SPRING OF A FORM

When a form has a great quantity of furniture in it, and is locked up very tight, it frequently springs up in the middle, so as to endanger its bursting upward; it is then said, the form springs, or it is termed the spring of the form.

In this case it is advisable to examine the furniture, for some pieces may not be planed square by the joiner, and to change them for others of the same size that appear perfect, and do not lock up very tight; tighten the quoins gradually, and frequently plane down while you are locking up; these measures will generally remedy the evil.


sprinkled calf

Calf so treated with acid that it looks as if it had been sprinkled with a dye.

Public domain (Project Gutenberg, pre-1930 text)


sprinkled edges

Cut edges of books sprinkled with color, that the marks made by handling may be less evident.


SPUR

The point that pricks the hole in the paper at press, to make register with.


SQUABBLE

A page or form is squabbled when the letters of one or more lines are got into any of the adjacent lines; or that the letter or letters are twisted about out of their square position.—M.

Stack of Books. See Pile of Books.


SQUABBLE

A page or form is squabbled when the letters are twisted out of a square position.

The American Printer: A Manual of Typography


squares

The portions of the board that project over the edges.


squares

The portion of the covers projecting beyond the edges of the book.

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


squares

The portions of the boards that project beyond the edges after the book is cut.

The Art of Bookbinding: A Practical Treatise


squares

the portion of the boards projecting beyond the edges of the book.


squares

The portion of the boards that project beyond the edge of the leaves of the book.


Stabbed

A pamphlet or book of one or more signatures held together by thread or wire staples driven vertically through near the back edge is said to be stabbed.


stabbing

The operation of piercing the boards with a bodkin for the slips to pass through; also the piercing of pamphlets for the purpose of stitching.


stabbing

The term used formerly for piercing the boards with a bodkin for the slips to pass through; more generally |179| known now as “holeing.” The operation of piercing pamphlets for the purpose of stitching.


stabbing

The operation of piercing the boards with a bodkin for the slips to pass through. Also the piercing of pamphlets for stitching. Also the process of fastening pamphlets together with staples of fine wire, done on a machine.


stabbing machine

A small machine used for making the holes through the backs of pamphlets.


STACK OF PAPER

When paper is received into the warehouse from the stationer, it is piled up in tiers of four, five, six, or eight bundles in each tier, and is called a stack of paper, or a pile of paper.

The warehouseman in piling his paper considers the height of his room, that he may not take up more of the floor than is absolutely necessary, to enable him to stow as much as possible: thus, if he receive one hundred reams, and has height, he will make a stack of six in preference to two or four or five. He crosses the joinings of the bundles in each tier to bind them together, as a bricklayer does in building a square pillar; and I have always found the stack strengthened by laying on every third or fourth tier a number of stout wrappers spread over the bundles.

Paper should never be stacked without interposing something between the bottom of it and the floor, to prevent any water that might accidentally be spilled coming in contact with it, which would certainly mildew and spoil it if it were not perceived at the first; and even then it would require a great deal of trouble to prevent it: where there are not regular stages made, some short pieces of old poling laid a little distance from each other upon the floor will answer very well.


STAGE

A platform raised a few inches from the floor, to pile books or paper upon, for the purpose of preserving the bottom of the pile from injury, in case of water being spilt in the warehouse.

Where there are no regular stages in a warehouse, substitutes, which answer the purpose very well, may be easily provided, by taking an old paper board, or any pieces of board, and putting three pieces of an old pole under each of them on which to pile the books.


STAINING OF PAPER

The master printers of the metropolis, till within a few years, dined together annually at some good coffee house or tea gardens in the vicinity of London; and one of the regular toasts after dinner was, “<i>The well-staining of Paper</i>.”


stamp

The brass tools used in finishing to impress a figure upon the leather; they are distinguished by hand-stamps and stamps for the press.


stamp

The brass tools used in finishing to impress figures upon the leather; they are distinguished as hand stamps and stamps for the press.


STAMPS

3 & 4 W. 4. c. 97. s. 12. It is among other things enacted, That * * * * “if any Person shall fraudulently use, join, fix, or place for, with, or upon any Vellum, Parchment, or Paper any Stamp, Mark, or Impression which shall have been cut, torn, or gotten off or removed from any other Vellum, Parchment, or Paper; * * * * then and in every such Case every Person so offending, and every Person knowingly and wilfully aiding, abetting, or assisting any Person in committing any such Offence, and being thereof lawfully convicted, shall be adjudged guilty of Felony, and shall be liable, at the Discretion of the Court, to be transported beyond the Seas for Life, or for any term not less than seven Years, or to be imprisoned for any Term not exceeding four Years nor less than two Years.”


Stand

The frame on which the cases are placed.


STAND STILL

A compositor is said to stand still, if he be out of copy, or out of letter: a pressman, if he has not a form to lay on, or is prevented working by any other cause. A compositor says he is standing still for copy, or for letter—a pressman says he is standing still for a form, &c.


standing press

A fixed heavy press with a perpendicular screw over the centre.


standing press

A large press with screw for pressing many books at once.


STANHOPE PRESS

The merits of the Stanhope press, and its superiority, are so well established in the minds of printers, from long experience of its valuable properties, that any additional praise from me would be an act of supererogation; I shall therefore confine myself to giving engravings of it, and a rather full description.

Fig. 1. Fig. 2.

Fig. 3. Fig. 4.

Figs. 1. and 2. are elevations, fig. 3. a plan, and fig. 4. a section. A A is a massive frame of cast iron, formed in one piece: this is the body of the press, in the upper part of which a nut is fixed for the reception of the screw b, and its point operates upon the upper end of a slider, d, which is fitted into a dovetail groove formed between two vertical bars, e, e, of the frame. The slider has the platen, D D, firmly attached to the lower end of it; and being accurately fitted between the guides e, e, the platen must rise and fall parallel to itself when the screw, b, is turned. The weight of the platen and slider are counterbalanced by a heavy weight, E, behind the press, which is suspended from a lever, F, and this acts upon the slider to lift it up, and keep it always bearing against the point of the screw. At G G are two projecting pieces, cast all in one with the main frame, to support the carriage when the pull is made; to these the rails, H H, are screwed, and placed truly horizontal for the carriage, I, to run upon them, when it is carried under the press to receive the impression, or drawn out to remove the printed sheet. The carriage is moved by the rounce or handle K, with a spit and leather girths, very similar to the wooden press. Upon the spit, or axle of the handle K, a wheel, L, is fixed, and round this leather girths are passed, one extending to the back of the carriage to draw it in, and the other, which passes round the wheel in an opposite direction, to draw it out. By this means, when the handle is turned one way it draws out the carriage, and by reversing the motion it is carried in. There is likewise a check strap, f, from the wheel down to the wooden base, M M, of the frame, and this limits the motion of the wheel, and consequently the excursion of the carriage. The principal improvement of Earl Stanhope’s press consists in the manner of giving motion to the screw, b, of it, which is not done simply by a bar or lever attached to the screw, but by a second lever; e. gr. the screw, b, has a short lever, g, fixed upon the upper end of it, and this communicates by an iron bar, or link, h, to another lever, i, of rather shorter radius, which is fixed upon the upper end of a second spindle, l, and to this the bar or handle, k, is fixed. Now when the workman pulls this handle, he turns round the spindle, l, and by the connexion of the rod, h, the screw, b, turns with it, and causes the platen to descend and produce the pressure. But it is not simply this alone, for the power of the lever, k, is transmitted to the screw in a ratio proportioned to the effect required at the different parts of the pull; thus at first, when the pressman takes the bar, k, it lies in a direction parallel to the frame, or across the press, and the short lever, i, (being nearly perpendicular thereto,) is also nearly at right angles to the connecting rod h; but the lever, g, of the screw makes a considerable angle with the rod, which therefore acts upon a shorter radius to turn the screw; because the real power exerted by any action upon a lever, is not to be considered as acting with the full length of the lever between its centres, but with the distance in a perpendicular drawn from the line in which the action is applied to the centre of the lever. Therefore, when the pressman first takes the handle, k, the lever, i, acts with its full length upon a shorter length of leverage, g, on the screw, which will consequently be turned more rapidly than if the bar itself was attached to it; but on continuing the pull, the situation of the levers change, that of the screw, g, continually increasing in its acting length, because it comes nearer to a perpendicular with the connecting rod, and at the same time the lever, i, diminishes its acting length, because, by the obliquity of the lever, the rod, h, approaches the centre, and the perpendicular distance diminishes; the bar or handle also comes to a more favourable position for the man to pull, because he draws nearly at right angles to its length. All these causes combined have the best effect in producing an immense pressure, without loss of time; because, in the first instance, the lever acts with an increased motion upon the screw, and brings the platen down very quickly upon the paper, but by that time the levers have assumed such a position as to exert a more powerful action upon each other, and this action continues to increase as the bar is drawn forwards, until the lever, i, and the connecting rod are brought nearly into a straight line, and then the power is immensely great, and capable of producing any requisite pressure which the parts of the press will sustain without yielding. The handle is sometimes made to come to rest against a stop, which prevents it moving further, and therefore regulates the degree of pressure given upon the work; but to give the means of increasing or diminishing this pressure for different kinds of work, the stop is made moveable to a small extent. Another plan is adopted by some makers of the Stanhope press, viz. to have a screw adjustment at the end of the connecting rod, h, by which it can be shortened; it is done by fitting the centre pin which unites it to the lever, g, in a bearing piece, which slides in a groove formed in the rod, and is regulated by the screw. This shortening of the connecting rod produces a greater or less descent of the platen, when the handle is brought to the stop.

The carriage of the press is represented with wheels, m, m, beneath, to take off the friction of moving upon the ribs, HH. These wheels are shown at fig. 4., which is a section of the screw and the platen, with the carriage beneath it: their axles, n, are fitted to springs, p, and these are adjustable by means of screws, r, so that the carriage will be borne up to any required height. This is so regulated, that when the carriage is run into the press, its lower surface shall bear lightly upon the solid cheeks, G, which are part of the body of the press, and these support it when the pressure is applied, the same as the winter of the old press: but the wheels by their springs act to bear up great part of the weight of the carriage with the types upon it, and diminish the friction, yet do not destroy the contact of the carriage upon the ribs, because this would not give the carriage that solidity of bearing which is requisite for resisting the pull. This is only at the time when the carriage is run into the press, because as it runs out, the ribs on which the wheels run rise higher, and therefore the wheels support the whole weight. The manner in which the wheels run in rebates or recesses in the edges of the ribs is shown at fig. 1. The carriage is made of cast iron, in the form of a box, with several cross partitions, which are all cast in one piece, and although made of thin metal, are exceedingly strong: the upper surface is made truly flat, by turning it in a lathe. The same of the platen, which is likewise a shallow box: the slider, d, has a plate formed on the lower end of it, which is fixed by four screws upon the top of the platen, and thus they are united. At the four angles of the carriage, pieces of iron are screwed on, to form bearings for the quoins or wedges which are driven in to fasten the form of types upon it in the true position for printing. The tympan, P, (fig. 2.) is attached to the carriage by joints, with an iron bracket or stop to catch it when it is thrown back: the frisket, R, is joined to the tympan, and when opened out, rests against a frame suspended from the ceiling. The register points are the same as in the wooden press, and all the operations of working are exactly the same. The iron frame, A, of the press is screwed down upon the wooden base, M, by bolts, which pass through feet, s s, projecting from the lower part of the iron frame. Another wooden beam is fixed into the former at right angles, so as to form a cross, which lies upon the floor. The ribs, H, for the carriage to run upon are supported from the wooden base by an iron bracket, T.

The advantages of the iron presses in working are very considerable, both in saving labour and time. The first arises from the beautiful contrivance of the levers, the power of the press being almost incalculable at the moment of producing the impression; and this is not attended with a correspondent loss of time, as is the case in all other mechanical powers, because the power is only exerted at the moment of pressure, being before that adapted to bring down the platen as quickly as possible. This great power of the press admits of a saving of time, by printing the whole sheet of paper at one pull, the platen being made sufficiently large for that purpose; whereas, in the old press, the platen is only half the size of the sheet. In the Stanhope press, the whole surface is printed at once, with far less power upon the handle than the old press. This arises not only from the levers, but from the iron framing of the press, which will not admit of any yielding, as the wood always does, and indeed is intended to do, the head being packed up with elastic substances, such as scaleboard, pasteboard, and the felt of an old hat. In this case much power is lost, for in an elastic press the pressure is gained by screwing or straining the parts up to a certain degree of tension, and the effort to return produces the pressure: now in this case, the handle will make a considerable effort to return, which, though it is in reality giving back to the workman a portion of the power he exerted on the press, is only an additional labour, as it obliges him to bear the strain a longer time than he otherwise would. The iron presses have very little elasticity, and those who use them find it advantageous to diminish the thickness of the blankets in the tympan; the lever has then very little tendency to return; in fact, if the pull be so justified as that, when the bar is pulled home, the end of the lever, i, that is attached to the connecting rod, h, passes in a small degree the centre of the second spindle, l, the pressure is past its maximum power, the press bar has no tendency to return, and the pressman can rest upon his pull in fine work, without any exertion.

Stationers’ Company. See Donations.

Fig. 1. Fig. 2. Fig. 3. Fig. 4.

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


start

When any of the leaves are not properly secured in the back, upon opening the volume they will project beyond the others, and are said to start.


start

When any of the leaves are not properly secured in the back, and they project beyond the others, they are said to have started. When the back has been broken by forcing the leaves they start.


start

when, after cutting, one or more sections of the book come forward, making the fore edge irregular, they are said to have started.


steamboating

Cutting books out of boards, a number being cut at the same time.


STEM

—The straight flat strokes of a straight letter is called stem.—M.


STEM

The vertical strokes of a type.


STEREOTYPE

—The surface of a page of types cast in one piece, of type metal, about the eighth of an inch thick, and turned in a lathe at the back of the plate, so that the whole of the plates of a volume shall be of one uniform thickness.

When they are required to be printed they are mounted on what are called Risers: these risers, with the thickness of the stereotype plate, are precisely the same height as the types, so that when a form is composed of stereotype plates and types, the pressure shall be equal on both.—See Risers.

The spaces and quadrats are cast higher than for the common process; and when the form is ready, the face of it is oiled with a brush, then burnt plaster of Paris (gypsum) mixed with water to the consistence of cream is poured upon it; when the plaster is sufficiently hardened it is taken off from the types and forms a matrix in which to cast a facsimile of the types; this matrix is then placed in an oven to dry, and made hot, when it is secured in a frame and immersed in a caldron of melted metal, where it remains some time; when it is taken out, and cool, it goes to a person styled the Picker, to remove any superfluous metal, and to remedy any defects; it is then, generally, turned at the back to a specific thickness, and to remove any inequalities; after this it is ready for press. For the details of the process I refer the reader to “An Essay on the Origin and Progress of Stereotype Printing: including a Description of the various Processes. By Thomas Hodgson, Newcastle: printed by and for S. Hodgson, &c. 1820.”

This process was first practised by William Ged, of Edinburgh, who commenced in the year 1725. After much perseverance he formed an engagement with the University of Cambridge to print Bibles and Prayer-books; but the plan received so much opposition from the workmen, in making errors and batters, that it was discontinued, and the plates were ultimately sent to Mr. Caslon’s foundery to be melted down. Mr. Hansard, in his Typographia says,—“But a remnant escaped from Caslon’s cormorant crucible; and I have the opportunity of here presenting my readers with an opposite view of a pair of the very malefactors; and challenge any other to dispute the palm of venerable antiquity with them: they have been rather roughly treated, but besides the purpose for which they are here exhibited, will serve to show the style of type, typography, and stereotype of those days.”

Mr. Tilloch had a page of Ged’s casting given to him by Mr. Murray, of Fleet Street, bookseller, which I have seen: there is also a plate of Ged’s casting, at the Royal Institution, containing fourteen pages of a Common Prayer, presented by Mr. Frederick Kanmacher, of Apothecaries Hall, from which I had impressions printed.—See “Biographical Memoirs of William Ged. By John Nichols.” 8vo. London, 1781. “Dissertation upon English Typographical Founders and Founderies, by Edward Rowe Mores, A. M. and A. S. S.”

Stereotype-Plate Risers. See Risers.


Stereotype printing

Printing from stereotyped plates.


STET

When a word has been struck out, in reading a proof, and it is afterwards decided that it shall remain, then it is usual to make dots under the word which has had the pen run through it and write the word stet opposite to it in the margin, which is the third person singular, imperative mood, of the neuter verb sto, to stand, to endure, or abide.—See Correcting.


STET

Written opposite to a word in a proof, to signify that the word erroneously struck out shall remain.


STICK

The composing stick, commonly so called.—M. See Composing Stick.


STICKFULL

When a compositor has arranged as many lines in his composing stick as it will contain, it is termed a stickfull.—M.

Stiff Justifying. See Hard Justifying.


stiffener

A thin mill-board used for various purposes.


stitching

The operation of passing the thread through a pamphlet for the purpose of securing the sheets together.


STOLEN PROPERTY

The Act of the 25th of Geo. II. c. 36. s. 1. inflicted a penalty of fifty pounds upon any person who should print or publish any advertisement offering a reward for the recovery of any property that had been stolen and no questions asked; this section has been repealed by the Act of the 7 & 8 Geo. IV. c. 27., one of Mr. Peel’s Acts; and by another of Mr. Peel’s Acts, of the 7 & 8 Geo. IV. c. 29. s. 59., it is re-enacted, with some verbal alterations and the addition of the words “or lost,” as may be perceived by the following extract, which it is of importance for printers to be acquainted with.

s. 59. “That if any Person shall publicly advertise a Reward for the Return of any Property whatsoever, which shall have been stolen or lost, and shall in such Advertisement use any Words purporting that no Questions will be asked, or shall make use of any Words in any public Advertisements purporting that a Reward will be given or paid for any Property which shall have been stolen or lost, without seizing or making any Enquiry after the Person producing such Property, or shall promise or offer in any such public Advertisement to return to any Pawnbroker or other Person who may have bought or advanced Money by Way of Loan upon any Property stolen or lost, the Money so paid or advanced, or any other Sum of Money or Reward for the Return of such Property, or if any Person shall print or publish any such Advertisement, in any of the above Cases, every such Person shall forfeit the Sum of Fifty Pounds for every such Offence, to any Person who will sue for the same by Action of Debt, to be recovered with full Costs of Suit.”

s. 69. By this section it is enacted, “That it shall be lawful for the King’s Majesty to extend his Royal Mercy to any Person imprisoned by virtue of this Act, although he shall be imprisoned for Nonpayment of Money to some Party other than the Crown.”

Stops. See Points.

Strahan, Andrew. See Donations.

Strahan, William. See Donations.


stops

Are small circular tools, adapted to stop a fillet when it intersects at right angles, to save the time used in mitreing.


stops

Small circular tools, adapted to “stop” a fillet when it intersects at right angles; used to save the time mitringmitreing would occupy.


STRAIGHT-EDGE

A small board having one edge perfectly straight.


STRIP A FORM

Taking the furniture away from the pages.—M.


Stroaks

are fat, lean, fine, hair. See § 14. ¶ 2.


STROKES

Strokes are fat, lean, fine, hair.—M. The hair strokes of letters are now termed <i>ceriphs</i> by the founders.


STRONG INK

Ink made with a powerfully binding varnish, so as to prevent the separation of the colouring matter and the spread of the varnish in the paper. It is usually made with superior colouring materials, and more care taken in grinding it than with common ink. See Engravings on Wood; Fine Presswork; and for more details I refer the reader to my treatise on the Preparation of Printing Ink.


STUD

A piece of hardened steel, a little hollowed at the top, on which the toe of the spindle works. It is square on the outside, and fitted into the cup of the platen, but so as to be taken out, when it wants altering or repairing.


Sub

A compositor occasionally employed on a daily paper, to fill the place of an absentee.


SUMMER

In a press, a piece of wood nailed across the wooden ribs on the under side, close to the winter, to keep them steady in their place.

In Moxon’s time a summer was for a different purpose; viz. to prevent the cheeks of the press from springing open; the winter was dovetailed into the cheeks, to answer this purpose: after describing the winter, he adds—

“But yet I think it very convenient to have a Summer also, the more firmly and surer to keep the cheeks together; this Summer is only a Rail Tennanted, and let into Mortesses made in the inside of the Cheeks, and Screwed to them with long Screws, similar to those used for Bed-Posts; its depth four Inches and an half, and its breadth eight Inches, viz. the breadth of the Cheeks.”

Sunday, Public Meeting on. See Public Meetings.


super

A thin, loosely woven cotton cloth, glued onto the backs of books to help to hold the signatures together and, by extending over to the inside of the cover, to hold book and cover together. In publishers’ binding this is usually all that holds a book in its case. It is thin and loosely woven that it may be easily glued down and starched that it may be easily handled. Its place is taken in good binding by fine muslin or jaconet.


Superior letters

Letters of a small face, cast by the founder near the top of the line.


SUPERIORS

Superiors are small letters and figures, upon the upper part of the shank of the body, so that they range with the top of the letter to which they belong; as, abcdefgh, 1234567890; they are generally used as references to notes, and occasionally in abbreviated words; as Mr, Master; Mrs, Mistress; Do, Ditto; No, (Numero,) for Number, and in many other instances; also in contracted words, in the printed Records. See Records. References. It would be a convenience if the type founders would cast the , ; : and . to them, as it has not a good appearance, when a point is necessary, to see a comma or any other point used that has been cast for the regular body; it is too large, and does not range in line.

Supernumeraries. See Newspapers.


Superiour Letters

are often set to *Marginal Notes*: They are *Letters* of a *Small Face*, high *Justifyed* by the Founder in the *Mold* near the *Top-Line*.


SWASH LETTERS

In the seventeenth century Italick capitals, in which some of the letters had their terminations projecting considerably beyond the shank, were in use: this projection was called a swash; as—

The Alphabet of swash letters (italic capitals)


SWEDISH

The Swedish Alphabet consists of twenty-eight letters.

The order they here stand in is that of the Swedish Alphabet.

* These letters in the Roman characters are Ä and Ö.

The Swedish language has no diphthongs. When two vowels occur together, they must both be heard, as bēēdiga, brōār.—Brunnmark’s Swedish Grammar. London, 1805.

The Swedish Alphabet


SWEEPINGS

When the boys sweep the composing room in a morning, all the letters and spaces that are on the floor in each frame are carefully gathered up and placed on the bulk belonging to it, and it is the customary rule for the compositor to distribute them the first thing; what are swept together from the middle of the room are collected from the dust before it is taken away, and put in some appointed place for the person who has the care of the materials to distribute.

Swift. See Fire Eater.

Symbols, Chemical. See Formulæ.


SYRIAC

Under this appellation are classed three different alphabets.

Key to Column Headers— U   - Unconnected. F   - Final. M   - Medial. I   - Initial. PL - Powers of the Letters. NV - Numerical Value.

The first and most ancient of these, called Estranghelo, is formed with square rectangular characters; another alphabet, a little smaller, has letters slightly differing from the first, for greater facility in writing; the third is that known generally by the name of Syriac, and is the only one existing in type in England. The Syriac reads from right to left.

Olaph, when followed by Lomad, is written obliquely, as ܐܰܠܗܳܐܳ. But when Lomad is followed by Olaph, it is written in the beginning of words thus, ܠܐܳ not; in the middle thus, ܓܷܠܿܓ he is bewailed; and at the end thus, ܓܰܠܠ it rolls.

The pronunciation of the letters is the same as in Hebrew and Chaldee; yet it may be observed, (1.) that Olaph, in certain cases, takes the sound of Jud, as, ܐܳܐܰܪ ojar air, ܡܠܵܐܐܵ mlojo fulness, ܣܐܷܵܡ sojem placing; (2.) that Vau initial is to be pronounced ܠܷܗܲܕ as the consonant v, but when medial or final, as the vowel u; (3.) that initial Jud with Chebhozo is pronounced as i, as, ܝܻܠܷܦ ileph he learned; (4.) that Ngae followed by He has the sound of ܐܷ, as, ܠܷܗܲܕ ehadh he remembered; and (5.) that the aspirated sibilant Schin has no peculiar point by which it may be distinguished from the simple sibilant Sin.

The numbers are expressed by the same letters as in Hebrew, excepting that ܝܗ denotes 15, ܩ 20, and ܢ 50. A point above the line is used to convert the tens into hundreds, as ܝܿ 100, ܟܿ 200, ܠܿ 300, &c., although the four first hundreds may be expressed also by the four last letters of the alphabet. An oblique line, slanting to the right, under the first nine letters, serves to denote thousands, as ܐ݈ 1000, ܒ݈ 2000; and a similar line, but transverse, designates the tens of thousands, as ܐ̱ 10,000, ܒ̱ 20,000.

The vowels are five in number, which are represented either by figures or by points, according as the ancient or modern system is followed, but very frequently both are met with together. The simple vowels are—

and both figures and points are joined with consonants in the following manner:—

Petocho ܒܰ or ܒܲ ba. Rebhozo ܒܷ or ܒܸ or ܒֽܸbe. Chebhozo ܒܻ  or ܒܹ bi. Zekopho ܒܳ or ܒܵ bo. Ozozo ܒܘܽ or ܒܘܿ or ܒܘܼ bu.

Formerly the marks for the vowels E and I were only written below the line, as ܒܷ be and ܒܻ bi; and the vowels A, O, and U, were only written above, as ܒܰ ba, ܒܳ bo, ܒܽ bu; but now they are placed sometimes above and sometimes below, as may be most convenient in writing. The points never change their places.

Zekopho does not give precisely the sound of o, but an obscure sound between o and a, as we find in 1 Cor. xvi. 22. ܡܓܳܪܰܢ ܐܳܬܐ Maran-atha, and in Mark xiv. 36. ܐܰܒܳܐ Abba.

Ozozo is never written without Vau (ܘ), except in ܒܽܠ all, and ܡܷܓܛܾܠ because of.

When the point Ozozo is above the line, it denotes Kibbutz; but when below the line, Shurek.

The diphthongs are formed by the combination of the vowels with the points, of which these are the most used, ܓܰܘ au, ܓܰܝ ai, ܓܳܝ oi, ܘܳ ou.

The vowel marks are not always annexed to the letters to which they belong, but sometimes to the preceding or subsequent letter, and sometimes omitted altogether, so that grammatical analogy must always be attended to by the reader, as, for example, in the word ܒܰܢܝܓܳ of a son, the point ܒܰ does not belong to the ܒ over which it is placed, but to the ܢ following.

Three letters (ܐ ܘ ܝ) become quiescent under certain circumstances. Olaph, with the vowels Petocho, Rebhozo, and Zekopho in the middle and at the end of a word; with Chebhozo only at the end. Vau always with Ozozo, and in foreign names also with Zekopho. Lastly, Jud with Rebhozo and Chebhozo.

Olaph never allows of sheva before it, but brings its own vowel into its place, and in that case becomes quiescent.

The vowels are doubtful as respects their quantity, and at one time are short, and at another long; the difference is to be traced from analogy.

There are also two points, called Kuschoï and Ruchoch, used for showing the peculiar power of certain letters, and generally distinguished in manuscripts by a difference in the colour of the ink. Kuschoï is a point placed above the six letters ܒ݁ ܓ݁ ܕ݁ ܟ݁ ܦ݁ ܬ݁ begadcephat. It answers to the dagesh in Hebrew, and takes away the aspiration properly belonging to those letters; thus ܒ݁ is equivalent to b, ܓ݁ to g, ܕ݁ to d, ܟ݁ to k, ܦ݁ to p, ܬ݁ to t, also to bb, gg, dd, kk, pp, tt. Ruchoch is a point placed below the six letters ܒ݂ ܓ݂ ܕ݂ ܟ݂ ܦ݂ ܬ݂ begadcephat; it shows that the letters are to be aspirated, and answers to the Hebrew raphe; thus ܒ݂ is equivalent to bh, ܓ݂ to gh, ܕ݂ to dh, ܟ݂ to the Greek χ, ܦ݂ to φ, ܬ݂ to θ. These points are rarely expressed, unless where there is an ambiguity to be explained.

Besides those before spoken of, certain lines or points are also employed, having a use partly in orthography, and partly in etymology. To orthography belong—

1. A small transverse line written above combined numbers, or contracted words, as ܝ̅ܗ 15, ܬܫܟ̅ܘ for ܬܫܟܘܽܝܛܐܵ praise.

2. A similar small line, called virgula occultans, under certain letters, which, when indicated thus, are of no value, and to be passed over in reading, so as scarcely to be heard in pronunciation. Thus ܩܳܪܐ ܐ̱ܙܵܐ  is not pronounced kore ano, but koreno; and ܐܳܡܪ ܐ̱ܙܵܐ not omar ano, but omarno. Olaph, Dolath, He, Lomad, Nun, and Risch, are the letters most subject to its influence.

3. A diacritical point, changed in its situation in order to avoid an ambiguity in reading. The following may be taken as cases of this sort:—

The following belong to etymology:—

1. Two points are used to distinguish the numbers of nouns, because there is often no variation of case or of termination, or mutation of letters, to distinguish the singular from the plural. These two points are called Ribbui, multitude, and are placed over the letter, similarly to the Hebrew tzeri, in this manner ܒ̈. But if Risch (ܪ), which always has a point above it, to distinguish it from the Dolath (ܕ), should occur in the word, then the single point of Risch coalesces with the double point thus, ܩܲܩܪ̈ܐ. In the verbs, the double point indicates the feminine third person plural of the preterites.

2. A point is placed beneath the line in all the persons of the preterite (excepting the first person singular, where it is placed above), and besides this, the third person singular has another at the left side.

3. The present active participle has a point above the line, but when Vau is in the middle of the word, the point is placed below.

4. The infinitive and imperative often have a point placed beneath them, but this is not regular.

5. The second and third persons of the future have a point below the line, but the first person has the point above.

6. The imperatives of all the passives require the virgula under the second vowel.

There are no accents expressed in Syriac. The stress in pronunciation ought to be laid on the last or penultimate syllables; and in this respect the analogy of the Chaldee is to be attended to.

In the derivation of words from the Hebrew, letters may frequently undergo mutation with others of the same class, or of the same organ, and also sibilants with linguals.

The servile letters are eleven in number, as in Hebrew, and are the same, saving that Dolath is servile, and on the other hand Schin is radical.

The preceding observations are extracted from Gaspar Waser’s Grammatica Syra, Leyden, 1619, and from Jacob Alting’s Synopsis Institutionum Chaldæarum et Syrarum, Frankfort-on-the-Main, 1717.

Syriac in the British Founderies.

Double Pica. V. & J. Figgins; cut under the direction and partly at the expense of the late Claudius Buchanan.

English. Caslon; cut for Walton’s Polyglot, 1657. V. & J. Figgins; cut under the same circumstances as the Double Pica. Oxford.

Long Primer. Caslon. Fry, to Thorowgood and Besley. V. & J. Figgins; cut under the same circumstances as the Double Pica.

Brevier. V. & J. Figgins; cut under the same circumstances as the Double Pica.

Nonpareil. Fry, to Thorowgood and Besley; cut for Bagster’s Polyglot.

The Syriac Alphabet


TABLE WORK

Figure work, &c., composed with column rules, consisting of five columns or more. It is paid double the price of common matter at case.


TABLE WORK

Matter consisting partly of rules and figures.


TABULAR

Figure work, &c., composed with column rules, consisting of three or four columns. It is paid one and a half the price of common matter.


Tacky

Sticky; spoken often of glue after it has set, but before it is quite dry.


TAIL PIECES

Ornaments placed in a short page to fill up the vacancy. The same observations apply to Tail Pieces as to Head Pieces, which see; as also Fac.


Take

or *Taking.*—A given portion of copy.


TAKE INK

Dabbing a ball upon the ink block for it to receive a small quantity of ink to distribute on the two balls.—M. It is equally termed Taking Ink when rollers are used.


TAKE UP

To take letters up with a composing rule to distribute.—M. When a compositor is distributing, he places his composing rule against the head of the matter he means to take up, and putting the sides of his two third fingers, near the ends, to the ends of the rule, and the sides of his fingers against the sides of the matter, with his fore fingers at the extreme end, round the corners of the matter he intends to take up, and the ends of his thumbs against the back of the rule, he thus grasps it, and then generally tries if it will lift, when by a sudden lifting of the bottom end of the matter, and turning up of the rule with his thumbs, he raises it from the board to a perpendicular direction, resting on the rule; and turning it with the face of the letter to him, with one part of the rule resting on the third finger of his left hand, and the other end against the ball of his thumb, while the sides of the matter are guarded by his thumb and forefinger, when the measure is not too wide, he begins to distribute.

In like manner he takes up matter to move from one galley to another, when he is making up; except that he places his rule against the foot of the matter, and when he grasps it he does not raise it perpendicularly, but lifts it to him under his hands, his forefinger being against the rule, and his thumbs grasping the head of the matter.

A stranger to the business would be surprised to see the number of lines of types that an expert compositor will lift in this manner.

Take up a Sheet. See Ancient Customs.—M. It appears that in Moxon’s time the compositor had a copy of each work he was engaged on, or received what was termed copy money in lieu of it. This custom is abolished; and no workman is permitted to take a copy of any thing that is printed in the house as a matter of right.


TAKING COPY

A compositor receiving copy from the overseer, or other person who has the charge of it, to compose; if in a companionship, the clicker receives it, and gives it out to the companions.


TAKING DOWN

Taking the sheets from the poles with a peel when they are dry.

Take-off. See Ancient Customs; also Fly. Boys are employed in machine printing to take away the sheets as they are printed, and to lay them straight and even; this is also styled Taking-off, and the boys taking-off boys.


TAKING OFF

Part of a page taken up to distribute.—M. Obsolete.

Taleek. See Persian.


tall copy

So called when the book has not been reduced in size by trimming, with the leaves entirely uncut.


TAMUL

THE TAMUL ALPHABET.

க—As a medial, this letter has, when single, the sound of gh; when double, of kk. As an initial also it represents gh in certain words derived from the Sanscrit.

ச—This letter has, when single, the sound of s, sh, and the French g in âge; when double, it has the sound of ch. In words of Sanscrit origin, it represents the ja and cha of the Sanscrit alphabet.

த—This letter, when combined with [#], has the sound of the French n in Ange.

ட—This letter has, when single, the sound of d; when double, of tt, with a strong cerebral articulation.

த—As a medial, this letter has, when single, the sound of d; when double of tt. As an initial, also, it represents d in certain words of Sanscrit origin.

ந—This is the initial n. It is medial only before த.

ப—As a medial, this letter has, when single, the sound of b; when double, of pp. And in certain words of Sanscrit origin it has, as an initial also, the sound of b.

ழ—This letter is articulated somewhat like the hard ṛ of the Hindustani alphabet. It may be said to possess generally as a medial, the sound of r, and as a final, that of l, with a cerebral articulation.

ற—This letter has, when single, the sound of rr; and, when double, the sound of a double tt.

The word “soul,” is used metaphorically in Tamul for a vowel; the word “body,” for a consonant; and the compound word “soul and body,” for a syllable. In the same metaphorical language, a consonant is termed “a dead letter.”

It will be seen, in the foregoing scheme, that when the short vowel a is employed to give utterance, or (to adopt the metaphor of the Tamul grammarians) animation to the consonants, no additional character is required; it being considered to be inherent in each consonant, as essential to its original articulation. The removal of this originally inherent vowel is usually denoted by a dot or a small circle placed over the consonant, as ன் (n), ர் (r).

In the elegant dialect, a character written thus ஃ, and termed āyadam, is used in addition to the ordinary letters of the alphabet. It is not, strictly speaking, either a vowel or a consonant; but it has the power of a consonant; it is pronounced gutturally, and it lengthens the preceding syllable if short by nature: as இஃது (ighdu) “this,” instead of இது (idu).

இ before the cerebrals, viz. ட, ண, ழ, ள, ற, has an obscure sound, best expressed by a short u, and may be considered as nearly lost.

ஈ before the cerebrals, possesses nearly the sound of long u, though a practised ear distinguishes a peculiarity in its utterance.

In Tamul, a measure of time, termed māttirei, which is described as occupying the period of the twinkling of an eye, or the snap of a finger, is assigned to the letters in the manner following; viz. to a consonant is assigned half a measure; to a short vowel, one measure; and to a long vowel, two measures.

The character [#] is the consonant s of the Grandonic alphabet.

It will be observed that, in many instances, the letters of the alphabet are employed, as in Greek and Latin, to express numerical value.

From “Rudiments of Tamŭl Grammar.” By Robert Anderson, Assistant Professor of Oriental Languages at the East India Company’s College. 4to. 1821.

Tamul in British Founderies.

English. Fry; to Thorowgood and Besley; for the College of Madras. Oxford.

Pica. Fry; to Thorowgood and Besley.

The Tamul Alphabet


Tape

Cotton tape on which many books are best sewn. It should be stout but flexible.


TAYLOR AND MARTINEAU’S PRESS

This is an iron press, the frame of which forms two upright cheeks and the head. The power is not obtained by a screw, but by a cylinder with a knee-joint in the middle, which is bent when not pulling; this allows the platen to rise from the form, which is accomplished by a weight behind, that counter-balances the platen. The pull is effected by a bar, in the usual manner, that brings the knee-joint straight, depresses the platen, and produces the impression. The power is regulated by a screw through the head, that acts upon the cylinder.


TEASE WOOL, or Hair

Teasing the hard and almost matted knots in the wool, or hair, with which the balls are stuffed.—M. Wool only is now used for stuffing balls, which is combed with strong wool combs, previous to knocking up balls. It appears by this extract, that hair was used for this purpose as well as wool in the seventeenth century.   TESTAMENT

Teasing the hard and almost matted knots in the wool, or hair, with which the balls are stuffed.—M. Wool only is now used for stuffing balls, which is combed with strong wool combs, previous to knocking up balls. It appears by this extract, that hair was used for this purpose as well as wool in the seventeenth century.


tenon saw

A small saw used by bookbinders for sawing the books for sewing. More strictly speaking a carpenter’s tool.


TESTAMENT

For the allowance of the duty on paper used in the printing of Testaments, see Paper.


Teze Wooll

or Hair*. See § 24. ¶ 18.


THEFT

For the penalty for printing advertisements with “No Questions Asked,” see Stolen Property.


THICK SPACE

A space, three of which are equal to the body of the letter to which it belongs; it is the thickest space that is cast, the next in thickness being the en quadrat.


THIN SPACE

ought, by a strict orderly and methodical measure, to be made of the thickness of the seventh part of the body, though Founders make them indifferently thicker or thinner.—M. Six thin spaces are now equal to the body.


Thin Space

ought by a strict orderly and methodical measure to be made of the Thickness of the seventh part of the *Body*; though *Founders* make them indifferently Thicker or Thinner.


THIRTY-SIXMO

A sheet of paper folded into thirty-six leaves, seventy-two pages, is termed thirty-sixmo.


THIRTY-TWOMO

A sheet of paper folded into thirty-two leaves, sixty-four pages, is termed thirty-twomo.


thirty-twomo

A sheet of paper folded into thirty-two leaves; usually written 32mo.


Thread

The thread with which books are sewn is usually made of linen, unbleached. It comes in several sizes. If of good quality, say Hayes’s Standard linen, it costs about $1.25 per pound for No. 18 2-cord.


THROW

Both compositors and pressmen, when they gamble in the office, or take a chance for any advantage arising in work, generally throw for it; that is, they take nine em quadrats, usually English, and, shaking them well together in the hollow of both their hands, throw them upon the imposing stone, or press stone, and he who throws most nicks upward in three times is the winner. They choose quadrats with three deep nicks in each, when such a fount is in the office, as being most easily distinguished.

Thumb Piece. See Ear of the Frisket.


tight back

See Back, tight and loose.


TIGHTENING THE QUOINS

This is necessary, particularly in summer time, as also with forms that are placed contiguous to the fire in winter, to prevent the matter from falling out. Examining the forms occasionally that have been some time in chase should not be neglected; for if they have been imposed when the furniture was wet, the matter is very likely to fall out, from the gutters and other pieces shrinking. The quoins are generally tightened with an old cross bar, with the fire poker, or the claw end of a sheep’s foot, as being heavier and more efficacious than a piece of light furniture; but the best method, after securing them in this manner, is to lay them upon the imposing stone, plane them down, and then lock them up afresh in a regular manner. See Falling Out.


TILL, or Shelf

A mahogany shelf, in wooden presses, divided in two longitudinally, that clasps the hose, and causes it and the spindle to come down perpendicularly without any play. It is dovetailed at both ends, and fits into the cheeks, with block wedges underneath to keep it up in its situation; the dovetails also keep the cheeks together, and answer the same purpose that the summer formerly did. The opening that the hose works in is lined with brass, and is made to fit it accurately.   TITHES COMMUTATION

A mahogany shelf, in wooden presses, divided in two longitudinally, that clasps the hose, and causes it and the spindle to come down perpendicularly without any play. It is dovetailed at both ends, and fits into the cheeks, with block wedges underneath to keep it up in its situation; the dovetails also keep the cheeks together, and answer the same purpose that the summer formerly did. The opening that the hose works in is lined with brass, and is made to fit it accurately.


TITHES COMMUTATION

6 & 7 Will. 4. c. 71. “An Act for the Commutation of Tithes in England and Wales.”

s. 91. “And be it enacted, That no Advertisement inserted by Direction of the Commissioners or any Assistant Commissioner, or by any Tithe Owner or Land Owner, in the London Gazette, or in any Newspaper, for the Purpose of carrying into effect any Provision of this Act, and no Agreement, Award, or Power of Attorney made or confirmed or used under this Act, shall be chargeable with any Stamp Duty.”

TOE of the Spindle.

The very bottom of the spindle.—M. It is of hardened steel, and works in the platen stud.


title

The space between bands, upon which the lettering is placed.


title

The space between the bands upon which the lettering is placed. The leaf in the beginning of a book describing the subject.


title

The space between the bands upon which the title is lettered.


To DISTRIBUTE

To replace the types in their respective boxes in the cases after printing therewith, in order to their being used again. This is done in a very expeditious manner by the compositor, who, placing his composing rule against the head of a page, with his thumbs against it, pressing the sides of both his third fingers against the sides of the matter, and his forefingers against the bottom line of the quantity which he means to lift, takes up what is termed a handful, and keeping the face of the letter towards him, rests one end of the composing rule against the ball of the thumb of his left hand, and pressing the other end of the rule with the third finger, steadies the matter with his forefinger, and thus has his right hand at liberty, with which he takes a word or part of a word from the uppermost line as he holds it in his hand, and drops the several letters into their particular boxes. Matter is always wetted when distributed, to render it slightly cohesive, as the operation is thus performed with more facility than when dry. When the form has not been well rinsed in laying-up, and the types have been much used, the ends of the fingers are apt to get smooth, so as to lose the command, in some measure, of dropping the types into their places with quickness and certainty; in this case compositors frequently keep a piece of alum in some part of the case, and occasionally touch it with their thumb and two fingers, which gives them a little roughness, and restores their command of the types.

If a compositor is desirous of producing his first proofs free from literal errors, he should be particular in distributing clean, that is, depositing each letter in its proper box.

When new letter remains in chase, locked up for any considerable time, it becomes what is termed, baked. See Bake.

Distributing Stick.—M. See Composing Stick.


TOKEN

Ten quires of paper.—M. It is now ten quires eighteen sheets, or half a ream of perfect paper, and contains 258 sheets. All paper for book work is given out in tokens to wet, the quires in each token are placed the same way, and the tokens arranged one upon the other, back and fore edge, for the person who has to wet the paper to take away. It has become a practice in many houses, for the warehouseman to give out the paper in tokens alternately of ten quires and a half and eleven quires; this in my opinion should never be done, for I have known many serious mistakes arise from it; for instance, in a book that is a long number, a pressman who is working a sheet, will borrow a token of paper from another sheet, or three or five, or more, on account of being in better condition, or for some other cause; he takes the tokens indiscriminately as they arise, and they are replaced in the same manner; and not unfrequently ten quires and a half are returned for eleven quires borrowed; the consequence is, that one signature has an overplus number and the other is deficient, and has to be reprinted at the expense of the master printer: these mistakes would not occur if the paper were given out in regular tokens of ten quires eighteen sheets.


TOKEN

Two hundred and fifty sheets.


TOKEN SHEET

In wetting paper the last sheet of each token is doubled down, so that the corner projects, when there is a pile of paper wetted; this projecting sheet marks the division of the pile into tokens, and is styled the <i>token sheet</i>.


tooling

Impressing the design or pattern in gold leaf, with finishing tools, by hand.


Tools

Applied particularly to the hand-stamps and tools used in finishing.


Tools

Brass stamps used for impressing gold leaf on leather. Applied particularly to the hand stamps and tools used in finishing.


top cover

The upper or front cover of a book in binding.


Top edges

The head or top of a book, in contradistinction to fore-edge or tail.


Top gilt

Used in speaking of a book of which the top edge only is gilded.


Top side

The front side of the cover of a book in binding.


TOPS

In piling the printed sheets of a work away, after they have been dried and taken from the poles, the warehouseman takes a few sheets of each signature, and lays them at the top of the pile; these are called Tops, and enable him, with little trouble, to deliver a copy as far as it is printed, when required, which frequently occurs in the progress of a work, without having to take down all the piles.

Towns, ancient Names of. See Names.


TRAFALGAR

The name of a type, the next size larger than Two Line Double Pica, and smaller than Canon. It is a size that has been introduced of late years.


TRANSPOSE

In imposing, to place the pages in a wrong order, when it is said the pages are transposed: in composing, if letters, or words, or lines, do not follow in their proper order, they are said to be transposed.—M. We use the word also when we correct the arrangement, and put the pages or the matter in their proper order, by saying we have transposed the pages, the words, or the lines.


TRANSPOSITION OF PAGES

Many sizes, after the white paper in a half sheet has been worked off, require some of the pages to be transposed, before the reiteration is worked; for those sizes, see Imposing.


TREADING PELT

Trampling on the pelt, to make it soft and pliable, after it has been soaked in the pelt pot, and to get rid of the superfluous moisture, previous to knocking-up. This is usually done when the pressmen are at work, and by him who is beating.

This is an inconvenient process when a man is working at half press; but it may be dispensed with; for a pelt well curried will answer equally well: it appears as if treading was the ancient practice, before the currying iron was introduced.


tree calf

A bright brown calf stained by acids in conventional imitation of the trunk and branches of a tree.


trimmed

The edges of a book are said to be trimmed when the edges of the larger (or projecting) leaves only have been cut.


trimming

Shaving the rough edge of the leaves of a book that is not to be cut.


Trindle

A strip of thin wood or iron.


Trindle

A thin strip of wood or iron.


Trindle

A strip of thin wood or iron used to take the round out of a book when it is cut.


tub

the stand which supports the lying press. Originally an actual tub to catch the shavings.


Turkey morocco

Made of goatskins from Turkey. It is very strong, durable leather; expensive, but worth the money.


TURN FOR A LETTER

It often happens that when matter runs upon sorts, especially in capitals, or some other sorts seldom used, that the compositor wants that sort the matter runs on; wherefore he is loth to distribute letter for that sort; or perhaps his case is otherwise full. Wherefore, instead of that letter or sort, he turns a letter of the same thickness, with the foot of the shank upwards, and the face downwards; which turned letter being easy to be seen, he afterwards, when he can accommodate himself with the right sort, takes out, and puts the right letter in its room. It is also a word used jocosely in the chapel, when any of the workmen complain of want of money, or any thing else, it shall by another workman be answered, <i>Turn for it</i>; viz. Make shift for it.—M.


TURN FOR A LETTER

When a sort runs short, a letter of the same thickness is substituted, placed bottom upward.


Turning Up

The process of cutting the fore-edges in such a manner as to throw the round out of the back until the edge is cut.


Turning Up

The process of cutting the foredge in such a manner as to throw the round out of the back until the edge is cut. All books that are cut in boards have a pair of trindles thrust between the boards and across the back to assist the operation.


Turning Up

The process of taking the round out of a book when the edge is cut. All books that are cut in boards have a pair of trindles thrust between the boards and across the back to assist in this operation.


TWENTY-FOURMO

A sheet of paper folded into twenty-four leaves, forty-eight pages, is termed twenty-fourmo.


TWENTYMO

A sheet of paper folded into twenty leaves, forty pages, is termed twentymo.


TWO LINE DOUBLE PICA

The name of a type equal to four Small Picas, or to two Double Picas; the next size larger than Two Line Great Primer, and smaller than Trafalgar. It is not enumerated by Moxon in his list. See Types.


TWO LINE ENGLISH

The name of a type, the next size larger than Two Line Pica, and smaller than Two Line Great Primer. It is equal to two English bodies. See Types.


TWO LINE GREAT PRIMER

The name of a type, the next size larger than Two Line English, and smaller than Two Line Double Pica. It is not enumerated in Moxon’s list of the sizes of types. See Types.


TWO LINE LETTERS

Capitals that are equal to two bodies of any specific sized type. There are Two Line Pearl, Two Line Nonpareil, &c., increasing regularly to a Two Line Great Primer. They are used for lines in titles and jobs, being so cast that the face covers the whole of the square of the shank: they do not take so much room in depth as the regular capitals of the same sized face, and are more convenient where the matter is crowded; the face of the letter having also a stronger stem, gives an additional variety in the effect. See Full-faced Letter.


TWO LINE PICA

The name of a type, equal to two Picas; the next size larger than Double Pica, and smaller than Two Line English. Moxon does not enumerate this size in his list. See Types.


tying up

The tying of a volume after the cover has been drawn on, so as to make the leather adhere to the sides of the bands; also for setting the head.


tying up

The tying of a volume after the cover has been drawn on, so as to make the leather adhere better to the sides of the bands; also for setting the head-band.


tying up

Tying a volume with heavy twine after the leather cover has been drawn on to make the leather adhere to the sides of the bands; also to help in setting the head.


TYMPAN

A frame covered with parchment, on which the sheet of paper to be printed is placed. This is the outer tympan; the inner tympan fits into it, and between the parchments of the two the blankets are placed, all which being run in receive the pressure of the platen, which produces the impression on the paper.

Mr. T. C. Hansard took out a patent, for “Improvements on, and Additions to, Printing Presses, and various Processes relative to Printing;” in his description of them he says,—“My first Improvement is the Dividing-Tympans, which are capable of being added to any Printing Press, for the purpose of printing double-sized sheets of paper, and then dividing or cutting such double-sized paper to the ordinary size of single sheets of paper. These Tympans consist of, first, the outer Tympan, of dimensions according to the size of the Press or Work required: the additions to which are, a plate of Iron, Steel, Brass, or other sufficient substance, about seven eighths of an inch in width; the back side of which is level, but the front side is raised in the middle, the centre part being about one fourth of an inch in thickness, and the two sides about one eighth of an inch only; along the middle or thicker part are cuts or openings, for the purpose of admitting the knife hereinafter described, leaving small parts of the plate uncut. On each side of the same, along the centre of the thinner part, is a row of small holes, at about half inch distances. This plate is fixed across the middle of the outer Tympan, to each side, being countersunk into the same.—2ndly. The inner Tympans are formed of two parts, having each part three sides, and moving on pivots attached to the outer Tympan; these inner Tympans, when shut down, are fastened in the common manner by hooks and eyes or buttons, each part when opened to adjust the blankets will incline back on the pivots. These Tympans I cover with black Linen of the most fine and even texture, rolled and hot calendered: taking a sufficient length in one piece to cover the one half of both Tympans, then folding it in the middle, and laying each fold along the side-rebate of the Plate over the holes, I then firmly attach it thereto by strong sewing through the holes; I then turn one part of the fold of the linen over the outer, and the other part over the inner Tympans, and sew, or otherwise fasten, the same around the iron work, or sides and ends of the Tympans, in the closest and neatest manner, letting the hooks, eyes, or buttons, and pivots, through the linen, and keeping clear the openings for the point screws by carrying the linen on the inside, in the same manner as in putting on common parchment; the same operation then takes place for the other half of the Tympans. I then take pieces of Velvet, Velveteen, or other uniform soft substance, which I attach, with the pile or softest side outwards, to the linen already described as being fastened to the Tympans, by sewing or pasting it to the outside of the outer Tympan, to receive the Tympan-sheet, and by this means to give a beautiful and regular impression of the Type: which mode of covering Tympans I also apply to common Presses.

“The Divider or Knife is made of a plate of Iron or Steel, about three-fourths of an inch wide, turned down at a right angle on one side, about one-fourth of an inch in width, and in length sufficient for the width of the sheet of paper intended to be cut, and this must be fixed so as to be exactly corresponding to the openings in the Plate before described; the part so turned down is cut into angular teeth, about a quarter of an inch from point to point, each tooth having two chisel-like edges, formed by being filed and dressed on the outside of the part so turned down; on the inside of the angle the teeth are to be finished all along fair and smooth. One or more of the teeth are then to be filed out at intervals, corresponding with the parts of the Plate left uncut. The Pivots or Joints of the Tympans and Frisket being accurately adjusted, the Knife is then fixed to the Frisket (at each end by screw or other connection) so that when the Frisket is turned down on the Tympans the Knife shall freely enter the Plate at the openings before described. The Plate and Knife now occupying the usual place of Point Screws and Points, those necessary articles are removed to the centre of each half of the Tympans above and below the Plate. If wished, the positions of the Plate and Knife may be reversed, by fixing the Plate to the Frisket, and Knife to the Tympan, or a Plate both on Frisket and Tympan, and Knife to the Forme, or Table of the Press, but not with equal certainty of operation. All these parts being properly adjusted, the mode of application is as follows:—For making ready a Forme or Sheet, the Tympan-sheet is drawn on the Tympan, as in the ordinary mode, and the Frisket pasted and cut out; but for working the first side of the Paper, the Knife must be displaced (or, which is sometimes preferable, two Friskets used, to be exchanged, one having the Knife, and one without). The whole of the paper being worked on one side without the Knife, the Knife is then replaced, or the Friskets exchanged, and the Reiteration proceeded with; the sheet will then be divided exactly along the centre, excepting at the parts where the portions of the Plate have been left uncut, and the teeth filed out of the Knife, as before described; which uncut parts answer the important purpose of keeping the double-sheet adhering as one, for the Pressman who may be pulling, to draw it off the Tympans over to the Bank, where it is finally parted by the other man who is beating, while looking over his heap, when six or seven sheets are accumulated, by means of a gentle pressure with each hand at each end of the heap. The white paper, or first side, is worked with four points, placed opposite to each other in the middle fold of each half of the double sheet, but for the Reiteration the two lower points are taken off, and the sheet kept in register by the two upper ones only. For cutting the sheet into more parts than two, I extend the same principle by placing knives and plates in various positions, or at right angles with each other.”


TYMPAN

A frame covered with parchment or muslin and attached to the press-bed to lay the sheet on before printing.


TYMPAN CLOTH

A fine and even linen cloth, about an inch or two larger on every side than the paper worked on: this cloth is wetted, and the water wrung out again, so that it remains only moist: it is laid on the tympan instead of a tympan sheet, the under sides of the corners pasted to the tympan, and worked upon as a tympan sheet for the reiteration. It is used to save paper, and it is repeatedly washed to clear it of the ink that sets off on it.—M. It is not used now, but set-off sheets are substituted for it.


TYMPAN HOOKS

Small hooks fixed on the upper side of the outer tympan, which assist in keeping the inner tympan in its place.

There are four of them, two on the off side and two on the near side, screwed to the tympan, but not so tight as to prevent them turning round on the screws as centres; there are four eyes screwed on the inner tympan, opposite to them, and the hooks turn into these eyes and draw the sides of the tympans together, and assist in tightening the parchment of the inner tympan, and prevent its moving. In iron presses, instead of eyes, buttons are used on the inner tympan, and the hooks turn round them under the heads, and produce the same effect.


TYMPAN JOINTS

The joints by which the outer tympan is attached to the carriage, on which it works. They are riveted to the bottom end of the tympan by one of the sides, and the other side has an upright notch cut in it: at the back of the hind part of the coffin are fixed two projecting screws, at the same distance from each other as the notches in the joints; these screws have a square plate or washer on each of them, and a flat-headed female screw; the tympan joints are slipped over these screws by the notches, so that they bestride each screw, and are confined by the female screw and washer. The tympan can thus be adjusted to any height, by loosening the screws and sliding the joints up or down. The pin that connects the two parts of the joints is stout, and made to slip out when necessary. These joints should be particularly well made, and have no play; if they have, it will cause maculing and doubles in the work.


TYMPAN SHEET

A sheet of paper pasted on the tympan at the corners, as a standing mark to lay all the other sheets exactly even upon, while the white paper is working.—M. It is now also used for the reiteration. When a pressman has laid a form on the press stone, and fixed it in its situation, he takes a sheet of its own paper, or a sheet of some other paper of the same size, and folds it exactly, so that the folds shall be his guide for laying it on the form; he then lays a sheet of waste paper on the form to preserve his tympan sheet clean, and places it truly on the form over the other, by means of the folds falling on the middle of the crosses and feeling the types through it with his fingers, so that the margin at both sides of the sheet shall be precisely equal, as also at both ends; he wets his tympan slightly, to take out the indentions made by the types of a preceding form, and generally rubs a very small quantity of paste on the parchment, being careful that there are no lumps; he then turns the tympan down upon the form, runs in the carriage, and gives it a slight pull, to cause it to adhere to the tympan; he then pastes the four corners down, but tears off a piece of the near bottom corner, to prevent him catching hold of it, in the quick taking the printed sheet off the tympan, when working.


type

Metal letters used in printing and lettering.


TYPE-HOLDER

An instrument for holding the type when used for lettering.


TYPES

The letters, marks, and signs, cast in metal, the larger sizes of wood, with which printing is executed.

The forms and proportions of types in the Roman character have undergone every change that the most capricious fancy could suggest. We have types of beautiful shapes and symmetrical proportions, but our type founders have diverged, for the sake of variety, gradually to a fatter face till the lines have become so thick that the letter has hardly any white in its interior, and when printed is nearly all black, with the outline only to guide us in knowing what it is; and on the contrary they have gradually gone to the other extreme, and produced what are called skeleton letters, which are formed of a fine uniform line; we have antique, the line being also of uniform thickness, but strong and heavy; we have letters with the strong lines and the fine lines reversed; we have tall narrow letters, and we have letters which look as if they had been pressed down, till they were considerably broader than they were high; we have letters drawn in perspective, with their edges towards us, as if they were marching away; and as for Italic, we have it now inclining to the left as well as to the right. The Modern Gothic or Black letter has not escaped this rage for change and variety, and we have forms introduced into it which would have puzzled our ancestors to know what they were meant for when the Modern Gothic was the standard character.

These changes and varieties have not been introduced as improvements either in the forms or proportions of the letters, but to produce variety and what is styled effect.

The scale of sizes of the respective types can only be looked at and received as an approximation to truth, as the letter founders themselves acknowledge; in fact there is no precise standard, for they cast according to the orders they receive from their customers: the following scale is a proof of this; Mr. Hansard, in his Typographia, gives the number of lines of each size in a foot as cast in the foundery of Messrs. Caslon and Livermore, which does not agree with the one I now give, which was supplied to me by Mr. Livermore in 1839, at my request, avowedly to publish, each fount having been measured to insure correctness; it was submitted to Mr. Caslon personally in August 1841, before printing, and revised, so that every precaution has been taken to prevent a mistake. The scale of the foundery of Messrs. V. and J. Figgins, as also that of Messrs. Thorowgood and Besley, were kindly furnished me by the respective houses. I have also given Moxon’s scale of sizes, which is the oldest that has been published, and which will show the variations in the depth of body which types have undergone. He prefaces it by saying, “And that the reader may the better understand the sizes of these several Bodies, I shall give him this Table following; wherein is set down the number of each Body that is contained in one Foot”—See Nicks.

Number of lines of the different sized types contained in one foot.

It thus appears that in 1683, the date of Moxon’s work, there were only ten sizes of types with specific names, while at the present time we have twenty-one; the following are our additional sizes—Diamond, Ruby, Emerald, Minion, Bourgeois, Small Pica, Paragon, Two Line Pica, Two Line Great Primer, Two Line Double Pica, and Trafalgar.

Canon is the largest size with a specific name; all above Canon are designated according to the number of Picas in the depth of the body; thus the next size larger is Five Line Pica, then Six Line Pica, and so on indefinitely. Twenty-four Line Pica is about the largest letter that is cast in metal, those above that size are generally cut in wood, as also any peculiar shaped letters. The German letter founders cast the face of letters in metal to a much larger size, and mount them on wood.

Minion used to be half an English; it has ceased to be so, and Emerald has taken its place, for English is now equal to two Emeralds: this latter is a size that was introduced about two years ago.

By an examination of the preceding table the relative proportions of the different sizes to each other will be ascertained; but to facilitate the reference they are here brought under one view.

Diamond = Half Bourgeois, also = ¼ Great Primer = ⅛ Two Line Great Primer.

Pearl = Half Long Primer, also = ¼ Paragon.

Ruby = Half Small Pica, also = ¼ Double Pica = ⅛ Two Line Double Pica.

Nonpareil = Half Pica.

Emerald = Half English.

Bourgeois = Half Great Primer, also = 2 Diamonds.

Long Primer = Half Paragon, also = 2 Pearls.

Small Pica = Half Double Pica, also = 2 Rubies.

Pica = 2 Nonpareils.

English = 2 Emeralds.

Great Primer = 2 Bourgeois, also = 4 Diamonds.

Paragon = 2 Long Primers, also = 4 Pearls.

Double Pica = 2 Small Picas, also = 4 Rubies.

Two Line Pica = 2 Picas, also = 4 Nonpareils.

Two Line English = 2 English, also = 4 Emeralds.

Two Line Great Primer = 2 Great Primers, also = 4 Bourgeois = 8 Diamonds.

Two Line Double Pica = 2 Double Picas, also = 4 Small Picas = 8 Rubies.

Canon = 2 Two Line Picas, also = 4 Picas = 8 Nonpareils.

It thus appears that Minion, Brevier, and Trafalgar, may be classed as irregular bodied letters, for they bear no specific regular proportion to any other size.

Minion was formerly half an English, but it has varied in the depth of its body from that proportion; some of the letter founders have introduced a new size between Minion and Nonpareil, and called it Emerald, and made this new type half an English; I think it would have been a preferable measure to have restored Minion to its original place.

This want of uniformity in the depth of body of the respective sizes is much to be regretted, as it causes serious inconvenience in a printing office, and might be avoided by the several letter founders agreeing among themselves and deciding what should be the standard for each size, and firmly refuse to cast a new fount to any other size, reserving the present variations for imperfections only, till the founts in use were worn out and discarded; we should thus gradually approach to uniformity; and whatever variations there might be in the face of the letter, still the quadrats and the spaces might be used to any fount of the same sized letter, without any risk of injuring the appearance of the work, and this would frequently be found of great advantage in poetry, figure work, and in light open matter.

This evil is not confined to England, but exists to a great extent in both France and Germany, and Fournier, an eminent letter founder who wrote on the subject, describes the evil, and explains the remedy which he invented and adopted, in his “Manuel Typographique,” published at Paris, in two volumes 12mo. 1764, of which the following is a translation.

“This article requires a particular explanation, because it is novel and obscure. I have placed it here in order to show the new proportions which I have given to the body of the characters, by the defined measures which I call Typographical Points.

“The last regulation of the Library, made in 1725, fixed the height to paper at ten and a half geometric lines. This rule is as easy to practise as it is to give; but such was not the case when it was desirable by this regulation to establish some rules in order to fix the strength of the body of the characters. At the time when this regulation was made, apparently no person was found competent to give correct ideas on that point, which was very important, as it would operate to correct abuse, and to give order and precision where there had never been any before. In default of proper information, a master printer gave as a rule the characters which he found in his own printing office, with all their imperfections. The law which was then obtained, not being founded on any principles, has consequently remained unexecuted, which is the reason why the characters have never had fixed and accurate sizes, and that this disorder still remains as great as it was formerly.

“In article lix. of this Regulation, it is given, as a fit body, that Petit-canon is equal to two Saint-Augustins; Gros-parangon is equal to a Cicero and a Petit-romain, &c., but the size that the Saint-Augustin, the Cicero, or the Petit-romain ought to have is not given, in order to make together the Petit-canon or Gros-parangon. Consequently this law can always be evaded, and it is evaded whenever any one wishes, without being liable to any penalty, because one person might make a body of Saint-Augustin more slender than another, and the Petit-canon might be cast to this double thickness, by which means the law would be fulfilled. Another person might make the body of Saint-Augustin more or less strong, and from two of these bodies he will cast a Petit-canon: here again the law is fulfilled, although in a spirit opposed to that of the Regulation. Thus confusion is perpetuated, until at length it gives one some trouble to make the distinction of the two bodies, of which the larger is weak and the smaller strong. It happens then that the characters of the same body vary more or less, and when two such are found in a printing office, the workmen mix the spaces and quadrats together, which spoils the founts.

“The Regulation has provided for this default, it will be said, when it ordains that there should be sent to the founders a certain number of letters of each body, in order that they might agree under pain of fine. But these letters which are thus proposed at hazard, and which are never given, would not have remedied the evil which it is wished to avoid. These pretended rules, instead of causing order and precision, on the contrary augment the confusion, by multiplying the parts without necessity. From thence it comes that the bodies of Petit-canon, Gros-parangon, Gros-romain, Cicero, Philosophie, Gaillarde, Mignone, are found, according to the Regulation, without double bodies, on which two-line letters can be made, of which nevertheless none of the bodies can do without. Here then are seven or eight bodies without names, useless for every other purpose, and with which the printing office is overloaded. Moreover, these combinations of the body of a Cicero and a Petit-romain to make a Gros-parangon, of a Petit-texte and Petit-romain to make a Gros-romain, of a Petit-texte and a Nonpareille to make a Saint-Augustin, truly proclaim little experience and capacity on the part of those who proposed them. The defect has been perceived, but no one has tried to find a remedy, and that because the printers, who are alone consulted in this affair, are not type founders sufficient to make proper experiments, and to give rules to a part of the trade which they do not exercise, and of which often they know only the name.

“This then is what engaged me to disentangle this chaos, and to give to these matters an order which they have never before had. I think I have had the happiness to succeed in it, with an exactness and precision which leaves nothing to be desired, by the invention of Typographical Points. It is nothing more than the division of the bodies of characters by equal and determinate degrees, which I call Points. By this means, the degrees of distance and the affinity of the bodies may be known exactly. They can be combined together in the same manner as numerical signs; and as two and two make four, add two, it will become six, double all this, you will have twelve, &c., in the like manner a Nonpareille, which is equal to six points, added to another Nonpareille will make together a Cicero, which has twelve points, add again a Nonpareille, you will have eighteen points or a Gros-romain, double all this, and it will make thirty-six points, or a Trismegiste, which has that number; and in like manner the others, as may be seen by a reference to the Table of Proportions which follows.

“In order to combine the bodies, it will be sufficient to know the number of Typographical Points of which they are composed. These points or given sizes should be invariable, so that they may serve as guides in the printing office, as the foot, inch, and line are used in geometry. For this purpose, I have fixed these points at the exact sizes they ought to have, in the scale which is at the head of the Table of Proportions; and that their exactness may be relied upon invariably, I have contrived an instrument which I call Prototype.

“The invention of these points is the first service which I rendered to printing, in 1737. Obliged then to commence a long, painful, and laborious career by the graving of all the punches necessary to form the establishment of my foundery, I found no rule established which could guide me in fixing the body of the characters which I had to make, and I was thus under the necessity of forming them for myself.

“The table exhibits at the top a fixed and definite scale, which I divide into two inches, the inches into twelve lines, and the line into six of these typographical points; the total is 144 points. The first small divisions are of two points, which is the exact distance which there is from a Petit-texte to a Petit-romain, or from that to a Cicero, &c. The scale contains in the whole twelve bodies of Cicero. It is necessary to measure by this gauge the number of points which I assign to each of the bodies. These measures, taken truly for each body separately, and verified on the Prototype, will form altogether a general correspondence for all the bodies of characters.”

“Of Height to Paper. The height of the characters called height to paper, that is to say, from the foot to the face which leaves its impression on the paper, is fixed by regulations of the book trade, and noted down by them, on the 28th February 1723, at ten and a half geometric lines. This law was established for rendering all the French characters conformable in their parts, in order that, passing from one printing office to another, by the death of the proprietor or otherwise, there might be no disparity among them. This law, however, though wise and good, is but partially executed, many printers having adhered to the height of the characters which they found already in their offices. Some countries, as Flanders, the Lyonnois, and others, which have the characters much higher by the ordonnance of the Porte, have preserved them thus, so that from these causes we see the characters varying from ten and a quarter to eleven lines and a half high. Those who have preserved them in this last way are among the dupes, because the characters which are according to the ordonnance cost a hundred pistoles, while those that have more metal in them are worth eleven hundred francs, because being one eleventh higher are one eleventh heavier.

“The officers of the chambres syndicals have neglected this part of the regulation; thus nothing is more common than to see in every printing office, the characters some a little too high and some a little too low. This makes it necessary to put the highest upon the tympans of the press within the places where the lines are too low. Sometimes many folds of paper are put under these low types upon the stone of the press, in order to raise the low parts up to the level of the high ones. This confusion does not originate with the founder, who is obliged to conform to the will of those for whom he works. Three parts of the French printers, at least, have their printing offices regulated according to the measure of ten lines and a half; and though there may be little inequalities which leave some of the characters a little too high and some a little too low, yet when there is only this slight difference, perhaps being sometimes but the thickness of a paper, the inequality is very inconsiderable. To avoid this confusion, and to make the founderies preserve one standard to regulate the height, and preserve it always the same, rests with the master. There are two ways: the first is a thin plate of copper or iron on which is made a notch of ten lines and a half high, and the other, which is in greater use and more convenient, is making a form of justification.”

The French have varied from Fournier’s standard, and have introduced fresh sizes since he published his work; when Fertel wrote, in 1723, he gave a list of nineteen sizes, but at the present time they have twenty-five; they are also changing their names, and now designate them by numbers, as will be perceived by the following list, which is copied from the specimen book of De la Tarbe, of Paris, 1835, to which I have affixed the number of points assigned to them by Fournier.

The German letter founders vary still more than the English or the French, for there is no standard body in Germany, every printing office has its varieties; the height is equally very different, but generally much higher than the French types. The German scale is formed by dividing their Petit, a size between our Brevier and Bourgeois, into four lines, so that each additional number is one fourth of their Petit. The names of many of the sizes also vary in different parts of Germany. The list that I give, with the number of lines to each size, I was favoured with by Mr. Edward Hænel, of Magdeburg, an eminent printer of extensive business; I have other lists, of letter founders, in different parts of Germany, but I do not think it necessary to insert more than one.

The German letter founders have types for printing maps, with which they form the line of the sea coast, with all its irregularities, its promontories, its bays, &c., the boundary lines, and the rivers. I had a map, printed in this manner, sent to me from Germany, which is very clever, and shows great ingenuity in the execution.

The names of German types, with the number of lines in each size.

Dutch names of types. From Smith’s Printer’s Grammar. 1755.

The Italian types are of a rather less body than the corresponding English types, but I have not been able to ascertain the precise degree of variation. I was favoured with this list by Mr. And. Pons, a printer at Parma, who originally belonged to the establishment of the celebrated printer Bodoni.

The Foreign Monthly Review for June, 1839, states that a type founder of Clermont, named Colson, has obtained a patent for a new material for printing types, which is harder, capable of more resistance, and yet less expensive than the ordinary composition of lead and antimony. It is well known, that types cast from the latter soon become worn, especially since the introduction of machine-printing. Colson asserts that the material is so hard that the types themselves will serve for punches in striking matrices, and that it will last ten years, without being more worn than the usual composition is in one year.

Type Founders. See Letter Founders.


ULTIMATE

The last syllable of a word.


uncut

a book is said to be uncut when the edges of the paper have not been cut with the plough or guillotine.


uncut

A book is said to be uncut when the edges of the paper have not been cut with the cutting machine.


UNDERHAND

A phrase used by pressmen for the light and easy, or heavy and hard, running in of the carriage. Thus they say, The press goes light and easy <i>under hand</i>, or it goes heavy or hard under hand.—M.


Underlay

A piece of paper or card placed under types or cuts to improve the impression.


UNDERLAYS

Pieces of paper pasted on the bottom of an engraving on wood, to raise it to the proper height to print with types, &c. If an engraving be hollow on the face of it, then a small underlay under the hollow part will raise that part by means of the pressure in printing it at press, and prevent the necessity of using too many overlays.


UNEVEN PAGE

The same as Odd Page, which see. Smith uses the term.


UNLOCK THE FORM

To loosen the quoins for the purpose of correcting; and also for laying-up; or for any other purpose.


unopened

the book is said to be unopened if the bolts of the sheets have not been cut.


unopened

A book is said to be unopened if the bolts of the sheets have not been cut.


UPPER HAND

When the spindle goes soft and easy, the pressmen say, it goes well over hand or above hand. But the contrary if it goes hard and heavy.—M.


Upper Hand

when the *Spindle* goes soft and easie, the *Press-men* say, *It goes well under Hand*, or *Above Hand*. But the contrary if it goes *Hard and Heavy*.


Uppercase

The case containing capital and small capital letters, fractions, &c.


VANTAGE

When a white page or more happens in a sheet, the compositor calls that Vantage: so does the pressman, when a form of one pull comes to the press.—M. At the present day it is termed Fat, which see.


VARNISH

With which ink is made.—M.


varnish

Used as a protection to the glaire when polished on the covers of books.


VESPER, or PLAIN CHANT MUSIC

The Gregorian Plain Chant is governed by two clefs, the Ut clef, and the Fa clef; which correspond to the tenor and base clefs in modern music.   Ut Clef. Fa Clef

The Gregorian Plain Chant is governed by two clefs, the Ut clef, and the Fa clef; which correspond to the tenor and base clefs in modern music.

Ut Clef. Fa Clef.

The use of these clefs is to point out the progression of tones and semi-tones, and to determine the key or tone of the chant, which is commonly contained in a staff of four lines; but as it frequently happens that the music exceeds that compass, the clefs necessarily change their places on the staff to give a greater scope to the chant; therefore on whatsoever line of the staff the Ut clef is placed, that line is called Ut, the rest of the notes following in the same progression. The same rule applies to the Fa clef,

ut     re     mi     fa     sol     la     si     ut.

The bars which nearly cross the staff, are used to separate the notes sung to each word; the bars which entirely cross the staff are used over some period in the reading; the double bar is placed at the end of a strain or verse.

The diamond shaped note is half the length of the square note; the notes with the tails are double the length, or equal in time to two square notes, (but these must not be mistaken for notes which, having tails, are only meant to tie them to other notes higher or lower on the staff.) A dot placed after a note increases its value one half. Sharps are not used in plain chant. Flats and naturals have the same power as in modern music.

In the following example, the bars are used to divide the melody into equal portions.

Stabat mater—in G major.

Stabat mater do-lo-ro-sa juxta crucem la-cry-mo-sa, dum pendebat fi-li-us.

The same in modern notation.

Stabat mater do-lo-ro-sa juxta crucem la-cry-mo-sa, dum pendebat fi-li-us.

Since the decease of Mr. Hughes, the punches, matrixes, &c. of the above founts of music types (and that mentioned at page 490) have been purchased by Mr. C. Hancock, of Middle Row, Holborn, by whom they have been considerably improved, and by whom the profession are supplied.

Old notation for these clefs

ut     re     mi     fa     sol     la     si     ut.


VISORUM

Some compositors use visorums. Therefore pricking the point of the visorum, most commonly upon the border or frame of the case on the left hand about the & box, they fold the leaf of copy they compose by, so as the bottom of it may rest upon the square shoulder near the bottom of the visorum; then with two pieces of scaleboard tied together at one end, they clasp both the copy and visorum between these two scaleboards, which two scaleboards pinch the copy and visorum fast enough to keep the copy in its place, and at the same time also serves for an index to direct the eye to every line, as the compositor moves it downward.—M.

This article is not used now; though it appears to me, from Moxon’s account, to be both useful and convenient.

A visorum


WASH

If a workman is in the habit of telling improbable tales, or of asserting falsehoods, as the chapel does not allow the lie direct to be given, neither do any choose to get into a personal quarrel by doing it, it is usual, in order to express the general disbelief, to wash him, as it is termed; that is, each person with a piece of furniture, or some other substance, will strike repeatedly and quickly upon the front of his frame, upon the ledge of his lower case, or upon his bulk; and this being done by every person in the room, where there are a great number employed, it raises such a loud drumming as is deafening, more particularly when they give what they call a “good” wash: this is customary both in the composing room and the press room. For the old manner of doing this, see Ancient Customs.


WASH THE FORM

If a form gets foul in working, the pressmen will take it off the press and brush it over with lye, and after that rinse it with clean water, to remove the foulness. He also washes the form when the given number is all printed.—M.


WASTE

The surplus sheets of a work.

After a work has been finished at press and dried, it is gathered, collated, the gatherings folded and pressed, and then booked, if it contain more gatherings than one; and when the regular number of copies has been made up, the surplus sheets, which vary in number, are tied up in a bundle, and termed Waste: out of this waste deficient sheets are supplied, and damaged sheets exchanged. It is always delivered to the publisher with the last copies of the work.


Waste

or Waste leaves. Part of the end papers and the blank leaves between the colored end papers and the book proper; should be part of the same lot of paper with which the book is printed. One of the waste leaves is often pasted to the loose half of the lining paper or end sheet, thus forming a doubled fly-leaf.


Waterproof sheets

sheets of celluloid, such as are used by photographers.


Waterproof sheets

Sheets of celluloid or waterproof cardboard sometimes laid in or between books when pressing.


WAYZ GOOSE

A stubble goose.—Bailey. Called Way Goose, and so spelt by Moxon. See Ancient Customs.

July is the month in which the different offices in the metropolis generally have each their Way Goose, or annual dinner, and Saturday is the day commonly chosen.


WAYZ GOOSE

A term given in England to the annual dinner customary among printers there during the summer months.


WEAK INK. See Soft Ink.—M

In common work, where despatch is requisite, weak ink is used; it distributes with more facility than strong ink, and enables the pressmen to make a greater riddance. It receives its name from the varnish not being made so tenacious as that for better ink.   WEIGHTS AND MEASURES

In common work, where despatch is requisite, weak ink is used; it distributes with more facility than strong ink, and enables the pressmen to make a greater riddance. It receives its name from the varnish not being made so tenacious as that for better ink.


WEIGHTS AND MEASURES

5 & 6 W. 4. c. 63. § 31.—“And be it enacted, That from and after the First Day of January One thousand eight hundred and thirty-six, if any Person or Persons shall print, or if the Clerk of any Market or other Person shall make any Return, Price List, Price Current, or any Journal or other Paper containing Price List or Price Current, in which the Denomination of Weights and Measures quoted or referred to shall denote or imply a greater or less Weight or Measure than is denoted or implied by the same Denomination of the Imperial Weights and Measures under and according to the Provisions of this Act, such Person or Persons or Clerk of the Market shall forfeit and pay any Sum not exceeding Ten Shillings for every Copy of such Return, Price List, Price Current, Journal or other Paper which he or they shall publish.”


WELL

On the bottom side of the two cross bearers in the middle of a frame, on which the inner ends of the lower cases rest, there is frequently a bottom nailed of thin deal; this, when the ends of the cases are close together, forms a receptacle in which the compositor puts copy and other articles, and it is named a <i>Well</i>. To obtain access to it he slides one of the cases a little away from the other.