:i?tvWfj W- fornia aal THE LIBRARY OF THE UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA LOS ANGELES Some few Optniojis of the Press on the First Edition of The Printers' Handbook Of Trade Recipes, Hints and Suggestions relating to Letter- press and Lithographic Printing, Bookbinding, Stationery, Engraving, etc., etc. By C. T. Jacobi. With many useful Tables and an Index. Athenaunt. — " A purely technical work, giving hints and receipts, and doing for a printer what a cookery book ought to do for a cook. . . . Much in the volume that will be useful to stationers and lithographers. " Effective Advertiser. — "This book is what ever>' master should keep on his desk, and every journeyman and apprentice be acquainted with." Press Xezvs. — " The result of a great deal of labour and patient research." Printing; Times and Lithographer. — " We have gone with great care over the contents, and find it well selected, judiciously condensed, and to the point all through." The Bookbinder. — "This is a useful work of reference, and contains many useful hints." English Mechanic. — " The book contains a good deal of information that will be of use to printers and others engaged in allied branches." The Printer. — " Here are to be found useful ' wrinkles ' calculated to help the workman out of many a difficulty, and to save time and money to employers." Paper and Printing Trades Journal. — "Printers and stationers will find Mr. Jacobi's book of considerable value." Export Joiirnal. — "Contains everj^thing that is useful or interesting to printers, litho- graphers, bookbinders, the paper trade, and other branches connected with books." Superior PriiLter, U.S.A. — " The compiler presents them in an attractive manner, easy of access and reference." British Printer. — " Fills a want acknowledged by every member of the craft." Crown 8z;^, cloth, price 3X. dd. {by post, T,d. extra). The Printers' Vocabulary A Collection of some 2,500 Technical Terms, Phrases, Abbre- viations, and other Expressions, mostly relating to Letterpress Printing, many of which have been in use since the time of Caxton. By C. T. Jacobi. Including specimen page of marks and signs used by Correctors of the Press, and sizes of types graduated and named. Useful book for Authors and Publishers as the work contains many bibliographical references. Some 3Dpmion0 of tlfz ©rees. Athencenm. — " Another of Mr. Jacobi's useful manuals. . . . Authors too may consult it with advantage." Literary World. — "Easy of reference. " Effective Adz>ertiser.— " 'Mr. Jacobi has shown great research, and his definitions may be taken as correct." Press News. — " Selected with special care. . . . A welcome addition to our tjTDOgraphic literature." Bookseller. — "Will be found useful and convenient." Printing Times and Lithographer. — "Useful to all who have anything to do with printing." Publisliers' Circular. — "The author's knowledge of the subject, as well as his diligence in compilation, is not to be questioned." Bookmaker, U.S.A. — " A verj- useful manual for all those connected with the art." Bookbinder. — "To authors and publishers it will often render much assistance." Printers' Register. — " It is quite an amusing volume." HazelPs Magazine. — " Will be welcomed by the young author." British Printer. — " The contents show that Mr. Jacobi has been a careful student." London : The Chiswick Press, Tooks Court, Chancery Lane. -V't'K' Kcady. S»ia/l Post Svo, cloth, price <^s. {by post, ^d. extra). Printing A Practical Treatise on the Art of Typography as applied more particularly to the Printing of Books. By C. T. Jacobi, Manager of the Chiswick Press and Examiner in Typography to the City and Guilds of London Institute. With upwards of 150 Illustrations, many useful Tables, together with a Glossarial Index of Technical Terms and Phrases. S)ome 2Dpinions of tbe ll=)rc00. Athcnaum. — "The work of a man who understands the subject on which he is writing, and is able to express his meaning clearly. Mr. Jacobi may further be complimented on having supplied an excellent index." Tlu Speaker "A practical treatise of more than common value. . . . This is a thorough, concise, and intelligible book, written with obvious mastery of all details of the subject." Saturday Review. — "Mr. Jacobi goes into the minutest particulars . . . contains a large amount of information which will prove interesting to anyone who has ever had occasion to look into a printed book or newspaper." Spectator. — "The ignorant reader may gain considerable information as to the machinery and working of the art." Literary World. — "Just what it pretends to be— a practical treatise for practical printers .... a masterly handbook.' Industries. — " Many books have been published on the art of printing .... the book before us, however, is more concise and complete than any of them." Tlu Scotsman. — "A practical and useful work of instruction in the various arts and processes of book-printing." South London Press. — "Mr. Jacobi is well qualified to write upon the art of printing, and his treatise possesses the merit of being interesting and instructive." The Star. — "Very useful for experienced typos, for amateurs, and the general public." Bookseller. — " He deals at considerable length with t>'pes, composing, reading, press- work, warehouse work, .ind machinery. The last-named is particularly good." Printing Times and LitJiographcr. — "It deals with the subject in an exhaustive and succinct manner. . . . We wish it all the success it deserves in its efforts on behalf of technological education." Printers' Register. — "There is much about it which pleases us. . . . It is well printed and well illustrated. . . . He has written tersely and to the point." Effective .Advertiser. — " ' Printing ' is a book that we can recommend to our readers. It is literally full of items which will be of importance to the printer in his daily toil." The Stationrr. — " A wonderfully complete book, going into full explanations as to almost everything." HazelCs Magazine. — " It has been carefully compiled, and in this respect is more reliable, and certainly more portable than some other attempts in this direction. . . . We can unhesitatingly recommend the young student to add the book to his technical library." Stationery and Bookselling. — "Written as it is by one of the best authorities on the subject — the manager of the Chiswick Press — is a thoroughly practical treatise on the art of typography. British and Colonial Stationer. — "The work throughout is profusely illustrated, and the ma.ss of information that it contains cannot fail to be of the greatest use to all en- gaged in the printing office." Press Ne-ws. — "There is. too, much that is new in the book, that is to say many of the subjects treated of are quite new." British Printer.— " \s a class text-book on bookwork it will be very useful, as the con- tents are well arranged, and the instructions are clear and precise." British Bookmaker. — "The author, as manager of the Chiswick Press for many years pa*t, is entitled to .speak with authority." London : The Chiswick Press, Tooks Court, Chancery Lane, THE PRINTERS' HANDBOOK. The Printers' Handbook OF TRADE RECIPES, HINTS, & SUGGESTIONS RELATING TO LETTERPRESS AND LITHOGRAPHIC PRINTING BOOKBINDING, STATIONERY ENGRAVING, ETC. WITH MANY USEFUL TABLES AND AN INDEX COMPILED BY CHARLES THOMAS JACOBI Manager of the Chiswick Press ; Examitur in Typography to the City and Guilds of London Institute; Author of ^^ Printing, a Practical Treatise on Typography ;" " The Printers' Vocab7tlary ; " "On the Making and Issuing of Books ;^' etc. Second Edition, Enlarged and Classified LONDON THE CHISWICK PRESS, 20 fi^ 21, TOOKS COURT CHANCERY LANE 1891 PREFACE TO THE ENLARGED AND CLASSIFIED EDITION. THE compiler issues this Second Edition with a hope that it may prove as acceptable as at its first appearance. The facts that the first edition was soon exhausted, and continued inquiries were being made for the book, are the best excuse for its reappearance. Much useful matter has been added, and an attempt has been made to classify it under the heads of departments or trades. To have given more explicit acknowledgment would, perhaps, have been better, but, as intimated in the earlier preface, the same item is so frequently repeated in the different journals, and sometimes in a varying form, that it would have been difficult to have traced its origin. Owing to this repetition and variety in the mode of treat- ment, the reader's indulgence is requested if the compiler has failed in a few instances to discriminate between these duplicate fugitive pieces. In addition to the journals named in the original preface, he is indebted to the following : — British Printer. British Bookmaker. Effective Advertiser. Printing World. z JIB 1?^ 1267595 INTRODUCTORY TO THE FIRST EDITION. IN putting this book before the Trade, the compiler offers his apologies and tenders his thanks to the proprietors of the various technical journals, both English and foreign, from which he has culled the bulk of these recipes, etc. ; others are the result of his own practical experience. He trusts that this compilation — the result of many years' collection — will be found useful alike to the master and to the workman, for he believes no such work is at present in existence. It is hoped it will be of service to all interested or engaged in the art of printing and its allied trades. The want of such a book has long been felt, for, owing to the fact that the information is spread over a vast number of sources and repeated over and over again in different journals, there has always been a diflR- culty in turning up any particular subject when required. Further, the compiler has not had the opportunity of verifying all the matter contained in this work, so in many instances it has been reproduced exactly as it appeared from time to time. If the demand should warrant a new edition at some future date, the compiler may be able to extend its use- fulness, and he will be obliged by any hints, suggestions, or additional information suitable for the work being sent to him personally at the Chiswick Press, Tooks Court, Chancery Lane, London. INTRODUCTORY. It IS hoped the Index will be sufficient to find any particular subject, for it was found inconvenient to classify the multitude of items treated — at least for this initial edition. Amongst others the compiler is indebted to the following English journals : — Paper and Printing Trades Journal. Printing Times and Lithographer. Printing Trades' Diary and Desk Book. Press News. Printers' Register. British and Colonial Printer and Stationer. 1887. CONTENTS. PAGE Composing Room i Machine and Press Work 55 Rollers 88 Inks, Varnishes, etc 101 Warehouse Work and Stationery 136 Mucilages 185 Stereotyping and Electrotyping 198 Lithography 210 Engraving and Process Work 229 Bookbinding 254 Miscellaneous 272 Appendix : Commercial Information 339 Index 350 THE PRINTERS' HANDBOOK OF RECIPES, HINTS, AND SUGGESTIONS. COMPOSING ROOM. ORIGIN of the Various Sizes of Type.— There were seven sizes of type. The first was called " prima," whence the name prime, but this sort is now termed two-line English. The second was "secunda," which is our double pica ; in France, great paragon. The third was " tertia," at present our great primer. Then there was the middle size, still called in German "mittel,'' but this is now our English. After these came the three sizes on the opposite side of the scale — pica, long primer, and brevier. In Germany the names secunda, tertia, and mittel are still retained. Pica in France and Germany is called " Cicero," because the works of that author were originally printed in it. English printers so styled it from being the type in which the ordinal or service-book of the Roman Church was originally set. This ordinal was first called the pica, or familiarly, pie. Bourgeois was so named because it was introduced into this country from France, where it was originally dedicated to the bourgeois or citizen printers of that capital. Brevier obtained its name from its having been first used in printing the breviary or Roman Catholic abbreviated church service-book. Nonpareil was so named because on its introduction it had no equal, being the smallest and finest type produced until that time. Pearl is of English origin. The French have a type of the same size which they call "Parisien." It was a smaller type than nonpareil, and was thought the pearl of all type. Diamond is another fancy name given to what was regarded at the time of its origin as B THE PRINTERS' HANDBOOK. the g^reatest of letter-foundry achievements. One or two sizes besides have been made, and capriciously named by their respective producers. There is no doubt, however, that the best, because the most scientific and accurate, system of designing types is the French system — according to " points." At home here in England, our type-founders naturally object and hesitate to adopt an innovation of so revolutionary a character, hence the present time-honoured names are likely to hold their own in the terminology of the printing office. Style of the House. — In large establishments it is best to print a few rules as to the method of doing certain things, as nothing causes so much friction between the reading and com- posing departments as a want of understanding in these matters. Peculiarities in pointing, spellings, and style are not always agreeable in different offices, and a variety of styles is perplex- ing to all concerned, and entails much labour both on readers and compositors. Taste in Typography. — Though the word "taste" scarcely admits of the idea of variety of style, whether good or bad, it is pretty generally so understood. The proper use of it is to denote the sensation produced on the tongue as to distinguishing agreeable flavours. Figuratively, we may use the term in perceiving agreeable sounds, colour, or forms. In this sense a printer ought to try to educate himself to a high degree of excellence in discerning not only what is agreeable to his own eye, but to that of others. In other words, he should be able to appreciate a variety of tastes. The artist, whether he be a painter, photographer, or a printer, who can Bee beauty only in one style of art, or the musician who is always humming the same tune, can satisfy but few except himself There may be but one perfect style of beauty in each department, and it may be possible for a man to attain to it, but it is certain that many more whose tastes may have had some cultivation are still unable to appreciate it. A printer, therefore, while he should strive to elevate his art by educating his customers up to his standard, should not seek to go so far above that they cannot follow. COMPOSING ROOM. Hints on Setting Pamphlet Covers. — The title for a pamphlet cover, without border, should be of plain face. Old style lower-case of Roman or italic will be most satisfactory for a short title of one or two lines. For a full-page cover-title select plain type. If a rule border is desired, select a rule which can be readily fitted with corners. Never cut a rule, nor make up a border, for a cover-title until you know what will be the exact size of the cover. When you know the size, arrange the border so that it will be equidistant on all sides from the edge and back of the cover. Always keep the border of a cover at good distance from the types of the title. Prefer borders of large pieces. Never make up a combination of small pieces without order. If a cover forme of four pages contains cuts or electrotyped advertisements of unequal size, have the four pages made up on galleys in pages of uniform size before they are laid on stone. Before making a margin, get a trimmed sheet of the cover paper. Find out from the foreman the exact thickness of the pamphlet, and make allow- ance for this thickness in the inner margin or back. When it can be done, put marks between the second and third pages of a cover, indicating the thickness of the book, as a guide to the coverer. Bodkins. — The utility of these little instruments is un- doubted, and, in the hand of a capable workman, effect a great saving of time, though manufacturers perpetrate one great fault in making them, and that is they are too long and badly finished ; seventy-five per cent, break after a very brief use. W^e hear and read of different opinions concerning bodkins, but at least compositors know how to manipulate them, and complaints of injury to the type by the bodkin are rare. Our American friends, on the contrary, as a rule, denounce the bodkin in terms that would amount to its being a friend of the type-founder. Why should practical men advocate its extinction ? Arrangement of Case Racks. — As far as possible keep them so as to have a series of faces in the same rack. By that means a larger cap will often suggest itself to make a more effective display line. THE PRINTERS' HANDBOOK. Method of Laying New Type. — The careful laying- of new type into case is a work of greater importance than most printers believe. It is too often intrusted to apprentices, without instruction as to the method of doing it, the result being often seen in cases of pie and a large proportion of battered letters. The following plan is recommended on lay- ing a new book fount, and on no account should a learner be allowed to undertake the work before he can distinguish from each other the letters b q, u n, d p, as well as the small capitals c, o, s, V, w, X, z, from the same letters in the lower case. In regard to these small capital letters, however, some type- founders adopt the plan of giving them an extra nick to distinguish them from the lower-case. Unwrap carefully the page received from the founder, and, laying it on a galley, it may be thoroughly soaked with thin soap-water, to prevent the types adhering after they have been set up and worked off; then, with a stout rule or reglet, lift up as many lines as will make about an inch in thickness, and placing the rule on one side of the bottom of the proper box, slide off the lines gently, taking care not to rub the face of the letter against the side of the box. Proceed thus with successive lines till the box is filled. Careless compositors are prone to huddle new type together, and, grasping them in handfuls, plunge them pell mell into the box, and then roughly jostle them about to get more in. The type left over should be kept standing in regular order until the case needs replenishment. A fount of 500 lbs. of pica may have, say, five pairs of cases allotted to it; the same amount of nonpareil from eight to ten pairs of cases. Setting Short Measures. — Say the measure is two ems brevier. Make up the stick to ten ems, drop in two four-em quads of its own body in the end of the stick farthest from you, justify up to them, and go on filling the stick ; when it is full, empty it and remove the quads. A Good Suggestion. — Always pick up a type, lead, rule, or quoin, at the time it is dropped. This is not only a saving of material, but it engenders a habit of carefulness and economy. Moreover, the stooping and bending of the body is often a relief, especially after standing erect for some time. COMPOSING ROOM. Cleaning Formes with Steam. — Steam has the ad- vantage of rapidly boihng the oil of the ink, which condenses ; it gets rid of all dirt, and leaves the types perfectly clean. Further, types cleaned by this means always look new, and that the oxidation produced by potash, which is so injurious to the skin, is avoided. Let the forme be subject to the jet of steam for two minutes. The heat will dry the types instan- taneously, and much facilitate distribution. As no brushes and potash are required, the expense of fixing up the piping is very soon saved. The steam must be drawn direct from the boiler, as waste steam is not hot enough. Washing Formes. — Formes sent down to machine ought not to be wet too much with lye or with water, otherwise it becomes necessary to dry them before working, which takes time and often much trouble. The wet works up little by little to the face of the letter, and then the forme becomes un- workable. It has often to be taken off the coffin, the feet of the types have to be thoroughly dried, then some sheets of unsized paper have to be placed under the forme ; it has also to be unlocked, shaken, locked up again, the sheets removed with the moisture they have imbibed, and then it is to be hoped the forme will be workable. If not, there is nothing to be done but to lift it and dry it by heat. Lye is generally used for washing formes which do not contain wood blocks ; turpentine where woodcuts or wood- letters are to be found in them. The bristles of the lye-brush should be longer than those of the turpentine-brush, and, in order to preserve it, each brush should be properly washed with water after using, and shaken and stood up to dry. If this is not done the brush will last but a short time. There is no good m taking up with the brush a large quan- tity of lye or turps, and to shed it at once. Yet this is too commonly done, regardless of waste. In order to wash a forme well the brush should be passed lightly over all the pages, in order to wet them uniformly. Then they should be rubbed round and round, and finally lengthwise and crosswise. Leaning on the brush not only wears away the bristles, but sometimes injures the face of the types. It is a bad practice. THE PRINTERS' HANDBOOK. Barbed Spaces. — A foreign journal draws attention to a useful little invention just invented, and intended to facilitate the keeping of type, ornaments, and so on, in blank cases. It consists of slips of white metal, with projecting spurs on each side, so that they can be firmly driven into the wood and fixed there. In this way the cases can be subdivided with the help of wooden sticks into a number of compartments with firm sides. The invention has claimed for it the following, which are named to us : — The stamps no longer fall down ; pie is avoided ; the stock of type can be controlled and the letters examined ; the type is protected from injury and does not stick fast ; the process of setting up and distributing the type is considerably facilitated, valuable spacing material, such as quads, clumps, furniture, etc., is saved ; the cases can be kept in order for an indefinite period ; compartments of any required size can be formed instantaneously in no other way ; ornaments, borders, rules, polytypes, electros, and similar things, can be preserved in the same way by the application of these spaces. Buying Type. — When buying a fount of type try the metal by cutting it with a knife. You will soon discern the difference between good and bad metal. Above all, do not be too anxious to buy cheaply. It is not always that a fount of type sold is worth the money paid for it. In buying job founts it is a profitable investment to purchase the whole of the series. Never ask a founder to divide a fount. It is often more economical to buy double founts, and thus avoid picking and turning for sorts. Too small founts are entirely useless. Quite a mistaken notion is it that cash not spent in new type is money saved. Find the man who has this mistake in his head, and who allows it to rule his business conduct, and you will most probably find one who is not troubled with a flour- ishing business. The reason is not far to seek. Although a single evil may be borne by customers, who can stand bad type, bad ink, and bad paper — especially when by going a few yards further good type, ink, and paper can be relied upon? Some printers work their type as long as there is any of the stamp left, and then would like to turn it round and print the fount COMPOSING ROOM. from the other end ! Another mistake is made when it is supposed that an ornamental job is not a profitable one, simply because it takes time in composition. Of course we say this of a properly appointed office. Our contention is that a good job can be done quicker in such a place than any kind of work can be turned out from a badly appointed office. In other words, it pays to keep pace with the times ; and the advice is sound which recommends the printer to let nothing but the length of his purse restrain him in laying in new material. Compositors' Requisites. — Every jobbing hand should possess a gauge, one up to lOO ems, and a sheet containing the sizes in inches of the various folds of paper, so that on receiving instructions to set a job he would not be at a loss for some idea of the size. It is in the seemingly unimportant items where valuable time is lost. Standing Formes. — In almost every office of any im- portance there are hundreds, and perhaps thousands, of formes standing. Some of them, probably, are only used once a year, nevertheless they are allowed to stand there until wanted again. The method is considerably on the increase, and overseers would be acting wisely to thoroughly overhaul the list of standing formes. How often may the men be noticed going from one drawer to another for quoins, etc., which, by a judicious working of the standing formes, would release enough material in the shape of quoins, furniture, side and footsticks, and chases, to supply a good many men for days. A Suggestion for Spaces. — Keep your middle and thin spaces separate. It is no uncommon occurrence to wade through a box of mixed spaces to get half a dozen thins, whereas, if kept separate, they could be obtained at once. It is just as ridiculous to mix them as it would be to mix the lower case t's and a's, and expect to know the difference by their thickness in using them. If the case maker would arrange the case with another box for thin spaces — say by taking about one-third of the upper end of the lower-case e box, on the nearest side to the middle space box — the practice of mixing thin and middle spaces would soon die out. 8 THE PRINTERS' HANDBOOK. Spacing of Matter. — Solid works should be rather closely spaced than driven out. In leaded works, with a choice of wide or close spacing, always adopt the wider. Do not divide words at end of lines ; this should only be tolerated in narrow measures or exceptionally large types. Self-spacing Type. — The following illustration explains the system recently introduced by an American foundry : — One unit. — Space i Two units. — Space, f i j 1 .,:;'-! l ' \ Total, 14 Three units. — Quad, cegrstz?)tj:§]||^lcjs T z - °. Total, 25 Four units. — Quad, abdhknopquvxyfifl ^% £, 1 234567890CJSZABDEFGHKLN opQRuvxY&iHif ii-li- J M I • Total, 67 Five units.— w ceceABDEFGLNOPQRTUV Y & M w iE CE lb. Total, 25 Six units.— Quad, m ffi ffl H K M X— ... r Total,... 11 Seven units.— W iE CE @. Total, 4 Twelve units. — Quad, jj^^ ""^^ Total, 5 Grand total to the fount, 152 Spacing. — Some text-books tell us athick space in the case of Roman lower-case, and an em quad generally in the case of capitals. Clearly these are misleading. Are we to space a condensed Roman lower-case letter as wide as one of bolder proportions, or a line of small-faced caps as wide as a line of large-faced ones? Certainly not. Then what rule is there which will apply equally well to all faces. The proper space to use between words is undoubtedly that which most nearly approaches the average thickness (width) of the fount being used. Practically the a, e, o, or u, of any fount, whether the line is in the lower case or capitals, are sufficiently near the average for our purpose, and as one of these letters always appears in every line, the proper space is at once apparent. This rule will hold good in all cases, because the thickness of the letter being taken it matters not on what body it is cast. COMPOSING ROOM. The proper or normal space being ascertained, the variations from it should be as small as possible. The compositor, how- ever, should bear in mind the following points, which often render an increase or decrease of space desirable, owing to the amount of white near the line. Letters which are very condensed may be spaced a little wider than the rule gives. Letters which are much expanded may be spaced a little closer than the rule gives. When letters of a word are spaced out, the double of the space between the letters should be added to the space between the words. Casting Lieads. — The casting of leads is by no means easy, especially if long ones are required. There is a good deal of knack in the operation. The mould must be kept hot and smoked over a flame from time to time, or, better, rubbed over with a thin solution of jeweller's rouge in water. This greatly assists the metal to fill the mould. W^eight of Leads Required for a Job. — Multiply the number of lines in a page by the number of pages to be leaded, and divide the product by the number of leads of the measure required that go to the lb. (see separate table, p. 30). Example : I have to lead (8-to-pica) 24 pages of matter set to 21 ems pica, there being 35 lines to the page. How many pounds of leads shall I want ? In the table I find 54 8-to-pica leads, 21 ems long, go to the lb. Therefore I divide 35 X 24 by 54 and get 15 lbs. 10 oz. Ans. Note. I should order 20 lbs., cut to the right measure, to be sure of having enough. Proportions of English and French Type Metals. — English types are made of metal composed of 55 parts of lead, 22.7 of antimony, and 22.3 of tin ; or 61.3 of lead, 18.5 of antimony, and 20.7 of tin ; or, again, 69.2 of lead, 19.5 of antimony, 9.1 of tin, and I.7 of copper. French metal is composed of 55 parts of lead, 30 of antimony, and 15 of tin. Besley's metal was composed of lOO parts of lead, 30 of antimony, 20 of tin, 8 of nickel, 5 of cobalt, 8 of copper, 2 of bismuth. lO THE PRINTERS' HANDBOOK. Job Fount Schemes. Founts of jobbing type are now being sold on the Aa basis instead of by weight. The following schemes, comprising a large and a small fount respectively, will therefore be found useful by some printers. 4A 20a Fount. 36A 70a Fount. A 4 a 20 1 5 A 36 a "to" 1 16 B 2 b 8 2 5 B 16 b 24 2 12 C 3 c 12 3 4 C 22 c 34 3 12 D 3 d 16 4 4 D 20 d 36 4 12 E 5 e 35 5 4 E 42 e 92 5 12 F 2 f 8 6 4 F 18 f 24 6 12 G 2 g 8 7 4 G 18 g 24 7 12 H 3 h 16 8 5 H 22 h 44 8 12 I 4 i 20 9 4 I 36 i 70 9 12 J 2 J 5 6 J 10 j 16 16 K 2 k 6 $ 4 K 10 k 12 ."^ 10 L 3 1 16 £ 1 L 22 1 44 £ 5 M 3 m 12 k 5 M 20 m 32 & 10 N 4 n 20 fi — N 36 n 70 fi 7 4 20 ff — 36 70 AT 7 P 3 P 12 fl — P 20 P 26 rt 5 Q 2 q 5 ffi — Q 8 q 10 ffi 4 R 4 r 20 ffl — R 36 r 70 ffl 4 S 4 s 20 , 20 S 36 s 70 , 50 T 4 t 20 ; 4 T 36 t 70 14 U 2 u 12 4 U 20 u 34 12 V 2 V 8 20 V 10 V 12 50 w 2 \v 8 - 8 w 12 w 20 - 18 X 2 X 4 ' 8 X 8 X 10 ' 24 Y 2 y 8 1 4 Y 12 y 24 1 14 Z 2 z 4 •/» 3 Z 8 z 10 12 JE 1 ae 1 JE 3 ae 4 CE 1 ce 1 CE 3 ce 4 COMPOSING ROOM. 1 1 Jobs on Hand-made Paper. — Small jobs should always have the deckle or rough edge on the tail ; and if a side deckle also, should be so printed as to have the rough edge on the right of a recto page and the left of a verso page as far as possible, if the paper will allow of it. Hints on Ordering Sorts. — A typefounder has pub- lished a table containing a rough estimate (taking Brevier as a standard) of the amount which the respective boxes of the regular full-sized lower case will contain ; the first two columns give the letters and weight only, the last two columns the letters and number that will weigh a pound. Letters. Weight to Box. Letters. No. Letters to lb. acdi sm n houtr 2 lbs. abdghknopquvxyz 582 f b 1 V g y p w 150Z. cerst 682 kjzxq and figures 60Z. m 398 e 3 lbs. fijl 850 Caps 50Z. Periods and Commas 1400 Composing Room Tools. — It is astonishing to go into some large printing establishments and find therein a woful disregard of modern improvements. For instance, in most houses there is generally a " ship" exclusively for small jobbing, but here you will have the imposing surface, mallet, planer, and shooter just as large as a "ship" doing heavier work. Probably some will say that a large imposing surface is useful for an emergency. This may be so, but there is no earthly reason to use a mallet and planer of the ordinary size on delicate cards, etc. Overseers of composing rooms should issue to their clickers mallets and planers about one-third the size. They are much handier, just as effective, and the comp. can better feel whether he is injuring the type or not with proper tools. 12 THE PRINTERS' HANDBOOK. Setting-up and Working Numbers. — Suppose five sets of numbers from l to loo are required, first set up the ten digits in a column and print 240 copies to the right of the centre of the sheet. Then shift the sheet on the press so as to print ten copies of the same column side by side with the first; this makes 11, 22, 33, etc. Now remove the cipher from the bottom and place it at the top, so that the column reads Ol, 12, 23, etc. The 9 is now put at the head of the column, causing it to read 91, 02, 13, etc. One by one the figures are transposed from the bottom to the top, the last column reading 21, 32, 43, etc., of which, as with the others, print ten copies. Then set up ten I's, and print them on five of each of the forms already done, except the first, and also changing the lower 1 to a 2 on the column ending with 00. This, it will be seen, gives us all the numbers from 1 to 200. The operation is illustrated by the following table, showing the successive printings. Bear in mind that the left-hand column (1 to o) is printed on all at the first running through of the press : — 1 11 01 91 81 71 61 51 41 31 21 2 22 12 02 92 82 72 62 52 42 32 3 33 23 13 03 93 83 73 63 53 43 4 44 34 24 14 04 94 84 74 64 54 5 55 45 35 25 15 05 95 85 75 65 6 66 56 46 36 26 16 06 96 86 76 7 77 67 57 47 37 27 17 07 97 87 8 88 78 68 58 48 38 28 18 08 98 9 99 89 79 69 59 49 39 29 19 09 o 00 90 80 70 60 50 40 30 20 10 It will be seen that but twelve formes (including the I's) will be required for this work, while much less time will be spent in making changes than would be occupied in endeavouring to print after the old method. Of course if the numbers and changes run above 200 it will only require a greater number to be printed on each form, with the corresponding addition of higher numbers for the hundreds. COMPOSING ROOM. 13 A Few Don'ts for Comps. — Don't use leads in quoining up a forme. Don't use two quoins together in fitting quoins ; the con- struction and shape will not permit of it. Don't neglect to pick up types when you drop them on the floor. Don't place letters upside down for " turns," but reverse the nicks. Don't pick good matter for sorts. Don't spike lines with the bodkin when badly justified and won't lift. Don't lock up formes as if you were at a blacksmith's forge. Don't forget in planing down that type is malleable. Don't space unequally or divide words at the end of lines if it can be avoided. Don't shirk any method of improving your work. To Preserve V^ood-Letter and Cuts. — To prevent warping in blocks and wood-letter used in large bills, they should be placed in a zinc basin, provided with an air-tight lid, and then thoroughly saturated with paraffin oil ; after being left thus for about four days they should be wiped with a clean, dry rag. Prepared in this way, when new, wood- letter is stated to resist the effects of lye, petroleum, turpen- tine, and atmospheric changes. Another.Method of Preserving Wood Letter.— It is generally believed that oiling the face of new wood letters, or even of woodcuts, will make them take the ink better, besides giving them greater durability. But in the first case the result has not always been favourable. A foreign machine- minder has found a means of obtaining the desired effect, without risk of making the types or cuts too greasy. He pours some oil on the imposing stone, or, better still, on an iron slab, and spreads it with the finger on a space the size of the wood letter or cut to be oiled. Putting the cut then, face upwards, on the oiled spot, in a very short time the oil is entirely absorbed, and the letter or cut is permeated so entirely as to protect the finest lines of its face. 14 THE PRINTERS' HANDBOOK. Repairing Battered W^ood Type. — The last office I worked in (writes a correspondent of the " Inland Printer ") was stocked with battered wood type, of course caused by careless handling on the press ; broken tapes, dirt, and an oc- casional falling out of one of the feed guides on to the forme while in motion had caused the trouble, and it was impossible to do good work with such an outfit. I tried filling up the depressions with sawdust and glue, beeswax, etc., but the re- sult was not satisfactory. I determined to conquer the diffi- culty, and, after devoting considerable thought to the matter, I mixed some warm glue with Spanish whiting, and, after cleaning out the depressions well, and in some instances deepening them in order to give the preparation a good chance to hold, I plastered the defects over with the mixture while warm. I put sufficient on to thoroughly fill -all depressions, not being careful to get a smooth surface. After it became hard I filed it down close to the letter, avoiding scratching the even surface of the letter, and then treated it to a good rub- bing with an oil-stone, using oil, and the result was a polished surface as good, if not superior, to the wood itself; and, as I rubbed down the plaster even with the surface of the letter, the printing failed to show any defects whatever. Even the planer did not damage it, and I felt much elated in overcoming the difficulty. Copper-faced \Vood Type. — Attention is called to an invention made by a Parisian, which, it claims, will cause quite a revolution in the typographic world. In short, he has been experimenting with the galvanic process and wooden type, and has succeeded in induing the upper surface with a coating of copper. The importance of the invention can hardly be over-estimated, especially to those who use a great deal of wood letter and know its perishable nature. In order to produce what the inventor calls galvanized wooden type, the letters are placed in a galvano-plastic bath, and receive a coating of copper. The letter, while preserving nearly the lightness of wood, is as strong as metal, the copper coating rendering its form unchangeable, and preserving the wood from exterior influences and other risks which result from COMPOSING ROOM. 15 the ordinary manipulations to which type is subjected. The covering ot" the upper surface with galvanized copper has also the effect of preserving the delicate serifs of the letters, which are as strong as type-metal. Although the inventor at present only employs his process for broadside type, he purposes so far to improve his method as to permit of its application to heraldic engraving, to escutcheons, arms, etc. The possibilities of its application, indeed, are indefinite ; for instance, it may give wood engraving a fresh chance, as it may be possible, under this process, to use " cuts " for long numbers where now electrotypinghas to be resorted to, much to the detriment of the artistic finish of the work. How to Treat Wood Type. — To prevent warping, all very large wood type should be set up on the edge when put away, so that both sides may be equally exposed to the air. In cleaning it, neither lye nor water should be employed under any circumstances. Turpentine, paraffin, benzine, or kerosene oil maybe used; but turpentine and paraffin are the best. Procure a small shallow pan ; lay the forme flat on the board ; pour about six table-spoonsful of turpentine into the pan ; touch the face of the brush to the turpentine, and pass it quickly over the forme before it evaporates. Six or eight spoonsful of fluid will be found sufficient to clean a large forme, if thus used. Keeping Cases Clean. — Dust is a great foe to types, as well as to the comfort of the compositors. No sane person would think of throwing sand upon a forme to be ground into the types. Yet the damage is proportionately as great when cases and types in constant use are allowed to accumulate dust to be ground against the faces of the types by the shaking of them up, the jarring consequent upon the con- tinual touching of the fingers in the case in composition, and the repeated friction that comes from use. It is a matter of economy to have cases blown out at least once a week, and piece hands will make money by keeping their cases free of dust by the increased amount of work they will be enabled to do. 16 THE PRINTERS' HANDBOOK. Sticky Type. — It is said that types, especially new ones which have been papered and put away for a* long time, and which consequently stick badly, may easily be separated by placing them on the stone and pouring a little glycerine upon them, leaving them to stand there over night. The glycerine may be washed away with warm water, when the types will be found ready for distribution. Another Remedy for Sticky Type. — The type in long-standing jobs often becomes firmly cemented together and incrusted with dirt, and resists strongly all ordinary attempts to separate it. Pour lard oil over the face of the type, rubbing it in thoroughly with a soft rag ; then wash in strong lye with a brush and cleanse with hot water, and every type will be found loose and clean. Another Remedy for Sticky Type. — A printer writes that he has experienced great annoyance in this line. After trying every plan suggested, with but little relief, as an experiment the foreman lifted a column of matter to a galley, and, after slightly locking it, took the benzine can and ejected benzine upon the face of the matter, then with fingers and thumbs worked the type back and forth slightly, but thoroughly. After standingalittle while the matter wasthoroughiy saturated, and the caking of the type was found to be cured. If this experience is worth anything to the sore-fingered and dis- couraged distributor of new type, the object of this paragraph is accomplished. Emergency Wood Letters. — A few sticks of elastic glue are useful in a jobbing office. Very often an extra wood letter is wanted for a line, above the number supplied in the fount. This can generally be met by a little alteration or addition to another. Thus an A formed from V and vice versd, B from P, H from two IPs, M from W, and by cutting L from T, etc., and in case the original letter is required it is but the work of a minute to either cut away the glue or to add it if the letter has been cut. A gas-jet and a pocket-knife is all that is needed. Work with the blade of knife heated. COMPOSING ROOM. 17 First Use of the Setting-Rule. — This useful little implement was quite unknown to the early printers, and up to the time of its first adoption the lines of type (except in the case of th» larger founts) varied in length like the lines of the manuscript, because the compositor was unable, without fre- quently breaking the line, to shift the words in order to increase or decrease the normal space between them. When setting- rules were devised, it so facilitated this operation, and, by making all the lines of an even length, so improved the sym- metrical appearance of the pages, that no printer, after once trying it, returned to the old plan. In 1467 Ulric Zell, of Cologne, was unacquainted with this improvement, but as, out of the great number of works which issued from his press, it is a rarity to find lines of an uneven length, it is safe to conclude that he adopted it about 1468-69. But Meinsion, at Bruges, did not use it till 1478, ten years later, while it took nearly ten years more to cross the Channel to Westminster, where Caxton adopted it in 1490. Twisting Brass Rule. — Work and designing in brass rule are now the most popular means of ornamentation, and a few practical hints may be helpful. We (" Inland Printer ") soon learned to bend leads by heating them ; but it was years before we learned that brass rules, even as heavy as nonpareil, could be easily bent after heating and allowing to cool. The rule must not get too hot, or it will melt ; keep watch on it and remove it from the fire before reaching white heat. Circles, ovals, curves, and flourishes may thus be easily made at pleasure ; and even letters for initials, very neat and unique in appearance, may be produced with only a file, a vice, and a hammer for tools. For most rule-work ten-to- pica rule will be found cheaper and easier managed than the heavier rules. When it is desirable to bend the corners of a rule up or down, time and trouble in justifying may be saved by cutting the rule parallel with the face, and just above the top of leads used, the desired space, and bending it in any direction desired. This is recommended for short bends only, though with heavier rules it will work for a longer space. A pair of pincers will be found very useful in doing rule-work. c THE PRINTERS' HANDBOOK. Remember, that a good artistic worker in rule ornamentation can make a success, and command good prices, while a poor workman cannot do as well as a plain workman — that is, he cannot obtain as good prices in proportion to time spent as the plain workman. But we presume only those who have tact, genius, and a love for this style of ornamentation, will make a true success of it ; and we write for the multitude who may wish or need to do something in this line, either for plea- sure or profit. To do successful work it is necessary to have good material and good tools to work with, and then after the design is finished it is essential that good ink be used, and great care be taken in presswork to bring out the effect in the printing. Measures for Bookwork. The Page > of Type The Page ' of Type Size. should measure Size. should measure in Pica Ems. in Pica Ems. Length. Width. Length. Width. Foolscap. Demy. 4to. . . . 41 30 4to. ... 54 42 8vo.... 32 18 8vo.... 42 24 i2mo. 28 15 l2mo. 36 19 l6mo. 19 15 l6mo. 26 20 32mo. 21 12 Crown. Royal. 4to. ... 48 34 4to. ... 64 48 8vo. , . . 36 21 8vo.... 48 27 i2mo. 32 16 12mo. 40 21 i6mo. 23 16 l6mo. 29 21 32mo. 24 14 Emergency Tints. — It is said by a writer that in the absence of the proper colours for a job wanted quickly, he has found the artists' oil colours (retailed at stationers' shops in collapsible tubes) to answer excellently mixed with trans- parent tinting ink. He says " they work up well, print clean, and look fresh and bright." COMPOSING ROOM. 19 Lengths and "Widths of Pages for Ordinary Bookwork, With the number of Ens contained in each page ^ from Pica to Nonpareil inclusive. .a ^ rt 1) a; .2 C Size. 13 S h4 s M