SCALE OF PRICES

The following scale of prices is copied literally from the official scale published by the master printers in 1810. The alteration in the scale in 1816, as well as the subsequent alterations and explanations have been also accurately copied from the official notifications issued to the trade by the committee of master printers.

“Scale of Prices for Compositor’s Work,

“Agreed upon at a General Meeting of Master Printers, at Stationers’ Hall, April 16, 1810; commencing on all Volumes or Periodical Numbers begun after the 30th Instant.

“Art. 1. All works in the English language, common matter, with space lines, including English and Brevier, to be cast up at 5¾d. per 1000; if in Minion 6d. per 1000; in Nonpareil 6¾d. Without space lines, including English and Brevier, 6d. per 1000; in Minion 6¼d. in Nonpareil 7d.; in Pearl, with or without space lines, 8d.; 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 500—1000 to be charged; if under 500, not to be reckoned: and, if the calculation at per 1000 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. Em and en quadrats, or whatever is used at the beginning or end of lines, to be reckoned as an em in the width.

“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 foreign languages, though common type, with space lines, including English and Brevier, to be cast up at 6¼d. per 1000; if in Minion 6¾d.; Nonpareil 7½d. Without space lines, including English and Brevier, 6½d.; Minion 7d.; Nonpareil 7¾d.; and Pearl, with or without space lines, 8¾d.

“4. English Dictionaries of every size, with space lines, including English and Brevier, to be paid 6¼d.: without space lines, 6½d. (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, with space lines, including English and Brevier, to be paid 6½d.: without space lines, 6¾d.; 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, with space lines to be paid 6d. per 1000; without space lines 6¼d.: if in two languages, or foreign language, with space lines 6¼d.; without space lines 6½d.

“6. Small-sized Folios, Quartos, Octavos, and works done in Great Primer, or larger type (English language,) which do not come to seven shillings when cast up at the usual rate, to be paid as follows: English, and larger type, not less than 7s.; Pica 8s. 6d.: English 12mo. to be paid not less than 10s. 6d.; and Pica not less than 11s. 6d. 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 2s. 6d. 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 1s. 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 1s. 6d. per sheet extra. If on Long Primer, or smaller type, 1s. per sheet extra. Forty-eights to be paid 2s. per sheet extra, and Sixty-fours 2s. 6d. per sheet extra.

* The following resolution of the committee of the association of master printers is published in their fourth report, [3d July, 1840,] “That in Book-work two Forms of Double Foolscap be considered as one sheet.”

“10. Works requiring an alteration or alterations of margin, to be paid, for each alteration, 1s. per sheet to the Pressmen if altered by them, and 6d. to the Compositor, as a compensation for making up the furniture; if altered by the Compositor, then he is to be paid 1s. for the alteration, and the Pressmen 6d. 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 1s. 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 1s. 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.]——This article is intended only to fix what constitutes the charge of 1s. per sheet for Bottom Notes*: all works requiring a higher charge than 1s. for Bottom Notes are to be paid for according to their value.

* The following interpretation of this article of the scale is given in a resolution of the committee of the master printers association, published in their fourth report, [3d July, 1840,] viz. “‘That there must be two Notes in every 10 sheets of a work to constitute the charge of 1s. per sheet for notes.’ E. g. if there should be only two notes, less than 20 lines each, in a work of more than 10 sheets, such work would not be liable to any charge for notes.”

“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 1s. per sheet; in Octavo, if only chap. or date, and not exceeding three explanatory lines on an average in each page, 1s. 6d. per sheet. Cut-in Notes, in smaller type than the body, to be paid for in a similar manner.——Side and Bottom Notes to many, particularly historical and law works, if attended with more than ordinary trouble, to be settled between the employer and journeyman.

“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 1s. extra; all above to be paid according to their value.

“14. Greek with space lines, and without accents, to be paid 8½d. per 1000, if with separate accents 10d.; without space lines, and without accents, 8¾d.; with accents, 10¼d.; the asper not to be considered an accent. [If Dictionary matter, to take one halfpenny advance.]

“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 2s. per sheet extra.

“18. Booksellers’ Catalogues (in whatever language) to be cast up at 7d. per 1000, not including the numbering.

“19. Night work to commence and be paid for, from ten o’clock till twelve, 1s.; all after to be paid 3d. per hour extra till Six.—Morning work, commencing at four o’clock, to be paid 1s. extra.—Sunday work, if not exceeding 6 hours, to be paid for 1s.; if for a longer time, 2d. an hour.

“20. Jobs of one sheet or under (except Auctioneers’ Catalogues and Particulars) to be cast up at 7d. per 1000; if done in smaller type than Brevier, to take the proportionate advance specified in Article 1; if in foreign language, of one sheet or under, (except Auctioneers’ Catalogues,) to be cast up at 8d. per 1000; if done in smaller type than Brevier, to take the proportionate advance specified in Article 1.

“21. 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.

“22. Broadsides, such as Leases, Deeds, and Charter-parties, above the dimensions of crown, whether table or common matter, 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, as common matter.

“23. All Corrections to be paid 6d. per hour.

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

“25. Different volumes of the same work to be paid for distinctly, according to their value.

“Abstract of the Scale.

A modification of the Compositors’ Scale took place in 1816, and the following notification was issued to the Trade:—

“At a Meeting of Master Printers held this day, pursuant to notice, for the purpose of taking into consideration the state of the Trade in general, in consequence of the alteration in the times;

“It was the opinion of this Meeting, that it would be highly expedient that, after the 19th of February, the following modification of the Compositors’ Scale of Prices of 1810, as far as regards Reprints, should take place.

“All Reprinted Works to be paid Three Farthings per 1000 less than the Scale of 1810. All Manuscript or Original Works shall continue to be paid for as at present.

“January 2. 1816.”

The following resolution is copied from Hansard’s Typographia:

“At a Meeting of the Committee of Master Printers held March 11, 1816.

“It having been stated that doubts had arisen in the minds of several Masters as to what should be considered ‘Reprinted Works,’—Resolved, That they be informed that, under the above Resolutions, all ‘Reprinted Works’ were meant to be comprehended, whether printed sheet for sheet or otherwise; it being understood, that, in cases where the copy is rendered peculiarly troublesome by intricate manuscript insertions, a reasonable allowance may be made for the same to the Compositor.”

Reprints, according to the Resolution of January 2, 1816.

* In the Abstract under the head “Dictionaries,” the prices for Minion and Nonpareil are erroneous, being one farthing too much; this error passed unnoticed, till the publication of the “Third Report of the Committee of the Association of Master Printers” in 1839, where it is corrected. I have given the Scale as originally published.

“Scale of Prices for Presswork,

“Agreed upon at a General Meeting of Master Printers, at Stationers’ Hall, Feb. 8, 1810; commencing on all Volumes or Periodical Numbers begun after the 28th Instant.

N. B. School Books on Copy or Crown are defined to be, Palairet’s French Grammar, Chambaud, Salisbury Spelling Book, Fox’s Lessons, Ward’s Latin Grammar, and all of a similar description.

“N. B. Side Notes to be reckoned in the Width; Bottom Notes not to be regarded.

Works on Royal Paper to be paid One Halfpenny per Hour more than the above Prices.

Ditto on Foolscap or Pot, not less than 1000 Number, and wrought at one Pull, 4½d.

Ditto in Square Pages (like Entick’s Dictionary) and Works for the Public Offices, to be advanced One Halfpenny per Hour on the Scale of 1800.

Fine Paper of the same Size, if included within the Token, not to be charged extra; but, if of a larger Size, then to be paid according to the Scale.

Three or more Proofs pulled at one Time to be charged 4d. per Form; and, if made ready, to be charged as a Token.

Cards, large or small, to be paid 6½d. per 100.

Jobs without points to be paid 4½d. an hour.

Double Crown or Royal Broadsides, not exceeding 100 Number, to be paid 1s. 6d.; if more than 100, to be paid 1s. per 100.

Demy Broadsides, not more than 100, to be paid 1s.; above 100, and not exceeding 500, to be paid 10d. per 100; if above 500, to be paid at the rate of 1s. 9d. per Token.

Broadsides requiring three Pulls to be paid one-third more.

No Form to be deemed a Broadside that comes in at one Pull at the Common Press.

Night-work to commence and be paid for, from Ten o’clock till Twelve, 1s.; all after to be paid 3d. an Hour extra till Six.—Morning work, commencing at Four o’Clock, to be paid 1s. extra.—Sunday work, if not exceeding 6 hours, to be paid for 1s.; if for a longer time 2d. an hour.

“It is to be distinctly understood that no Advance shall take place on any Works but those which are paid by the Scale.”

An alteration in the prices of the first column took place in 1816, and the following notification of it was made:—

“At a Meeting of Master Printers held this day, pursuant to notice, for the purpose of taking into consideration the state of the Trade in general, in consequence of the alteration in the times;

“It was the opinion of this Meeting, that it would be highly expedient that, after the 19th of February, the following modification of the Pressmen’s Scale of Prices of 1810, as far as regards all Numbers exceeding the first 1000, should take place.

“Every Token above the first Four Tokens to be paid One Halfpenny per hour less than the Scale of 1810.

“January 2. 1816.”

ASSOCIATION OF MASTER PRINTERS. 4. Pemberton Row, Gough Square. December 10. 1838.

Sir,

I herewith transmit to you an Extract from the Proceedings which have taken place at a Special Meeting of the Committee convened this day for the purpose of “considering the case of the Refusal of the Compositors in Mr. Bentley’s Office to work upon his Magazine; and with a view to Conformity of Practice in our several Offices.”

“The Committee of Master Printers being informed that claims have been made by Compositors in some Offices for all Wrappers and Advertising Sheets to be set up by such Compositors only as were employed on the Periodicals to which they are attached, it was

“Unanimously Resolved,

“That such claim on the part of the Compositors is an innovation on the antient and accustomed usages of the Trade, and wholly incompatible with that control which a Master has a right to exercise over the mode of conducting his own business; and that such claim will in future be resisted by every Member of this Committee.”

“It having been stated by Mr. Bentley, that the Compositors in his Office had refused to proceed with his Magazine in consequence of his having acted on the general understanding of the Committee, that the Compositors were not entitled to the Standing Advertisements in Periodicals,

“It was Resolved,

“That Compositors are not entitled to such Standing Advertisements, or to any Standing Matter, such claim being also contrary to the antient and established practice of the Trade.

“That the above Resolutions be circulated among the Members of the Association, and that they be strongly recommended to act with the Committee in carrying them into effect.”

I am, Sir, Your obedient Servant, W. M‘DOWALL, Hon. Sec.

Extract from

“Third Report of the Committee of The Master Printers’ Association to the Annual General Meeting, held at Anderton’s Coffee House, July 5. 1839.”

“In adverting to the dispute respecting Wrappers, which originated in a case submitted at the Monthly Meeting in December, the Committee feel it to be due to the Members of the Association to acknowledge the ready support which they have on all occasions afforded them. To that firm co-operation on their part, no less than to the reasonableness of the Deputation appointed by the Compositors to confer with the Committee, may be attributed the very satisfactory adjustment of a question which had been a source of serious disagreement in several Offices.

“The following are the Regulations ultimately agreed upon, a copy of which has been sent to each Member of the Association:—

“That the Companionship on a Magazine or Review be entitled to the first or title-page of the Wrapper of such Magazine or Review; but not to the remaining pages of such Wrapper, nor to the Advertising Sheets which may accompany the Magazine or Review.

“That Standing Advertisements or stereo-blocks, if forming a complete page, or, when collected together, making one or more complete pages, in a Wrapper or Advertising Sheet of a Magazine or Review, shall not be chargeable: the Compositor to charge only for his time in making them up. The remainder of the matter in such Wrapper or Advertising Sheet, including Standing Advertisements or stereo-blocks not forming a complete page, to be charged by the Compositor, and cast up according to the 8th or 20th Rules of the Scale, as they may respectively apply. But the charge of 2s. 6d. as given by Rule 7. is not to be superadded.

“With regard to Standing Matter, the Committee adhere to their Resolution of December 10th, 1838.”

Having thus given an accurate copy of the official scale of 1810, with the alterations and explanations of the master printers, to the present time, I shall now add the explanation published by the London Union of Compositors, of the different articles of the scale.

Article I.] “In casting up a work, although it be printed in half sheets, it is cast up in sheets; in jobs less than a sheet, however, the casting-up is confined to the job, and the compositor loses or gains the five hundred letters, or the threepence (as stated in Art. 1.) as the case may chance to be.

“By the term common matter is understood the usual description of Bookwork, and not such matter as Appeal Cases, Bills in Parliament, &c. for which peculiar and distinct charges are made.—See Appendix.

Space Lines.—The reason of pearl being always paid the same price (whether leaded with a lead equal to its own body in thickness, or without a lead) has often excited surprise; but this surprise will cease when we learn that in the year 1810, when an advance of one halfpenny on leaded, and three farthings on solid took place, no advance whatever was made on the price of pearl, which consequently when solid, which it most frequently is, does not have that advance which was granted in 1810; and the compositor in casting it up at 8d. receives only the price which was paid thirty years back. In 1805, the difference between the price of nonpareil and pearl was seven farthings; in 1810, the difference was one penny.

Head and White Lines.—The head or folio line and the white or direction line are invariably reckoned in the square of the page. Head lines, when set up in a smaller type than the body of the work, are charged one shilling per sheet; and if any justification of figures, &c. occur, an allowance is made for extra trouble; but if the head be in larger type than the text, no extra charge can be made.

“Reprints.—Annual Reports of societies, with lists of subscribers, &c. are not reprints. If the copy for a book be print-copy, but derived from various sources, such book is an original work, and paid for as manuscript. Works with MS. insertions are paid extra per sheet—not less than 1s.,—but if materially altered or much interlined, or consisting of half manuscript and half reprint, are considered as original works, and paid for as if they were all manuscript. Reprinted pamphlets (when more than one sheet) are subject to the reduction above specified. No reduction is made for printed copy introduced into magazines, reviews, &c.

“Diamond.—It is the custom of the trade to pay tenpence per thousand for diamond, whether leaded or unleaded.

“Ruby.—This description of letter is not common, but it is paid an intermediate price allowed for those bodies between which it is cast; thus, a ruby (which is less than nonpareil and larger than a pearl) is cast up at 7½d. leaded or unleaded.”

Art. II.] “This mode of casting up works, which was agreed to in 1796, applies also to jobs, but not to large-letter display broadsides, the charge for which will be found in the Appendix.”

Art. III.] “In the scale of 1805, foreign works in bourgeois and brevier were paid one farthing per thousand extra; but in 1810 one price was established for type from english to brevier inclusive.

“Works in the German language and common type are paid the same as other foreign works; but if the German character be employed, it is paid as Greek without accents. The same price is also paid for the Irish character.”

Art. IV.] “The words ‘of every size,’ allude to the dimensions of the page; because formerly (that is, by the scale of 1801) duodecimo and eighteenmo dictionaries were paid one halfpenny per thousand more than those set up in octavo or quarto.

“In framing the above article, it was intended that such gazetteers or dictionaries of the arts and sciences as were attended with any extra trouble beyond usual descriptive matter should be paid the above dictionary price; and therefore, such gazetteers or dictionaries as contain many references, italics, contractions, &c. take the advanced price as dictionary matter.

“If the above works are in two columns an extra charge of not less than one shilling per sheet is made for column matter.”

Art. V.] “There is a strange anomaly in this article. It was intended to allow the compositor one farthing per thousand extra for the trouble occasioned by the admixture of italic, the frequent occurrence of single letters and monosyllables in grammars, spelling books, &c.; but if a compositor be employed on a grammar wholly in a foreign language, it is paid no more for than if it were a foreign work (see Article III.) It should, however, to be consistent, be allowed the halfpenny for foreign, and the farthing for grammar, and be cast up at 6½d. with space lines, and 6¾d. without space lines.

“The extra farthing per thousand for this kind of work is not to pay for column matter; but two column matter, in grammars, spelling-books, &c. is charged not less than one shilling per sheet; three and not exceeding four columns are charged one and one half; and above four columns are charged double.

“School Arithmetics, as well as the works above specified, are cast up at the above prices.

“If the works specified above be in smaller type than brevier, they take the advance granted for such type in Article I.”

Art. VI.] “By the words ‘cast up at the usual rate,’ is meant works cast up without their extras; and though this article specifies small sized works in the English language, the principle is applied to foreign works also; and if foreign works amount only to the sums specified, they are entitled to an advance according to the number of thousands they contain as regulated by Art. 3. of the scale. For example, if a foreign folio or 8vo. work, in english type, without space lines, contain 13,000 letters, it would come to 7s. 0½d. Now, as the same work in the English language would come to 6s. 6d. and would consequently obtain by this Article an advance of 6d., so the foreign work is entitled to the like advance, and is paid 7s. 6d.; if it were not so, the compositor would not receive anything for the work being in a foreign language.”

Art. VII.] “The mere circumstance of a work being a periodical publication does not entitle it to the charge of 2s. 6d. per sheet. To justify this charge, the text must consist of two bodies, and be cast up to their respective founts. Publications, however, of more than one sized letter must not be cast up as all one body, to avoid the payment of the 2s. 6d. per sheet, but must be charged according to the proportion of type they contain, with the 2s. 6d. allowed by this article for the bodies.

“Reprints of this description of work (if more than a sheet) are cast up at three farthings per thousand less than the current number, but the 2s. 6d. per sheet is charged. No deduction, however, is made for printed copy introduced into the current numbers of these works.

“In Reviews, Magazines, &c. where leads are only occasionally used, or when used only in a small portion of the publication, no deduction is made.

“Reviews, Magazines, &c. are entitled to the charge for notes, although such notes are set up in one of the bodies used in the text.

“All matter pulled in galleys or slips is made up at the expense of the employer.”

Art. VIII.] “Parts of works done in different houses, when unequal in their nature, are cast up according to the respective merits of the different parts; and if a sheet, or less than a sheet, it is considered a job, and cast up at the price specified in Art. XX. of the scale.

“The expression ‘nearly made up,’ is indefinite; but in works where two-thirds of the matter are made up, one shilling per sheet is charged upon the whole.

“In works of two or more volumes, when the letter of the first volume is all made up, and used for the second, no charge can be made for making up letter.”

Art IX.] “This article does not apply to half sheets or sheets of double foolscap, double demy, &c. imposed as sixteens, as these are cast up and take the extras as octavo. Sixty-fours and forty-eights, in whatever type, are paid 2s. 6d. the former, and 2s. the latter, per sheet, extra.”

Art X.] “This article allows the employer to give the alteration either to the pressman or to the compositor; but it more properly belongs to the compositor, and the general practice of the trade is for the compositor on the work to make the alteration. The article does not apply to cases where a re-imposition or transposition of pages is required; in all such cases the compositor is entitled to charge his time.”

Art XI.] “This article is by general acceptation understood to mean that, in a quarto or octavo volume, there must be one note of twenty lines, or two shorter ones, to constitute any charge, and that there must be on an average more than four pages in every ten sheets to carry a higher charge than one shilling a sheet; that is, in a work of forty 8vo. sheets, more than sixteen pages; for a fresh calculation is not made for every ten sheets. If, therefore, two notes, or one note of twenty lines, occur in an octavo or quarto volume—and two pages or two notes in eighteens and smaller-sized works, one shilling per sheet is paid for such works throughout.

“Where the notes exceed the quantity stipulated in the above article, an additional sixpence per sheet is charged, until the quantity of note entitles the compositor to a further advance, when, in order to ascertain what that advance should be, the whole of the notes are measured off, and cast up as a distinct body, and one shilling per sheet is charged for placing.

“For example—A work of twenty sheets containing eighty pages of notes, or four pages in each sheet, is cast up as three-fourths pica (the body) and one-fourth long primer (the notes), as follows:

“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.

Regulations and Scale of Prices for Compositors’ Work,

AS ADJUSTED AND AGREED TO IN FEBRUARY 1805.

“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.

“Side and Bottom Notes to many, particularly Historical and Law Works, if attended with more than ordinary trouble, to be settled between the Employer and Journeyman.

“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.


SCALEBOARD

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.

Scandic. See Runic.

Public domain (Project Gutenberg, pre-1930 text)


SCANDINAVIAN PRESS

A new press has just been introduced to public notice (August 1841), under the patronage of Count Rosen, a Swedish nobleman, but being too late for insertion in the alphabetical order, I give a notice of it at the end. There are two of these presses now at work in the extensive establishment of Messrs. William Clowes and Sons, under the name of “The Scandinavian Self-inking Press,” invented by Mr. C. A. Holm, of Stockholm, who has taken out a patent for it. It is a press with a platen which descends perpendicularly, and at its regular rate of working produces 550 impressions in an hour, which I have ascertained by personal inspection. It requires two boys to each press to lay on and take off the paper, and to turn down and raise the tympan, and one superintendent is fully competent to attend to two presses. By dispensing with woollen blankets in the tympans and substituting paper, it produces fine impressions, as the specimens published of large and finely executed engravings on wood testify. There is a contrivance which causes a rest or pause when the pressure is at its maximum, and gives time for the ink to be firmly attached to the paper. The motive power may be either hand labour or steam, those in use at Messrs. Clowes’s establishment are worked by steam; they do not occupy more room than any other press that will print paper of the same dimensions, and are very simple in their construction. The inking apparatus is so arranged that the distributing rollers have three or four different motions, the object and effect of which are to produce a perfectly equal and uniform distribution of the ink. They are manufactured by Messrs. Braithwaite, Milner, and Co., engineers, in the New Road.

THE END.

London: Printed by A. Spottiswoode, New-Street-Square.

TRANSCRIBER’S NOTE

New original cover art included with this eBook is granted to the public domain.

Obvious typographical errors and punctuation errors have been corrected after careful comparison with other occurrences within the text and consultation of external sources.

Some hyphens in words have been silently removed, some added, when a predominant preference was found in the original book.

Except for those changes noted below, all misspellings in the text, and inconsistent or archaic usage, have been retained.

Pg 24: Alphabet Table, Sgie numerical value; ‘40’ replaced by ‘10’. Pg 34: ‘up the rythm’ replaced by ‘up the rhythm’. Pg 85: ‘tranverse portions’ replaced by ‘transverse portions’. Pg 96: ‘ and fractious’ replaced by ‘ and fractions’. Pg 159: Table row ‘168 49 59’ replaced by ‘168 49 50’. Pg 230: ‘in order to their’ replaced by ‘in order to assist their’. Pg 240: Table row: Peroxide of iron; ‘2F’ replaced by ‘2Fe’. Pg 299: ‘called ἐπίσημον’ replaced by ‘called στίγμα’. Pg 312: ‘or short (בֳ) בָ ŏ’; possibly, should be ‘or short (בָ) בֳ ŏ’. Pg 314: ‘These seven letters ﬡ ﬢ ﬣ ﬥ ﬦ ﬧ ﬨ are’ should really be ‘These eight letters ﬡ ﬢ ﬣ ﬤ ﬥ ﬦ ﬧ ﬨ are’. Pg 337: Inner Form block: ‘[*]’ replaced by ‘[4*]’. Pg 413: ‘o  upon any’ replaced by ‘or upon any’. Pg 423: ‘arbitary order’ replaced by ‘arbitrary order’. Pg 438: ‘the placing the’ replaced by ‘the placing of the’. Pg 461: ‘and he likwise’ replaced by ‘and he likewise’. Pg 476: ‘way of the chace’ replaced by ‘way of the chase’. Pg 491: ‘Opsloe, now Christiana’ replaced by ‘Opsloe, now Christiania’. Pg 497: ‘Monsalbanus’ replaced by ‘Mons Albanus’. Pg 497: ‘Monsdolorosus’ replaced by ‘Mons Dolorosus’. Pg 531: ‘and Newspaerps in’ replaced by ‘and Newspapers in’. Pg 596: ‘which contaitn the’ replaced by ‘which contain the’. Pg 611: Table row ‘| 0  3  7½ | 0  3  7½ |’ replaced by ‘| 0 3 7¼ | 0 3 7½ |’. Pg 612: Table row ‘| 0  3  2¼ | 0  3  8¾ |’ replaced by ‘| 0 3 8¼ | 0 3 8¾ |’. Pg 717: ‘sh as shame’ replaced by ‘sh as in shame’. Pg 718: ‘ма́рморъ, marble, mramor’ replaced by ‘мра́моръ, marble, mramor’. Pg 718: ‘ше́рсшь, wool, schārste’ replaced by ‘ше́рсть, wool, schārste’. Pg 719: ‘Hard а, о, у, ы.       Soft я, е, ю, и, і, э, ѣ’ replaced by ‘Hard а, о, у, э, ы.       Soft я, е, ю, и, ѣ’. Pg 719: ‘г, к, х,’ replaced by ‘г, к, or х’. Pg 732: ‘changes in D’ replaced by ‘changes into D’. Pg 749: ‘and not exceeeding’ replaced by ‘and not exceeding’. Pg 787: All four columns in the Syriac Alphabet table are shown as identical; some characters in fact have a different glyph from the first column, but there is no Unicode codepoint for them. Pg 792: The section heading ‘TAMUL’ was missing and has been inserted. Pg 810: ‘after that rince’ replaced by ‘after that rinse’. Pg 810: ‘always delvered’ replaced by ‘always delivered’.


Schedule

A sheet of paper passed with the make-up, containing folios, on which the compositor marks his name opposite to the pages set by him.

The American Printer: A Manual of Typography


SCLAVONIAN,

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.


SCRIPT

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  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.

SCRIPT UPPER CASE.—Slanting body.

SCRIPT LOWER CASE.—Slanting body.

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.

Scytho-Gothic. See Runic.

Second at the Press. See First.

Second Pull. See First Pull.—M.

the kern

William Savage, A Dictionary of the Art of Printing, 1841

Layout of Script case


SECTION

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.

Seditious Libels. See Libels.

Semicolon. See Punctuation.


section

A folded sheet. See Signature.


See also Divinity

Kip, Marbled, Sprinkled and Tree calf.


Seme

or Semis, or Powder. Ornamentation in which a device is repeated at regular intervals.


semis

A diaper design made up of the repetition of one or more small tools.

Bib-li-op-e-gis-tic: Pertaining to the Art of Binding Books


semis

an heraldic term signifying sprinkled.


SERVIEN

“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.


SET AT RANDOM

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 <i>Setting at Random</i>. 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.


SET MATTER

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.


SET OUT PAPER

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

Sets Clean. See Clean Proof.

Sets Close. See Get In.—M. The phrase is now used for close spacing.

Sets Foul. See Foul Proof.—M.


SET THE ROUNCE

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


SET UP CLOSE

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.


set-off

Designates the transfer of the ink to the opposite page.


set-off

When sheets that are newly worked off soil those that come in contact with them, they are said to set off.


set-off

print is said to “set off” when part of the ink from a page comes off on an opposite page. This will happen if a book is pressed too soon after printing.


SET-OFF SHEETS

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.


SETS OFF

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.


SETS UP TO HIMSELF

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.

Sets Wide. See Drive out.—M. We now use the term for wide spacing.


Setting the Head

Is covering the headband neatly with the leather, so as to form a kind of cap.


Setting the Head

Covering the headband neatly with the leather to form over it a kind of cap.


SETTING THE HEAD-BAND

Adjusting the leather in covering so as to form a kind of cap to the head-band.

The Art of Bookbinding: A Practical Treatise


SEVENTY-TWOMO

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


Sewer

The person who sews the sheets together on the sewing-press—generally a female.


Sewer

The person who sews together on a sewing bench the sheets, called when folded sections or signatures, to form a book.


sewing bench

A board from one side of which rise two sticks across which is a bar, which can be moved up and down and fixed in any desired position. Strings, bands, or tapes are stretched vertically between the edge of the board and the cross bar; against these the signatures of a book are successively placed and to them sewed.


sewing machine

A recent invention for the sewing of books with wire and thread.


SHANK

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


Shank

the square *Mettle* the *Face* of a *Letter* stands on, is called the *Shank* of a *Letter*.


Shank

The metal body upon which the face of a letter stands.


SHARP IMPRESSION

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.


shaving tub

The paper cut from the edges of a volume are called shavings. The receptacle into which they fall while the forwarder is cutting the edges is termed the shaving-tub.


shaving tub

The paper cut from the edges of a volume are called shavings. The receptacle into which they fall while the forwarder is cutting is termed the shaving tub.


SHEARS

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.


shears

Large scissors used for cutting up mill-boards.


SHEEP

An old term for all common work covered in sheep-skin.


SHEEP’S FOOT

An iron hammer with a claw-end.


sheepskin

The commonest leather used for binding. When unsplit it is called Roan. When split in two, the upper half is called Skiver, the under or fleshy half a Flesher. This leather is easy to work, takes gold lettering easily, and looks fairly well on a book. But it is not strong, and most kinds dry out and break within three to five years, even if much handled. The leather made from the skin of the sheep is not all alike. The remark already made, that a given piece of leather is not to be condemned for its name, applies to all the other leathers in this list. The skin from some mountain-bred sheep, for example, if well tanned, makes a good leather.


SHEEP’S FOOT

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.

Shekesteh. See Persian.

Shelf. See Till.


sheet

the full size of the paper as printed, forming a section when folded.


Sheetwise

When the pages of a sheet are imposed in two forms, which are backed in printing.


Shelf-back

The back of the book, showing the title, bands, decorations, etc.


SHERWIN AND COPE’S PRESS

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.

They are made of different sizes, from foolscap folio to double royal.

Line drawing of the Imperial Press

Figure showing the Works which produce the Power.


SHOE

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.


SHOOTING STICK

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.

A wooden Shooting Stick


SHOOTING STICK

A wedge-shaped instrument for locking up a form.


SHORT CROSS

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.


SHORT CROSS

The short bar which, crossing the long bar, divides the chase into quarters.


SHORT PAGE

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.


SHORT PULL

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.

Short Ribs. See Cramp Irons.


shoulder

The surface of the shank of a type not covered by the letter.


SHUFFLING

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.

Side Notes. See Marginal Notes.


Side sorts

Types in the side and upper boxes of a case, consisting of letters not frequently used.


SIDE STICK

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


Side-sticks

Sloping furniture on the outside of the pages next to the chase, where the quoins are inserted.


SIGLA

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:—

1. H. S. i. e. Hic suppleas, or hæc supplenda.   2. H. D. i. e. Hic deficit, or hæc deficiunt.   3. Paragraphus, a note of division.   4. Diple, to mark out a quotation from the Old Testament.   5. Crisimon, being composed of X and P, which stands for Christ.   6. Hederacei folii Figura, an ivy leaf, the ancient mark of division.   7. Ancora superior. To denote a very remarkable passage.   8. Denotes, the beginning of a lesson.   9. Signifies good. 10. Stands for something very kind, or benevolent. 11. Points out a fine or admirable passage. 12. L. D. lepide dictum. Finely said.

Many writers have employed their pens in elucidating the sigla on coins and medals; among others, Octavius de Strada in Aurea Numismata, &c. where we read C. Cæsar. Divi. F. IMP. Cos. III. Vir R. P. C. that is, Caii Cæsaris Divi filius imperator consul Triumvir reipublicæ constituendæ. A number of similar examples may be found in the same author, and in Æneas Vicus Parmensis de Augustarum imaginibus.

As to epitaphs or sepulchral inscriptions, it was common to begin them with these literary signs, D. M. S. signifying Diis Manibus Sacrum, and, as still is customary with us, on such occasions, the glorious actions, praises, origin, age, and rank of the deceased, with the time of his death, were set forth.

It is a fact too well known to require any particular elucidation, that it was customary with the ancients to burn the bodies of the dead, and to deposit the remains in urns or vessels, as appears from the funeral obsequies of Patroclus and Achilles in Homer.

Altars erected to the Supreme Being are of the highest antiquity, but by the ambition and corruption of mankind were afterwards prostituted to flatter both the living and the dead. Inscriptions, or literary signs, frequently appeared on those altars; as Ar. Don. D. that is, Aram dono dedit, and such like.

Public Statues were erected to Kings, Emperors, and others, both before and after their death, on which the names of the dedicators were frequently inscribed in literary signs. As in this inscription, Civ. Interamnanæ Civ. Utriusque Sex. Aer. Coll. Post Ob. H. P. D. that is, Cives Interamnanæ civitatis utriusque sexus ære collato post obitum hujus patronæ dedicarunt.

The Hebrews, Greeks, and Romans used forms of saluting or complimentary expressions at the beginning of their letters, and then proceeded to the subject of the letters themselves.

The Latin method was to place the name of the writer first, afterwards that of the person to whom the letter was addressed. The names were either put simply without any epithet in literary signs, as C. Att. S. that is Cicero Attico Salutem; or the dignity or rank of the person was added, as, C. S. D. Planc. Imp. Cos. Des. that is, Cicero Salutem dicit Planco Imperatori Consuli designato. The epistolary writings of the Romans abound with examples of this kind.

The Military Sigla amongst the Romans are treated of by Vegetius and Frontinus.

See John Nicholaus, who hath written professedly upon the Sigla of the Ancients;—J. Nicolai Tractatus de Siglis Veterum. Lugd. Bat. 1703, 4to.

A competent knowledge of these literary signs, or verbal contractions used by the ancients, is of the utmost importance to those who wish to be familiarly acquainted with ancient history. These Sigla or Signs frequently appear on marbles, coins, and medals, and occur in those inestimable volumes of antiquity, which have transmitted to us the most important truths relative to the religion, manners, customs, arts and sciences, of ancient nations. These are keys, as it were, to unlock the most precious volumes of antiquity; they introduce us to a more speedy acquaintance with all the various works of ancient artists and writers. The instruction to be derived from this branch of polite learning is of itself a sufficient spur to stimulate attention and industry; but its utility, which is no less obvious, is an additional incentive to augment our application and desires, when we consider, that there are no ancient documents, either on metals, marbles, precious stones, bark, parchment, paper, or other materials, which do not abound with these literary contractions, and that it will be very difficult to understand them without this necessary knowledge.—Astle. See Records.

The twelve sigla


SIGNATURE

A letter of the alphabet placed at the bottom of the first page of each sheet of a work, to denote, alphabetically, the order of the sheets.

It is customary to commence with B on the first sheet of the body of the work, and to go regularly through the alphabet, with the exception of the letters J, V, and W, which are never used as signatures; and which had, in fact, no existence in the alphabet at the time of the invention of printing; [J] expressing both I and J; [U], both U and V; and [UU] the double letter W. If the work extend to more sheets in number than there are letters in the alphabet, the succeeding sheets go on with a second alphabet, which commences with A, and both the letters are usually given, in this manner, A A, or Aa, and sometimes, to avoid the repetition, thus, 2 A; if a third alphabet be necessary it is always, at the present day, placed with the number before it, as 3 A. The printer’s first alphabet consists of twenty-two letters, and the second and succeeding ones of twenty-three.

As a guide to the bookbinder there are other signatures used in a sheet besides the first—in a sheet of octavo the first page has B, the third has B 2, the fifth has B 3, and the seventh has B 4: in a sheet of twelves they are carried to B 6; B 5 being the first page of the offcut; and however numerous the pages may be in a sheet with one signature, when they are all inserted, they are continued to the last odd page before the middle of the sheet, but never carried beyond the middle. In general they are all omitted except the two first, to show the first fold of the paper, and the first on the offcut. Small capitals are more frequently used for signatures than large capitals, as disfiguring the foot of the page in a slighter manner.

Sometimes figures are used instead of letters, but not often; the Gentleman’s Magazine is an instance.

Key to Column Headers— No.  = No. of Sheets Sig. = Signature Fol. = Folio

Key to Column Headers— No.  = No. of Sheets Sig. = Signature Fol. = Folio

I have extended these tables of Signatures and folios to 18mo., which is a size that has been much in use of late years; and in the table of 18mo. I have given it as usually imposed, as three half sheets of 12mo. with three signatures; the first signature in each sheet is with a capital letter, the intermediate signatures are small capitals.


signature

The letter or figure under the footline of the first page of each sheet to indicate the order of arrangement in the volume; sometimes applied to the sheet itself.


signature

A letter or a figure used at the bottom of the first page of a sheet, to direct the binder in placing the sheets in a volume.


signature

Each folded sheet or section of a book.


signature

The letter or figure under the footline of the first page of each sheet, to indicate the order of arrangement in the volume.


signature

the letter or figure placed on the first page of each sheet.


signature

The letter or figure under the foot-line of the first page of each sheet or signature to indicate the order of its arrangement in the book; often applied to the sheet itself.


SIXTEENMO

—A sheet of paper folded into sixteen leaves or thirty-two pages is termed a sixteens or sixteenmo.


sixteenmo

A sheet folded into sixteen leaves, about 4×6 inches when folded. Usually written 16mo.


SIXTY-FOURMO

—A sheet of paper folded into sixty-four leaves or one hundred and twenty-eight pages is termed sixty-fours or sixty-fourmo.


size

A preparation used in finishing and gilding, generally made from vellum.


size

A preparation used in finishing and gilding, formerly made with vellum, but can now be bought ready for use. When used on paper a thin solution of glue.


size

A preparation of pastewash used in finishing and gilding.


Sizes of books

See folio, quarto, octavo, etc.


skiver

The outer hair or grain side of sheepskin which has been split. It is commonly the thinner of the two parts, as when the inner is prepared for chamois. It usually looks well, and is easily worked, but is not strong. Much used for bindings. See Sheepskin.


SLICE

—The false bottom of a large galley, made to slide out, for the purpose of keeping a quarto or a folio page upon it, without disturbing it, as being safer than transferring it to a page paper. See Galley.

Slice is also the name of an iron implement used in the ink block to transfer the ink from the tub or other receptacle, and to scrape it together in a mass, clear of the balls when ink is taken with them; it has an iron pin through it near the bottom of the handle, so that if it falls flat on the ink block, it will rest on this pin, which prevents the handle from being smeared with ink.

A iron ink scraper, or Slice


Slice galley

A galley with an upper movable bottom, called a slice, used for pages and jobs too large to be lifted by the fingers.


slip

The pieces of twine that project beyond the volume after it is sewn.


slip

The pieces of twine that project beyond the back of the volume after it is sewn.


slip

the ends of the sewing cord or tape that are attached to the boards.


slip

The ends of the band, twine or tape on which the book is sewn that project beyond the back after it is sewed.


SLIPS

—In printing encyclopædias, dictionaries of arts or sciences, and similar works, which frequently undergo great alterations in the proofs, they are occasionally pulled on slips of paper, of the length and half the breadth of a demy leaf of paper. This is done on account of the facility of adding new subject matter, or taking some away, without having to overrun and to re-make up the sheet, after it has been imposed in pages.


Slug

A thick lead. Sometimes with a word or figure on top, used to denote the ownership of matter on galleys.


SLUR

—When from any cause at press, the impression on the paper is smeared, it is said to Slur.

This may arise from many causes—if the tympan joints are loose, it will be produced by the least lateral movement of the tympan after it is turned down—if the ear of the frisket touches the inside of the cheek in running in, it will cause it—if the press runs close, so that the inner tympan touches the face of the platen, it is very likely to slur; and I have often observed this in wooden presses that had been altered to obtain the additional power, for the platen was brought so low and near to the face of the letter in the form, as not to allow room to run in clear. In presses where the tympans are large, if the slur pin does not act, that corner of the tympan will come in contact with the form first, and cause a slur, particularly if the tympans are in any way rickety, or twisted by drawing on the parchment. Where the winter has been justified with cards, to produce a greater spring in the pull, it has been known to produce slurring. The first step towards curing this defect is to ascertain from what cause it arises; and then it is not difficult: but it has often caused great trouble to discover the cause.

The following are my old Pressman’s directions “To prevent Slurring and Maculing;” and though it will be perceived that some of them apply only to wooden presses, yet the whole may be useful.

“1. Keep the face of the inner tympan and platen clean and dry.

“2. Be sure that the parchments are tight both on the inner and outer tympans; also that the tympans are not rickety, nor the joints slack.

“3. Guide cramps are a great preventive to slurring and maculing.

“4. The tenons in the head and winter must exactly fit the mortises in the cheeks.

“5. The short bolts must be screwed tightly up, to fix the nut or box firmly in the head, and must not have the least play.

“6. The garter must fit the spindle and hose, and the spindle must fit the hose, as exactly as possible.

“7. The hose must work perpendicularly, and steady in the shelves.

“8. The platen must be tightly and properly tied, or otherwise fixed, so that it shall come down upon the face of all the types in the form at the same moment.

“9. The wheel must be well justified on the spit.

“10. The railing of the inner tympan must not rub against the platen, in running in or out.

“11. The shanks of the points must not be so far over the outer part of the tympan as to rub against the cheeks of the press.

“12. If a clumsy smith has made the joints of the frisket so thick as to cause the tympan to rub against the face of the platen, he must alter them at his own expense.

“13. The shelves must be quite steady.

“14. The press stone must be worked down with hard pulling until it becomes a fixture.

“15. The frisket must be quite even, and fall flat on the form; and the paper which is pasted on it must not bag.

“16. Fix the winter as solid as possible.

“17. Let the tympans fall easily on the form, neither driving them from you, nor pulling them to you in letting them down; neither let the platen touch them till they are quite run in, nor run them out till the platen is quite clear of them.

“Exclusively of the aforesaid, there may be many other causes of slurring, which the pressman can only discover by close attention. I have often found cork bearers a great preventive.

“I have heard many complaints of the middle pages of a twelves form maculing at a two-pull press; but this is not always the fault of the press. The cause frequently is owing to blankets being in the tympan which have been used for folios, quartos, octavos, &c. &c.; and instead of its being a macule, it is nothing more than that part of the blanket which had covered the short cross of other work, and in the twelves form caused a deep and ugly impression, looking like a macule: this evil can only be remedied by new blankets, or confining the use of them to 12mo. forms.”


SLUR

A blurred impression in a printed sheet.


SLUR PIN

—A flat-headed screw, that goes through the off side of the outer tympan, near the head band, so as to rest on the chase or furniture. Its use is to prevent the off corner of the tympan from coming down on the types before the other parts, which when it happens causes slurring.


SMALL CAPITALS

—Capitals of a smaller size than the regular capitals of a fount, but cast on the same body; thus the small capitals of Double Pica are about the same height as English capitals. They bear off more from each other, and are stouter, in proportion to their size, than the capitals of the same fount. They are used for running titles; for heads of chapters; for emphatic words; and for subordinate lines in titles and jobs. Till of late years small capitals were only cast in England to founts of Roman letter; the type founders cast them now occasionally to Italic letter, and they form a useful sort.

Moxon does not mention small capitals; nor are they in the plan of the cases of Roman letter which he gives in his work. See Sorts.


SMALL NUMBERS

—Under 1500 laid on, is accounted a small number. See Great Numbers; and see Lay on.—M. We now look on all numbers under 500 to be small numbers.


SMALL PICA

—The name of a type, one size larger than Long Primer and one smaller than Pica. It is half the body of Double Pica in depth. Moxon does not enumerate it in his Table of the sizes of each body; but, after giving the names of the different types, he says, “These are the bodies most of use in England; but the Dutch have several other bodies: which because there is little and almost no perceivable difference from some of these mentioned, I think they are not worth naming. Yet we have one body more which is sometimes used in England; that is a Small Pica, but I account it no great discretion in a master printer to provide it: because it differs so little from the Pica, that unless the workmen be carefuller than they sometimes are, it may be mingled with the Pica, and so the beauty of both founts may be spoiled.” See Types.

This was published in 1683, and opinion has changed so much respecting this size, that at the present day there are perhaps more works printed with it than with any other size.


smooth calf

Plain or undecorated calf.


SMOUT

Workmen when they are out of constant work, do sometimes accept of a day or two’s work, or a week’s work at another printing house: this by-work they call Smouting.—M. In fact we only term it smouting when the business of a house is slack, or, in other words, when work is insufficient to employ fully the workmen regularly employed, and they go to some other house for temporary employment, till such time as there is sufficient for them in their own house, when they return.

Soaking Pull. See Easy Pull.—M.

Sockets for the Gallows. See Gallows Sockets.


SOFT INK

Ink or varnish moderately boiled.—M. It is now generally termed Weak Ink.

The varnish of soft or weak ink is not so strong as that for fine ink; it does not require so much time and labour to distribute it on the balls and rollers, and it more readily covers the face of the type: on these accounts, as well as the expense, it is used for common work, as it enables the pressman to make more riddance; it is also used for machine printing, as the rollers passing rapidly over the forms with their own weight only, are found not competent to coat the face of the type with strong ink.

Soft Pull. See Easy Pull.—M.

Solace. See Ancient Customs.—M.

Solid Dig. See Bad Work.


SOLID MATTER

Matter that is composed without any leads between the lines, is termed solid matter; in the scale of prices of 1810 it is designated ‘without space lines.’ Previously to that time it was paid the same price as leaded matter, but then there was an advance allowed on it. See Scale.


Solid pick

A letter in a stereotype plate filled up with metal, resulting from an imperfect mould.


SOP THE BALLS

When a pressman has taken too much ink, he is said to sop the balls.—M.


SORTS

The letters that lie in every box of the case are separately called Sorts in Printers and Founders language; thus, a is a sort, b is a sort, c is a sort, &c.—M.

In houses that have more founts than one of the same sized letter, it would preserve uniformity in the appearance of their work, if the following sorts were all of the same fount in the same sized type, particularly in lists of names, indexes, and articles that run on sorts, as by that means all the sorts in the office might be brought into use, when necessary, which would frequently be of great advantage, both for the convenience of the printer and the appearance of the work: under the present plan, where every fount varies in its proportions and appearance, the printer, in the before-mentioned cases, is put to a great inconvenience and expense, or else has to spoil the appearance of his work by mixing the founts. The adoption of this plan would also be of advantage to the type founder.

Capitals and small capitals.

Figures and fractions.

Metal rules and braces.

Points— , ; : . ! ? ( [ and references * † ‡ § ‖ ¶.

Superiors, and the pound £.

The following additional sorts would also be found useful, and conduce to the more regular appearance of printing.

Accented capitals and small capitals.

Capital and small capital Ç ç.

Points to superiors— , ; : . ’

The Spanish ñ.


SORTS

The letters in the several case-boxes are separately called sorts, in printers’ and founders’ language.


SOUNDINGS

When a pressman has got near the bottom of his heap, and, rapping his knuckles on it, the boards of the horse sound nearly as if he had struck the wood, he says, he is in soundings.


SPACE LINES,

generally called Leads by printers. Thin pieces of type metal, cast to different thicknesses, and different lengths, quadrat high, to put between the lines of matter to make it more open; they are also used to branch out titles, small jobs, and parts of a work where necessary.   SPACE RULES

generally called Leads by printers. Thin pieces of type metal, cast to different thicknesses, and different lengths, quadrat high, to put between the lines of matter to make it more open; they are also used to branch out titles, small jobs, and parts of a work where necessary.


SPACE RULES

Fine lines, cast type high, in short thin pieces, to answer the purpose of brass rule in table work where a number of short pieces of a precise length are required. Two of them are generally equal to a pearl body.


SPACE RULES

Fine lines, cast type-high, and of even ems in length, for table and algebraical work.


Space Thick

*Space Thin*. See § 12. ¶ 1.


Spaces

Low blank types used to separate words.


SPACING

The adjustment of the distance between the words in a line, so that there shall not be any glaring disproportion; also extending a word or a line of capitals by putting spaces between the letters. See Composing.


SPANISH

Ñ has a peculiar nasal sound, like the French gn: the English have no sound like it, except in the last four letters of the word minion, which bear some resemblance to the last three of the word riñon, in Spanish: as niño, piña.

The note of interrogation is not only used at the conclusion of an interrogatory, but also placed, inverted, at the beginning, in order to warn the reader, unless the preceding words convey a sufficient warning; as ¿ Que es lo que vm. acostumbra? preguntó al enfermo.

The note of admiration is also inverted at the beginning of ejaculations, when the preceding words are not sufficient to prepare the reader; as ¡ Pastas dulces y viandas suculentas! exclamó suspenso y admirado el doctor.—M‘Henry’s Grammar.


SPANISH. [Query, Span-hitch.]

A slight kind of pull at a common wood-press.—Hansard.   SPECIMEN PAGE

A slight kind of pull at a common wood-press.—Hansard.


SPECIMEN PAGE

When a new work is put in hand, a specimen page, that is, a page of the proposed size and letter, is composed, and pulled in a neat manner on paper similar to that which is meant to be used. This is to show the effect of the work when printed. It sometimes occurs, that two or three pages are required, of different sizes, and of different letter, before the author or publisher decides in what way the work shall be done. These are called Specimen Pages.

If the work be not proceeded with, these specimen pages are charged by the master printer to his employer; if it goes on, they are included in the general charge.

Spelling. See Orthography.


SPINDLE

The screw to which the bar of the press is affixed, and which produces the pressure on the platen.

The upper part of the spindle is round, on which a screw is cut, that works in the nut fixed in the head; the next part lower is square, with a square hole in it to receive the end of the bar; the lower part is round and tapering and goes through the hose, to which it is attached by the garter, the spindle having a groove cut round it, into which the two semicircular ends of the garter enter and encircle it, by which contrivance the platen is raised on the return of the bar; the lowest end of the spindle is called the toe, which is hardened steel, and works in the stud of the platen.


SPIRIT

See Devil.—M. Every chapel is haunted by a spirit, called Ralph. When any man resists the decision of the chapel, and it is determined to enforce it, Ralph, or the spirit, is said to walk; and whatever mischief is done to the resisting party to enforce submission, which is always performed secretly, is invariably imputed to Ralph, or the spirit. See Chapel.


SPIT

The iron spindle on which the drum or wheel and the rounce are fixed, to run the carriage in and out with. It is square in the middle part, where the wheel is fixed, and has a square end for the rounce to fit on: it works in two pieces of iron, screwed to the outsides of the frame of the wooden ribs.


Split leather

Leather split by machine. Two or more pieces or splits are thus obtained either of which may be used. The inner layer is usually of inferior quality. Sometimes leather is split simply to secure uniformity of thickness in the outer parts.


SPONGE

Sponge is used both by compositors and pressmen—by compositors, to wet matter that is tied up previous to distributing it—to wet matter that is not tied up, to prevent it going into pie—and in correcting to wet matter, particularly if it be small letter, when it is necessary to transpose it: by pressmen, to wet their tympans with.


SPOTTISWOODE PRESS

This is a beautiful contrivance, and was, as I understand, the invention of Andrew Spottiswoode, Esq., who has several of them in action in his extensive establishment. It is moved by steam, and prints two forms at the same time, which pass alternately under the platen, producing at its average rate of working seven hundred impressions of each form in the hour.

The frisket is attached to the tympan at the bottom near the tympan joints, so that when the tympan is lifted from the form by the machinery they open at the upper end, contrary to the usual way in presses worked by manual labour, and the printed sheet is left by the tympan resting on the frisket, where the paper was previously laid on.

I believe this is the first successful application of steam, as a motive power, to printing presses with a platen and a perpendicular pressure. I heard the late Alexander Tilloch, Esq., say that he intended to apply it to the presses with which the Star newspaper was printed, but he never carried it into effect; and Mr. Koenig came to England solely for this purpose; but after some years passed in making experiments, assisted by English capital, he was completely foiled in the attempt, and afterwards worked upon Mr. Nicholson’s plan, and produced a machine to print with cylinders.—See Machine.