide, as there would be no sonnet type employed.”

Art XVII.] “The charge of 2s. per sheet for Index matter does not include the charge for columns or tabular; and indexes cast up as tabular or table are charged 2s. in addition to what they come to by letters.”

Art. XVIII. “The expression, ‘not including the numbering,’ does not mean that the numbers are not to be reckoned in the square of the page, but that when the bookseller sends in his copy without numbers at the beginning of the article, or with incorrect numbers, and the compositor is required to alter them, or put in the numbers, he is entitled to make an extra charge for such numbering; in other words, 7d. per thousand does not include the charge for the trouble occasioned to the compositor by altering or marking in the numbers prefixed to the books.

“If a booksellers’ catalogue only make a sheet, or less than a sheet, it is cast up at no more than 7d. per thousand.

“Booksellers’ lists or advertisements are charged as a job at 7d. per thousand when only making a sheet or under; but if done in smaller type than brevier, they take the proportionate advance specified in Article 1.

“When notes or remarks in smaller type are inserted in a bookseller’s catalogue, they are paid the same as bottom notes.

“Catalogues in two columns are paid one shilling per sheet for columns.

“The words ‘in whatever language,’ mean that the foreign languages, where roman type is used, viz. Latin, Italian, French, &c. take no extra charge; but Greek, Hebrew, Syriac, &c. are paid according to Article 13.”

Art. XIX.] “The compositor’s day’s work is reckoned twelve hours; if, therefore, business require it, the compositor on the piece works from 8 till 10 in the evening, and from 6 to 8 in the morning, without any extra charge; but if required to come before 6, or called to work after 10, he immediately claims 1s., because he has already worked two hours beyond the ordinary time, without any extra charge. Sunday work, for any portion of time less than six hours, is paid 1s.

“Compositors on the establishment, when required to work beyond the recognised hours, are entitled to charge extra.—See Appendix.”

Art. XX.] “Auctioneers’ Catalogues and Particulars, of whatever extent, or whether leaded or unleaded, are cast up at 6d. per 1000; if any smaller type or other extras occur in a catalogue, they are paid in the same way as extras upon bookwork. The conditions in smaller type, when standing, are paid as an ordinary page of the catalogue; but if set up, are charged according to the type in which they are set.

“Jobs are not cast up as sheets or half sheets, but according to the number of pages they may contain. They are also subject to the regulations in Art. 1.—‘A thick space,’ &c. see Art. 1. to the end of that Article.”

Art. XXI.] “This article has occasionally been misconstrued; and it has been supposed that if any matter be on the third page, the compositors ought to charge the job as four pages; this, however, is not the case—for, in jobs, it requires matter on three pages, in order that they may be charged as four. Thus, a circular of two pages, printed on the first and third page, is only charged as two pages; but if there be matter on the first, second, and third, it is charged as four; or if there be matter on the first and second, and an indorse on the fourth, it is charged as four. This definition will appear correct when it is observed that the indefinite article is used in the scale, which does not say, constituting the third, but constituting a third.”

Art. XXII.] “This article means that ‘common matter’ or undisplayed broadsides, when set up in type ‘such as’ is used for leases, deeds, &c. are to be charged, if larger than crown, the double of common matter, but if on crown or under, to be paid one and one-half common matter; and if table, to be paid for as double. That this is the true interpretation of this article is evident from the introduction of the words ‘whether table or common matter,’ which were not in the scale of 1805, and which were inserted to prevent more than double being charged for broadside tables above the dimensions of crown. In Ireland, table broadsides above medium are paid treble; but by the above article, however few or numerous the columns may be, the charge is to be that of double common matter.”

Art. XXIII.] “When blank pages at the end of a work are filled up on its return from the author with fresh matter, or booksellers’ lists, or advertisements, the compositor charges the value of the matter, deducting the price of the blank, excepting the time for making up the blank. Matter driven out by the insertion of leads is charged by the compositor, but his time in doing so is not chargeable.

“The compositors on a work are entitled to correct the author’s proofs.”

Art. XXIV.] “In jobs, it is sometimes necessary to put the imprint nearly at the extremity of the paper, leaving a large blank between the last line and the printer’s name. In all such cases, the blank is not cast up, but the job is considered to be two lines longer than the last line of matter. Previous to 1805, the imprint was not cast up when it had a large blank before it; but as the compositor frequently had to set up the imprint, it was agreed that he should charge two lines for it.”

As the Scale of 1805 may be useful as an article of reference, I give it literally from an official copy which has been in my possession from that time.

“Article 1. All works in the English language, common matter, including English and Brevier, to be cast up, as settled in December 1800, at fivepence farthing per thousand; if in Minion (being a type not very prevalent), to be cast up at fivepence halfpenny; in Nonpareil, sixpence farthing; and Pearl, eightpence; Heads and Directions, or Signature lines, included. A thick space to be considered an en in the width, and an en to be reckoned an em in the length of the page: and, where the number of letters amounts to five hundred, a thousand to be charged; if under five hundred, not to be reckoned: and if the calculation at per thousand shall not amount to an odd threepence, the odd pence to be suppressed in the price of the work; but where it amounts to or exceeds threepence, there shall be sixpence charged.

“2. Works printed in Great Primer to be cast up as English; and all works in larger type than Great Primer as half English and half Great Primer.

“3. All works in a foreign language, though common type, to be cast up at fivepence three farthings per thousand, including English and Long Primer; if in Bourgeois or Brevier, sixpence per thousand; Minion, sixpence farthing; Nonpareil, sevenpence; and Pearl, eightpence three farthings.

“4. English Dictionaries of every size to be paid fivepence three farthings per thousand. (In this article are not included Gazetteers, Geographical Dictionaries, Dictionaries of Arts and Sciences, and works of a similar description, except those attended with extra trouble beyond usual descriptive matter.) Dictionaries of two or more languages of every size to be paid sixpence per thousand. If smaller type than Brevier, to take the proportionate advance specified in Article 1.

“5. English Grammars, Spelling Books, and works of those descriptions, in Brevier or larger type, to be cast up at fivepence halfpenny per thousand; if in two languages, or foreign language, to be cast up at fivepence three farthings per thousand.

“6. Small sized Folios, Quartos, Octavos, and works done in Great Primer or larger type (English language) which do not come to six shillings when cast up at the usual rate, to be paid as follows: English and larger type, not less than six shillings; Pica, seven shillings and sixpence: English Twelves to be paid not less than nine shillings and sixpence; and Pica not less than ten shillings and sixpence per sheet.

“7. Reviews, Magazines, and works of a similar description consisting of various sized letter, if cast up to the different bodies, to be paid two shillings per sheet extra.

“8. Pamphlets of five sheets and under, and parts of works done in different houses, amounting to not more than five sheets, to be paid one shilling per sheet extra; but, as it frequently occurs that works exceeding a Pamphlet are often nearly made up without a return of letter, all such works shall be considered as Pamphlets, and paid for as such.

“9. Works done in Sixteens, Eighteens, Twenty-fours, or Thirty-twos, on Small Pica and upwards, to be paid one shilling and sixpence extra per sheet. If on Long Primer, or smaller type, one shilling per sheet extra. Forty-eights to be paid two shillings per sheet extra, and Sixty-fours two shillings and sixpence per sheet extra.

“10. Works requiring an Alteration or Alterations of Margin, to be paid for each Alteration one shilling to the Pressmen if altered by them, and sixpence to the Compositor, as a compensation for making up the Furniture; if altered by the Compositor, then he is to be paid one shilling for the Alteration, and the Pressmen sixpence for the delay. This article to be determined on solely at the option of the Employer.

“11. Bottom Notes consisting of twenty lines (or two Notes, though not amounting to twenty lines), and not exceeding four pages, in every Ten Sheets, in Quarto or Octavo:—One page (or two notes, though not amounting to one page) and not exceeding six pages, in Twelves:—Two pages (or two notes, though not amounting to two pages) and not exceeding eight, in Eighteens or above; to be paid one shilling per sheet:—But under the above proportion no charge to be made. Bottom Notes consisting of ten lines (or two notes, though not amounting to ten lines) in a Pamphlet of five sheets or under, and not exceeding two pages, to be paid one shilling per sheet extra. Quotations, Mottos, Contents to Chapters, &c. in smaller type than the body, to be considered as notes. [Where the Notes shall be in Nonpareil or Pearl, in Twelves, the number of pages to be restricted to four; in Eighteens, to five pages: and, if the number of sheets or notes in a volume shall exceed what is stipulated, to take the proportionate advance.]

“12. Side Notes to Folios and Quartos not exceeding a broad quotation, if only chap. or date, and not exceeding three explanatory lines on an average in each page, to be paid one shilling per sheet; in Octavo, if only chap. or date, and not exceeding three explanatory lines on an average in each page, one shilling and sixpence per sheet. Cut-in Notes in smaller type than the body to be paid for in a similar manner.

“13. Greek, Hebrew, Saxon, &c. or any of the dead characters, if one word and not exceeding three lines in any one sheet, to be paid for that sheet one shilling extra: all above to be paid ad valorem.

“14. Greek without accents to be paid eightpence per thousand; if with separate accents, ninepence halfpenny per thousand: the Asper not to be considered an Accent.

“15. Hebrew, Arabic, Syriac, &c. to be paid double:—Hebrew with Points to be cast up as half Body and half Points doubled.

“16. Music to be paid double the body of the sonnet type.

“17. Index Matter, though but one measure, to be paid one shilling per sheet extra.

“18. Booksellers’ Catalogues to be cast up at sixpence per thousand, not including the numbering.

“19. Em and En Quadrats, or whatever is used at the beginning or end of lines, to be reckoned as an Em in the width.

“20. Night Work to commence and be paid for, from Eleven o’clock till One, one shilling; till Two, one shilling and sixpence; and threepence per hour extra till Six.—Morning Work, commencing at Four o’clock, to be paid one shilling extra.—Sunday Work to be paid twopence per hour, provided it amount to not less than one shilling.

“21. Jobs of One Sheet or under (except Auctioneers’ Catalogues and Particulars) to be cast up at sixpence halfpenny per thousand; if done in smaller type than Brevier, to take the proportionate advance specified in Article 1.

“22. Jobs in Foreign Language, of One Sheet or under (except Auctioneers’ Catalogues) to be cast up at sevenpence halfpenny per thousand; if done in smaller type than Brevier, to take the proportionate advance specified in Article 1.

“23. Where Two Pages only are imposed, either opposite to or at the back of each other, they shall be paid for as Two Pages; but if with an Indorse, or any other kind of matter constituting a third, then to be paid as a Sheet, if in Folio; a Half-sheet if in Quarto; and so on.

“24. Broadsides, such as Leases, Deeds, and Charter Parties, above the dimensions of Crown, to be paid the double of common matter; on Crown and under, to be paid one and one-half common matter.—The Indorse to be paid one-fourth of the inside page.

“25. All Corrections to be paid sixpence per hour.

“26. The Imprint to be considered as two lines in the square of the page.

“27. Different Volumes of the same work to be paid for distinctly, ad valorem.

“This Scale to commence on Monday, the fourth day of March 1805.

“Any Disputes that may arise in future, we agree to refer to the Decision of the Committee of Masters.

Is that kind of scale commonly sold by some ironmongers in bundles; and of which, the scabbards for swords are made: the Compositor cuts it quadrat high, and to his length.—M. Till within these last few years it was supplied by the Printers Joiners in bundles of sixty sheets each, four feet long, and varying in width from five inches to ten; it is now supplied in slips quadrat high. In Moxon’s time it appears to have been used to branch out matter as we use leads at present, but, as these are so much superior, they have superseded it in that department; and it is now seldom employed, except in forms next the crosses, to facilitate the making of register at press, and in making margin uniform.—See Paper.

or Illyrian alphabet, “is ascribed to St. Jerom The Bulgarian letters were originally the same with the Sclavonian. There are several letters in these alphabets, which seem to be of northern original, which are adapted to sounds peculiar to the languages of the people descended from the Scythians who settled in Europe.”—Astle. See Servien. Russian.

The name of a class of types, which, as the appellation implies, is an imitation of writing. The French call it Anglaise.

There is no character connected with our language on which so much labour has been expended within the last twenty-five years as on this. The old Scripts were so notoriously stiff and formal, that they could hardly be said to bear any other resemblance to writing than in the mere shapes of the letters; these were cast on a square shank, with all the ascenders and descenders hanging over the body, which is styled kerned. These kerned letters, having no support, were liable on pressure to break off, and the fount became so disfigured thereby that the use of Script was abandoned by almost common consent. In 1815 Messrs. Firmin Didot and Sons introduced a new Script, cut with great freedom, and cast on a rhomboidal shank, with triangular blocks having a corresponding angle on one side, and the other two sides forming a right angle, with which to justify the beginnings and endings of lines. In order to enable the printer to form complete words without any apparent junction, a great number of parts of letters, parts of common words, and double letters, were added to the regular alphabet; thus encumbering the plan with such a variety of sorts that it required great care, and was very tedious to compose correctly.

This plan was very popular on the Continent, and almost universally adopted; and so much importance was attached to it that Messrs. Didot and Sons took out an English patent for it, which they attempted to enforce against the letter founders of this country a few years afterwards, but which was resisted, and the claim to invention abandoned.

Since 1820 the English letter founders have produced a variety of beautiful Scripts of different sizes, but generally a modification of the French rhomboidal body plan; still the difficulty of composition remained to a great extent, and materially detracted from its general utility.

Within the last five years a further improvement has been made by the introduction of a new square-bodied Script, for which we are also indebted to French artists, Messrs. Laurent and Deberney, who have given it the name of Américain, which is so beautifully cut, and managed, that the effect of the whole, when well worked, is excellent.

The kern, instead of being unsupported, is protected by the shank of the letter, having two angles thus the kern thrown out at the head of the two opposite corners of the body, so as to give support to both ascenders and descenders; the opposite angles of the letters are cast with a corresponding slope to receive the hanging over letters without their incurring any danger of riding upon each other.

This plan obviates all the difficulties of the two former ones, and requires only a pair of common cases. It is easily composed, and there is not more risk of damage than attends the working of any other description of delicate type. The sizes of this Script at present in the trade are, Canon, Two Lines English, Two Lines Pica, Great Primer, and Pica.

The sorts marked with ¹ are cast thin, for joining with the letters which commence with a junction stroke, as m, n, r, v, w, x, y, z, and the compounds commencing with those letters. Those marked with ², and distinguished by an extra nick, are cast thick, to go before a, b, c, d, e, f, g, h, i, k, l, o, p, q, t, u, &c.

A section, marked thus §, is the division of a discourse, or chapter, into less parts or portions.—Murray. It is also used in printing as a reference to notes.

“The alphabets of the nations descended from the Scythians established in Europe, namely, the Servien, the Russian, the Sclavonian, and the Bulgarian, are all derived from the Greek. The Servien letters are called the Cyrillitan characters, from St Cyril, who converted the Moravians to Christianity; smaller characters were afterwards introduced, called Glogolitici. The Russian letters are immediately derived from those used by St. Cyril.”—Astle.

When compositors cannot make up their matter into pages as they compose it, either by reason of their working in companionship, or from other causes, they put it in galleys till they can make up; this is termed Setting at Random. When a compositor is obliged to set a great quantity at random, so that it becomes inconvenient, on account of the number of galleys it occupies, and the room it takes up on the cases, he ties it up in moderate-sized pieces and puts it on page papers under his frame, with a bit of paper stuck in each with a number, to mark the order; if it be a work in quarto or folio, too large for page papers, he ties a cord round the matter in each galley and keeps it on the slices of his slice galley under his frame, till he makes up.

Matter that is composed, but not worked off, whether it be made up into pages or at random, is called set matter, to distinguish it from matter for distribution.

Sheets of waste paper that are used upon the tympan sheet, to prevent the ink setting-off on the sheets that are successively printed when the reiteration is working; they are changed as soon as any setting-off is perceptible. They are slipped under the points at their edges, and are quickly changed, or turned, which is always done to economize the use of paper.

Set-off Sheets are also used upon the cylinders of machines that perfect, for the same purpose.

A sheet of thin paper is interleaved between every impression of fine work, particularly if it be large heavy paper and large type, to prevent setting-off in the heap; the work is hung up to dry with these sheets in, which are taken out by the warehouseman before the work is piled away, who then knocks them up, folds them in quires, and takes care of them till they are wanted again by the Pressmen.

Paper for these purposes is supplied by the warehouseman, who gives for the first waste or spoiled impressions; for the other tissue paper is generally used, and with care it will last a long time.

Counting out the proper quantity by the warehouseman, to wet—M. We now term it Giving out Paper, which see.

Work that is newly wrought off at the press often sets off, especially if it be fat beaten with soft ink: for when it comes to be beaten, or sometimes only hard pressed, by the Bookbinder, the moist ink spreads and delates itself round about the face of every letter, and sullies and stains the whole white paper.—M. We do not now include this spreading and delating of the ink in the meaning of setting off, but use the term only when one printed sheet parts with some of its ink to the sheet on which it is laid, or in the press, or in the process of binding, which it will do with large letter, which requires much ink, or when a book is pressed, or bound, before the ink is sufficiently dry: the Bookbinder’s hammer is a severe test; and where a book is required to be bound as soon as printed, the best plan, perhaps, is to have it cold pressed, which flattens the impression of the types, and renders it unnecessary to beat so much as when this mode of proceeding is not adopted. In printing fine work at press set-off sheets are used to prevent one sheet defacing another.—See Set-off Sheets.

Fixing the girts so that the Rounce stand in the most advantageous position to run the carriage in easily.—M.

When a compositor has received the making-up from a companion, and has composed the intermediate matter, he has set up to himself; that is, he has composed the matter that followed his companion’s last page and preceded the part he commenced with, and has joined the two parts, so as to enable him to make up. See Join, and Making-up, to give the.

When two or more companions are on the same piece of work, and when any one of them composes all his copy, so that there is none intermediate between the close of his and the beginning of the companion’s that follows him, it is said, he has set up close, or, he has set close up.

A sheet of paper folded into seventy-two leaves or one hundred and forty-four pages is termed seventy-twos or seventy-twomo.

The square metal the face of a letter stands on, is called the Shank of a Letter.—M.

This expression is used two ways by printers: some say it is a sharp impression when much blanket is used, and the impression of the types on the paper is deep: others hold, and I am of the opinion, that it is a sharp impression when no more than the face of the types appears on the paper, with the lines clear and smooth, and of a full colour, with as little indention as possible on the paper. Pressmen and their employers should know in which sense they each use the term, otherwise it may cause a serious mistake in work, as the two meanings embrace the best as well as the commonest work.

Something similar to those used by tailors; they are employed to cut brass rule, scaleboard, thin reglet, &c. to proper lengths. The shears best adapted to this purpose have blades short in proportion to their handles.

Is all made of iron, with an hammer head at one end, to drive the ball nails into the ball stocks, and a claw at the other end, to draw the ball nails out of the ball stocks.—M. It is customary to have one for each press, which in a wooden press is suspended by the head from two nails driven into the near cheek of the press, just below the cap. It is a very useful article to the pressman; but is often applied instead of the mallet and shooting stick, to tighten or to loosen quoins, though it occasionally makes a batter by slipping; I do not like to see it used for this purpose.

The Imperial Press. Dr. Lardner thus describes this press:—In this beautiful and compact machine, the works upon which the power depends are almost wholly concealed within the head of the press, and are in themselves extremely few and simple. The leverage connected with the bar is similar in principle to that of the Stanhope press; and the distinguishing peculiarity of this press consists in the manner in which the lever, called the chill, is made to act upon the piston, as represented in the engraving of the working parts. The stout cast-iron lever or chill terminates in a sort of polished toe or point. This last-mentioned projection of the lever is made to act on a cup or knuckle acting upon the head of a stout iron bolt, which simply drops down a perforation of the piston, so as to rest upon the uppermost of two steel wedges, one of which, by its connexion with a screw in the front, admits of being pushed forward or drawn back, so as to elevate or lower the bolt, and thus regulate, by altering the length of the piston, the bearing of the platen upon the types. The head-bolt passes through a hole perforated somewhat obliquely; by which ingenious contrivance, a side twist, which would otherwise be occasioned by the motion of the head gear is avoided. It will now easily be perceived how, by the operation of the bar, the toe is made to act upon the inside bolt, and thus force down the piston, which, after the impression has been taken, is carried back again, by means of two stout steel springs attached to the insides of the cheeks of the press, and thus on the return of the bar lift the platen from the face of the types and allow the carriage with the form to be run out. These springs, operating uniformly, cause the action of the piston to be very smooth. The Imperial press, is, I believe, in high estimation for easiness in the pull, which gives it speed in working, and for evenness of impression.

On the first introduction of this press the toe of the lever or chill worked on a flat surface on the top of the bolt; the introduction of the cup or knuckle is a subsequent improvement.

An old shoe with the hind quarter cut away, hung upon a nail through the heel at the end of the imposing stone, into which to put bad letters when correcting. When full, the person who has the care of the materials empties it into the old metal box.

Is a perfect wedge about six inches long, and its thicker end two inches broad, and an inch and an half thick; and its thin end about an inch and an half broad, and half an inch thick; made of box wood.—M. They are not now made so thick.

The use of a shooting stick is to drive the quoins with a mallet, both in locking-up and unlocking a form; they are 8½ inches long.

As the thin end of a wooden shooting stick always wears down rapidly, or splits, some houses have adopted metal ones, made of brass, well secured in a strong wooden handle, with a square piece cut out of the end, leaving one side a little longer than the other, with a more acute angle; these are very useful where the quoining room is small, and the quoins are of course thin.

See Chase.—M. The shortest and also the broadest bar that divides a chase into quarters; there is a groove in the upper side of it to admit the spurs of the points to be pressed into it without injuring their points. This cross is dovetailed in the middle of the sides of the chase, for folios, quartos, and octavos, without the long cross for folios; there is another dovetail in the rim of the chase, leaving about two thirds of the chase on one side of the short cross and one third on the other; the cross is fitted into these dovetails for twelves, and separates the offcut from the other part of the sheet. I would always place the short cross in the middle of the chase for eighteens, where the margin will admit it, as it divides the pages more equally, and makes the form safer when locked up; in this case the cross occupies the place of a gutter instead of a back.

A page that is not full of matter; as the end of a chapter, a book, or a volume. Though it is termed a short page, yet the term only applies to what appears when printed, for in reality the page is, or ought to be, made up to the exact length of the other pages in the sheet, the blank part being filled up with furniture. I would always put a lead at the least after the last line of the matter, and next to that a piece of thick reglet cut to the measure, to prevent any letters dropping down, and a line of quotations, or large quadrats, at the bottom, which will keep the other pages in register; the vacancy between these may then be filled up with furniture to make the page of a proper length, and if they be not so long as the exact width of the page it will not be material; but if it be made up entirely with furniture, the adjoining pages will be twisted and out of register, when the form is locked up, for it is not possible to cut the pieces so accurate to the width as a line of quadrats, for the gutter to rest against. If the page be very short, it will be better to have an additional line of quadrats or quotations in the middle.

When the pull is so justified, that a sufficient pressure is produced when the bar is brought about half way over, or a little more; this pull is adopted in small light forms, where despatch is required.

This is a term used in the Warehouse; and is part of the process of Knocking-up, when the paper is laid in heaps, after having been taken down from the poles, to make it lie even at the edges. It is performed by taking hold of a few quires of the paper loosely at the sides, and holding the far side a little lower than that next the body, upon the table, when, shaking both hands, it gradually projects the lower sheets; then lifting it up and bending it a little, it is let drop on its edge upon the table; by repeating this process two or three times, the parcel becomes even at the edges, and is in a fit state to be piled away. It is a process in which expertness can only be acquired by practice, and observation.

The same as foot stick, except that they are placed against the side of the page, as their name signifies. See Foot Stick.

By this term are meant, notes, breviatures, letters set for words, characters, short hand.

We find sigla in the most ancient MSS.: some specimens of such as were used in the sixth, seventh, and eighth centuries, are here given. Some of these sigla were made by the Antiquarians who wrote the book, and others afterwards for the illustration of the text The annexed sigla may be explained thus:—

“On behalf of the Masters.		“On behalf of the Compositors.
(Signed)	John Nichols	(Signed)	Edward Davenport
	Luke Hansard		James Atkinson
	Thomas Bensley		Charles Fagan
	George Woodfall		Samuel Charles Fawcett
	Charles Baldwin		William Magrath
	Thomas Gillet		Philemon Chalk
	David Nathan Shury		Charles Higly
	William Ruffy.		Henry Dench.”