sewing thread

The filament or group of filaments used for securing the leaves or sections of a book. Book sewing threads include linen (with a glazed finish), cotton, nylon, terylene, and a combination of cotton and terylene. Sewing thread is available in a range of thicknesses, which are designated by number, e.g., 1 pound of flax spun to a length of 300 yards is Number 1; if spun to 600 yards, Number 2; 900 yards, Number 3; and so on. Number 16 is 4,800 yards. For example, 16-4, is made from four cords of Number 16. Number 50 is a strand of 15,000 yards, which, if doubled, becomes Number 50-2 thread.

Whether the thread is of one (knotted) continuous length, as in hand sewing through the folds, or consists of a number of individual threads, as in the usual machine sewing, it is a fundamental part of the make-up of a book. When consideration is given to the strain imposed on the sewing in the course of the normal handling of a book, especially a large volume, it is obvious that the thread used in sewing a book must be both strong and durable.

Sewing thread, whether for a publisher's binding or a book sewn by hand, is selected with regard to the thickness (and softness) of the paper, as well as the number of sections to be sewn. A thread that is too thin will not give sufficient swelling in the spine to enable the book to be properly rounded and backed, while thread that is too thick will produce a book that has too much swell, and that leads to difficulties in nipping and rounding and backing, as well as a tendency to produce creases in the inner margin.

Cotton thread is a fine continuous strand produced by plying two or more lengths of cotton strands with a tight twist and smooth finish. t is also made in varying thicknesses for various types of sewing. Although it is usually bleached, and bleaching is detrimental to the durability of thread, it is, and has been for more than 100 years, the most widely used thread for book sewing, especially in edition and library binding. The breaking strength of cotton thread commonly used in bookbinding is as follows:

Thread Size Number      Breaking Strength (in pounds)

50—4              2.5

36—4              3.4

24—4              4.4

12—4              8.5

10—4             11.0

10—5             14.0

One of the disadvantages of silk and terylene thread is their tendency to unravel and "catch-up" during sewing.

This can be overcome by soaking the thread in polyvinyl acetate, diluted to about three times its original volume with water, followed by drying of the thread in air under normal conditions. This cements the individual filaments together slightly, and also insures that the tension is shared equally among all of the filaments and not thrown onto only one, as might otherwise occur if one filament in a loose bundle is slightly shorter than the others. The use of PVA does not appear to have any adverse effect when the accelerated aging test is applied to the thread, although it naturally reduces the softness and flexibility of the thread to some degree. For the most part, these threads are used only in machine sewing.

Linen thread is produced from straw of the flax plant. See: LINEN.

It is usually unbleached and is superior to cotton thread in both strength and durability. Thicknesses of threads used vary from Number 12, which is relatively thick, to Number 30, which is very fine and suitable for most books. At one time linen thread was used extensively in library binding, but it has largely been replaced by cotton, synthetics (principally nylon), and combinations of cotton and synthetic sewing threads.

Nylon thread maintains a smooth, knot-free surface and is stronger than thread made from either cotton or linen. It has the advantage of being relatively inexpensive and can be manufactured in finer grades so that books sewn with it can be more easily nipped, rounded, and backed, as the swell caused by the sewing is not excessive. Its principal disadvantages seem to be that it may cut the paper if the diameter of the thread is very small, and it has a tendency to contract upon release of tension, so that when a group of sewn books is cut apart the nylon thread tends to contract and loosen the end sections.

Clough, Eric A. Bookbinding for librarians. London. Association of Assistant Librarians. 1957.

Corderoy, John. Bookbinding for beginners. New York. Watson-Guptill. 1967.

Langwell, William Herbert. The conservation of books and documents. London. Pitman. 1957

Perry, Kenneth Frederick, and Clarence T. Babb. The binding of books. Rev. ed. Bloomington, 111. McKnight & McKnight. 1967.

U.S. Government Printing Office. Theory and practice of bookbinding. Rev. ed. Washington, D.C. U.S. Government Printing Office. 1962.


sewing to show

A method of sewing a book that consists of one section in which the cover is first placed over the section and is sewn with it, thus being visible on the outside. The three- or five-stitch method, using fancy thread or cord, is frequently used for this type of sewing. Cf: SEWING NOT TO SHOW.

Bookbinding and the Conservation of Books: A Dictionary of Descriptive Terminology

US Government publication (Library of Congress), published openly in electronic edition by CoOL. Not a Gutenberg/pre-1930 public-domain text -- verify rights before reprinting rather than quoting.

Town, Laurence. Bookbinding by hand, for students and craftsmen. New York. Pitman. 1950 (1951).


sewn regular

An obsolete library binding expression applied to the sewing of books through the folds, generally on tapes, as distinguished from oversewing.

Emerson, Gilbert D. Bookbinding for libraries. Philadelphia. n.p. 1909.


sexternion

A GATHERING (2) composed of six sheets, each folded once and insetted. This was the form in which some bound manuscripts and early printed books, especially those of vellum, were assembled. The first and twelfth, second and eleventh, etc., leaves being conjugate. See also: QUATERNION; QUINTERNION; TERNION.

Glaister, Geoffrey Ashall. An encyclopedia of the book. Cleveland. World. 1960.


shade

A term used in describing or comparing colors to indicate a full or definite degree of difference between two colors. A particular red, for example, may be a shade darker, lighter, deeper, more bluish, yellowish, etc., than another red. The term applies also to a chromatic color darkened by the addition of black.

Mayer, Ralph. A dictionary of art terms and techniques. New York. Crowell. 1969.


shade-craft watermark

A WATERMARK produced by means of a design on the dandy roll of the papermaking machine that is intaglio instead of in relief, thus thickening the sheet at the point of contact. It causes the watermark to appear darker than the rest of the sheet, rather than lighter, as is the case with the true watermark. The earliest shade-craft watermark (known as a "light-and-shade" watermark) was produced by the Frenchman Jannot in about 1812. His, of course, was not produced by a dandy roll.

American Paper and Pulp Association. The dictionary of paper, including pulp, paperboard, paper properties and related papermaking terms. 3rd ed. New York. American Paper and Pulp Association. 1965.


shaded tool

A finishing tool cut partly in outline and partly solid.

Harrod, Leonard Montague. The librarians' glossary of terms used in librarianship and the book crafts, and reference book. 3rd ed. London. Deutsch. 1971.


shadow watermark

See: INTAGLIO (2).


shagreen

A somewhat obscure and ambiguous term which seems to have been used, at different times, for very different materials. The word, along with its French and German equivalents, chagrin, is said to have been derived from the Persian expression saghari, which applies to a leather produced from an ass, and which had an indented grain surface caused by spreading seeds of Chenopodium (goose foot) over the surface of the moist skin, covering the skin with a cloth, and trampling them into the skin. When the skin was dry the seeds were shaken off, leaving the surface of the leather covered with small indentations.

In the 17th and early 18th centuries, however, the term "shagreen" (or "chagrin") began to be applied to a leather made from sharkskin having a curious grain surface of lonzenge-shaped, raised and spiny scales of minute size, the character of which is difficult to perceive without optical assistance. The term was also applied to the skin of a rayfish (probably Hypolophus sephen), which is covered with round, closely set, calcified papillae resembling small pearls. In its natural form it has been used for many years in both the East and the West for a variety of purposes, including bookbinding; however, in the early years of the 18th century it became the practice to grind the surface flat and smooth, leaving only the pattern of small contiguous circles. The leather was dyed from the flesh side so that the dye did not reach the small circles of calcified substance but only colored the epidermis where it could be seen between the circles. This is the leather which for a century has been called "shagreen"; how confusion arose with sharkskin, which is completely different both in character and in appearance, is not clear.

Crane, W. J. E. Bookbinding for amateurs…New York. Scribner. 1903.

Philip, Alexander John. The business of bookbinding for librarians …Gravesend. A. J. Philip. 1935.

Waterer, John William. A guide to the conservation and restoration of objects made wholly or in part of leather. 2nd ed. London. Bell. 1973.


shake

A device on the wire of the Fourdrinier papermaking machine which causes the wire to oscillate in a plane at right angles to the forward movement of the wire. Its purpose is largely like that of the vatman's shake of the mold in hand papermaking, which assists in securing the desired intermingling of fibers of the sheet. The oscillations may be varied in frequency and length of stroke to obtain the required results.

British Paper and Board Makers' Association. Paper making; a general account of its history, processes and applications. Rev. ed. London. British Paper and Board Makers' Association. 1965.


shaken back

The loosening or breaking of the sewing of a book, particularly in edition binding, resulting in gaps appearing between the sections. Brittleness of the glue on the spine, inadequate spine lining, loose sewing, and careless use can, individually or collectively, lead to this condition. See also: START.

Buck, Mitchell Starrett. Book repair and restoration; a manual of practical suggestions. Philadelphia. Brown. 1918.


shammy

See: CHAMOIS (2).


SHANK

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

Public domain (Project Gutenberg, pre-1930 text)


Shank

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


Shank

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

The American Printer: A Manual of Typography


sharkskin

A leather covered with minute scales bearing short spines. It has been used frequently as an abrasive material and was popular during the 18th century for covering boxes of various types. For this latter purpose it was usually vegetable tanned, with the spiny scales being ground down leaving a slightly roughened surface which, under magnification, could be seen to be composed of tiny, detached, lozenge-shaped scales which sparkled. Sharkskin was usually stained black. See also: SHAGREEN.

Reed, Ronald. Ancient skin, parchments and leathers. London. Seminar Press. 1972.

Wilson, John Arthur. Modern practice in leather 367. manufacture. New York. Reinhold. 1941.


SHARP IMPRESSION

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


sharpening agent

A material added to the lime liquor to accelerate the loosening of the hair of hides and skins during LIMING.

Sharpeners are usually one or more of the alkali sulfides, of which sodium sulfide is frequently used.

O'Flaherty, Fred, and others, eds. The chemistry and technology of leather. New York. Reinhold. (American Chemical Society monograph series, no. 134. 1956-65. 4 vol.

Sharphouse, John Henry. The leatherworker's handbook. London. Leather Producers' Association. 1963.


shave

1. To take a very slight trim from the edges of a book. See also: SANDING (1); TRIMMING (1). 2. To pare or skive leather. The term is also applied to the areas of the leather covering of a book that have been pared or skived, usually the turn-ins and the area covering the spine. See also: PARING.

Palmer, Elbridge Woodman. A course in bookbinding for vocational training. New York. Employing bookbinders of America. 1927.


shaved weight

The weight of a pack of leather taken after shaving or when its water content is approximately 50%.


shaving

1. See: PLOW. 2. The process of reducing the overall natural substance of a tanned hide by removing small pieces with a currier's knife (the sharp edge of which is at right angles to the blade), the blade being held at right angles to the flesh surface of the leather. The operation is performed over a special beam, one having a flatter surface than that of the beam used for other leather-making processes. The pieces shaved off are useless as leather and were sometimes boiled in water to make glue or gelatin sizing for paper. The purpose of shaving is to make the skins even in thickness, as well as to smooth and clean them. Virtually no hides and very few skins are shaved today, the process having been replaced by splitting. Any shaving that is still done is usually of light skins and is done by machine.


shaving machine

A machine used to shave part or all of the flesh side of a tanned skin. The shaving cylinder consists of spiral blades set in a revolving cylinder. The portion of the skin to be shaved is fed between a bolstered backing roll and the shaving cylinder, with the flesh side facing the cylinder. The skin is forced against the revolving knife blades and moves forward until stopped by the operator. The same area can be fed into the machine repeatedly so as to reduce its thickness gradually.


shaving tub

A receptacle used in hand binderies, located beneath the lying press and plow, into which the shavings fall from edges being trimmed.

Hannett, John. Bibliopegia; or, the art of bookbinding… London. Simkim, Marshall. 1848.


shaving tub

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


shaving tub

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

The Art of Bookbinding: A Practical Treatise


shea butter

The solid, grayish, yellowish or whitish fat obtained from the seeds of the shea tree, Bufyrospermum parkii, and used for oiling leather during the process of tanning.


shearing strength

1. The shear force required to produce failure in a paper or board. The shear force is the internal force causing two contiguous parts of a body to slide relative to each other in a direction parallel to their plane of contact. 2. The relative resistance of an adhesive film to a stress in such a manner that the adherend surfaces slide in a plane parallel to their plane of contact.

McGuire, Edward Patrick. American adhesive index. Mountainside, N. J. Padric. 1962.


shears

1. A hand-operated, single, curved cutting device for cutting single sheets of paper or light board. 2. A large pair of scissors used for cutting leather and cloth for covers.

Johnson, Pauline. Creative bookbinding. Seattle. University of Washington Press. 1963.


SHEARS

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


shears

Large scissors used for cutting up mill-boards.


SHEEP

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


SHEEP’S FOOT

An iron hammer with a claw-end.


sheep vellum

A term sometimes applied to VELLUM produced from the split skin of a sheep rather than the skin of a calf.

Harrison, T. The bookbinding craft and industry; an outline of its history, development, and technique. London. Pitman. 1926.


sheepskin

A soft, porous leather produced from the skins of wooled or hair sheep. It is usually vegetable-tanned and grained in imitation of other (more expensive) skins, e.g., morocco, a process to which it lends itself very well. The term "sheepskin" always indicates an unsplit skin, and is not applied to split sheepskin or SKIVER. Split sheepskin is the traditional material used in producing PARCHMENT.

Sheepskin is somewhat difficult to describe because the individual skins differ so greatly in size, fat content, and general quality of the dermal network. From the standpoint of leather, the closer a sheepskin approaches the hair sheep, the tighter and firmer the fiber network, and, therefore, the better the skin for producing leather. This is the case because the numerous fine wool fibers, as opposed to the lesser number of coarse fibers of the hair sheep, cause the skin to be more open and loose in texture. In addition, the wool follicles are associated with extensive glandular structures, consisting of sebaceous and sudoriferous glands, which also interrupt the dense packing of the connective-tissue fiber network in the papillary layers, as well as the dermis itself.

The grain layer of sheepskin occupies more than a half of the total thickness of the skin; furthermore, in the reticular layer, the collagen fibers are not as compact and run in more closely horizontal directions.

The proportion of adipose tissue to collagen fibers in sheepskin varies widely according to the feeding of the animal. There is frequently an almost continuous layer of fat cells separating the grain layer and the reticular layer. Because much of the fatty tissues is destroyed or removed in the liming, bating, and scudding operations, it is not unusual to find the grain layer and reticular layer of sheepskin leathers separated, sometimes over wide areas. The tanner at times separates these two layers by splitting after liming, and then tans the grain layer for bookbinding purposes, etc., and the reticular layer for chamois.

During the beamhouse operations. the glands in the grain layer are destroyed, leaving the grain layer rather spongy in structure. This, together with the relatively loose and empty structure of the reticular layer, places sheepskin leather in a class by itself.

Sheepskin is a reasonably durable leather if properly prepared and cared for. It has been used as a covering material for books for more than 500 years. See also: LAW SHEEP; ROAN; SKIVER; SMYRNA MOROCCO.

Hewitt-Bates, James Samuel. Bookbinding. 8th ed. Leicester. Dryad. 1967.

Library Association. Leather for libraries, by Edward Wyndham Hulme, and others. London. Library Supply Co. 1905.


sheepskin

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


sheepskin split

A sheepskin that has been split after liming but before tanning and finishing. See also: SKIVER.


SHEEP’S FOOT

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

Shekesteh. See Persian.

Shelf. See Till.


sheet

1. A single piece of paper, board, paper pulp, cellulose acetate film, etc. 2. The continuous web of paper as it is being manufactured by machine, or the single unit as it is being made by hand. 3. A general term applied to paper and/or board in any form and in any quantity which, when used with appropriate modifiers, indicates general or specific attributes of that sheet, including quality, class, use, grade, or physical properties, such as an opaque sheet, etc. 4. To cut paper or board into sheets of desired size from a roll or web. 5. A piece of paper printed in such a manner that it may be folded to form consecutive pages for publication of the required size. See: IMPOSITION. 6. To place freshly printed sheets between unprinted sheets for drying and to prevent OFFSET (2), i.e., to slipsheet. 7. As used in collation, a separate sheet of any size printed to be read unfolded, i.e., with the text or illustration imposed on a single page on one side or on each side of the paper. 8. A sheet of any material, such as a leaf of gold, silver, etc. 9. Another term for the surface or cover of the mold or dandy roll, but sometimes restricted to this before it is placed in position.

American Paper and Pulp Association. The dictionary of paper, including pulp, paperboard, paper properties and related papermaking terms. 3rd ed. New York. American Paper and Pulp Association. 1965.

Pleger, John J. Bookbinding. Rev. ed. Chicago. Inland Printer. 1924.

Vaughan, Alexander J. Modern bookbinding; a treatise covering both letterpress and stationery branches of the trade…New ed. London. Skilton. 1960.


sheet

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


sheet stock

Unbound printed sheets of a publication which are inventoried by the printer until receipt of a binding order from the publisher. See also: SECONDARY BINDING.

Harrod, Leonard Montague. The librarians' glossary of terms used in librarianship and the book crafts, and reference book. 3rd ed. London. Deutsch. 1971.


sheeting

1. The operation of cutting sheets from a web or roll of paper. A rotary cutter, which is somewhat similar to a web-fed cylinder press, with a steel cutting edge, is attached along the length of a cylinder, to which the web of paper is fed. At every revolution of the cylinder, the cutting edge cuts a sheet of paper off the roll. Several rolls may be fed to the cutter simultaneously, thus cutting multiple sheets.

Rotary cut paper is usually referred to as "machine trimmed" paper and the cut is sufficient for the requirements of most booklets, pamphlets, etc., that are to be printed "work and turn" and folded as a full sheet. See: IMPOSITION. For printing that is done on a full sheet and then slit, however, "machine trimmed" paper will not always suffice. Broadsides, folders, labels and similar forms of printing that must be accurately trimmed require guillotine trimmed paper. Uncoated paper intended for such printing is usually ordered guillotine trimmed on at least two edges. Coated papers are guillotine trimmed as a regular practice. 2. The formation of a sheet on the papermaking machine.

Langwell, William Herbert. The conservation of books and documents. London. Pitman. 1957

Warren (S. D.) Co. Boston. Facts and views of papermaking at S. D. Warren Company. Boston. S. D. Warren Co. 1965.


Sheetwise

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


sheetwork

A term used in edition binding for the binding operations of folding, tipping, gathering, endsheeting, sewing, and smashing. Cf: FORWARDING.

Cuneo (John F.) Co. Plan for a good book…Chicago. John F. Cuneo Co. 1951.

Radford, Richard George. Letterpress machine work. New York. Staples Press. 1951. 2 vol.


shelf life

See: STORAGE LIFE.


Shelf-back

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


shelfback

That part of a bound book seen when the book is on the shelf, i.e., the spine.


shell

A kidney-shaped section occurring in the butt area of an equine animal hide which contains the dense mass of fibers known as the glassy layer. The collagen fibers of this area are so dense (perhaps the most dense of any leather) that the leather made from it is nearly air-tight and weatherproof. It is isolated by removing the skin layer above and below it. The remaining part, the shell, is frequently split, both splits being finished on the cut surfaces. Although the butt area of the hide is extreme in its tightness and solidity of structure for a large hide, the remainder of the hide is extremely loose. The shell is used in producing CORDOVAN LEATHER.

Wilson, John Arthur. Modern practice in leather 367. manufacture. New York. Reinhold. 1941.


shell gold

Gold leaf that has been reduced to powder form by grinding it with honey, which is then washed away. It is used to produce powdered effects on leather bindings, to repair or restore gold tooling, and for gilding manuscripts. Very early gold "tooling" of the Near East may have been shell gold, or something like it, painted on the leather. The name derives from the mussel shells it was once stored in. Today it is available in tablet form. See also: GOLD-POWDERED BINDINGS.

Middleton, Bernard C. A history of English craft bookbinding technique. New York. Hafner. 1963.


shellac

A resinous secretion of the insect, Tachardia lacca, which breeds on the twigs of certain Indian trees. It was originally used as a source of dyestuff, but is now used almost entirely for its content of resinous matter. Shellac has a softening temperature of 60 to 75° C., but decomposes if heated much above 100° C. It is soluble in alcohol, except for about 4% wax, which is insoluble in cold alcohol. It represents the most highly refined form of LAC and is prepared in the form of thin orange or yellow flakes. The term is also used with reference to the varnish prepared by dissolving shellac in alcohol. Shellac is used in the manufacture of leather, in lithography, in the preparation of finishing sizes, etc. See a1so: SHELLAC SIZE.

Mayer, Ralph. A dictionary of art terms and techniques. New York. Crowell. 1969.

Miall, Laurence Mackenzie, and D. W. A. Sharp, eds. A new dictionary of chemistry. 4th ed. New York. Wiley. 1968.


shellac size

A size prepared by dissolving shellac flakes in alcohol. It is used as an adhesive in gold tooling and blocking. After being painted into the blinded-in impressions on the leather, the alcohol evaporates, leaving a thin layer of shellac which serves the same purpose as GLAIR.

Cunha, George Daniel Martin. Conservation of library materials. Metuchen, N.J. Scarecrow. 1967.


SHERWIN AND COPE’S PRESS

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

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

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

Line drawing of the Imperial Press

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

Figure showing the Works which produce the Power.


shingling

A technique used to prevent creep or push-out in a sewn or stitched pamphlet made up of a great number of folios of thick paper. The page sizes are selected with the idea of allowing sufficient material for variation in binding margins and outside margins whereby creep is counteracted. This means that the page (leaf) size diminishes from the outside folio moving inward. In some cases an adjustment is necessary in order to properly align page numbers for folding and trimming.

Strauss, Victor. The printing industry…Washington, D.C. Printing Industries in America. 1967.


shive

1. A group of incompletely separated fibers. A shive is seen in the finished sheet as small dark specks or splinters. These are particularly prevalent in groundwood papers. In the case of esparto and straw pulp papers they often appear as transparent spots. 2. The non-bast fiber portion of the flax plant.


shoder

The packet of 1,160 gold sheets interleaved between sheets of goldbeater's skin 4 1/2 inches square. The "shoder" is the second beating stage in the the manufacture of GOLD LEAF, and is a more delicate stage than the CUTCH (1) but less so than the MOLD (2) . See also: GOLDBEATING.

Barnes, Richard H. Gilding & the making of gold leaf. n.p. 1962.


SHOE

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


shoes

Metal attachments fixed on the tail edges at the corners of the covers of large books, e.g., ledger books, to prevent abrasion of the leather, which may otherwise occur when the book is slid off the shelf. See also: BOSSES; ROLLER SHOES.

U.S. Government Printing Office. Theory and practice of bookbinding. Rev. ed. Washington, D.C. U.S. Government Printing Office. 1962.


SHOOTING STICK

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

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

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

A wooden Shooting Stick


SHOOTING STICK

A wedge-shaped instrument for locking up a form.


SHORT CROSS

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


SHORT CROSS

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


short hair

A defect in leather stemming from a very fine, deeply embedded young (newly formed) hairs in a hide or skin, which are not removed by unhairing and scudding, and which are carried throughout the leather manufacturing processes, appearing on the finished leather. Short hairs can actually enhance the appearance of a skin such as vellum.

Reed, Ronald. Ancient skin, parchments and leathers. London. Seminar Press. 1972.


SHORT PAGE

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


SHORT PULL

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

Short Ribs. See Cramp Irons.


shortness

Said of an adhesive that does not string, cotton, or in other manner form filaments or threads when applied to an adherend.

Skeist, Irving. Handbook of adhesives. New York. Reinhold. 1962.


shorts

1. The copies of different printed sheets required to complete an imperfect or incomplete edition. See also: CANCEL . 2. A copy of a book having margin greatly trimmed by the binder. See also: CROPPED (1, 2). 3. A multivolume work that lacks one or more volumes.

Carter, John. A B C for book collectors. 5th ed. London. Hart Davis. 1972.


shoulder

1. That part of the spine of a text block at the outer extremities which is bent over in the backing process to form the projection at right angles to the text block to accommodate the board. 2. The portion of a cowhide covering the shoulders and neck of the animal together with the two cheeks, and the leather produced therefrom. A squared shoulder is obtained by cutting off the cheeks. Shoulders usually provide good, firm leather; however, that part of the hide is prone to growth marks and creases which cannot be entirely eliminated during manufacture. 3. The top of the shank of a piece of movable type. Its parts include the bevel, beard, line, and side bearing. 4. A term sometimes applied to the upper, outer corners of a leaf of a book.

Halfer, Josef. The progress of the marbling art…Translated by Herman Dieck, Buffalo. Kinder. 1893.

Hewitt-Bates, James Samuel. Bookbinding. 8th ed. Leicester. Dryad. 1967.

Steinberg, Sigfrid Henry. Five hundred years of printing. 2nd ed. Baltimore. Penguin. 1962.


shoulder

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


show side

The side of a paper, cloth, etc., which will be seen, i.e., will show, when the binding or other operation is completed. The term is used especially with reference to book cloths, which are generally finished only on the one side.

Glaister, Geoffrey Ashall. An encyclopedia of the book. Cleveland. World. 1960.


show through

Printed matter which can be seen from the other side of a leaf when viewed by reflected light. It is caused by excessive ink penetration, insufficient opacity of the paper, or excessive pressure during printing. Show through may be particularly noticeable if the printer has failed to achieve proper REGISTER (3). See also: STRIKE IN; STRIKE THROUGH.

American Paper and Pulp Association. The dictionary of paper, including pulp, paperboard, paper properties and related papermaking terms. 3rd ed. New York. American Paper and Pulp Association. 1965.

Stevenson, George A. Graphic arts encyclopedia. New York. McGraw-Hill. 1968.


shrink temperature

The water temperature at which a specimen of leather begins to shrink. Shrink temperature will differ for each kind and degree of tannage, although, in general, tannage usually increases the resistance of a leather to heat in the wet condition. Most chrome-tanned leathers are resistant to the action of boiling water, while vegetable-tanned leathers are not. If leather that cannot withstand the boiling test is placed in cold water and the temperature of the water is gradually increased one degree at a time. a point will be reached where the leather suddenly begins to shrink, which is the "shrink temperature." Shrink temperature is generally taken as a measure of the degree of tannage of a leather.

Wilson, John Arthur. Modern practice in leather 367. manufacture. New York. Reinhold. 1941.


shrinkage

1. The decrease in the width of a paper web as it travels through the papermaking machine. The degree of shrinkage varies, depending upon the weight of the paper, and the degree to which the pulp is refined, the nature of the fibrous material used, and the tension in the wet driers. 2. Any decrease in the dimensions of paper, leather, etc. See also: YIELD.


SHUFFLING

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

Side Notes. See Marginal Notes.


shut

1. An expression used by the vatman when the liquid pulp in the mold is formed into a uniform sheet of handmade paper. "Shut" also takes place on the papermaking machine. assisted by the action of the suction boxes and dandy roll. It is the point at which fiber movement within the web ceases

Labarre, E. J. Dictionary and encyclopaedia of paper and papermaking. 2nd ed. London. Oxford University Press. 1952.

Town, Laurence. Bookbinding by hand, for students and craftsmen. New York. Pitman. 1950 (1951).


shuttle mark

A fine line parallel to th filling in a cloth, caused by damage ir the shuttle to a group of filling yarns.


shuttle threads

The threads in the OVERSEWING method which pass through each loop created by the needles of th machine. Punches descend from above penetrate the paper, and then with draw. The needles then enter from below and, when they reach the top o the pile of leaves making up the "section," they drop slightly leaving a series of loops of thread through which the shuttle needles carry their thread from left and right, meeting in the center. A they reach the center, two catch teeth emerge and snag the threads, holding them until the shuttles retract. Th, cycle is then completed and the head of the machine drops, tightening th loops around the shuttle threads. It is therefore, the shuttle threads which secure the individual oversewing stitches in the "section."


side

1. The outside surface of the upper or lower cover of a bound book. 2. The paper, cloth, or other material used of the sides of a book. 3. The half of cowhide, either in full weight or as split. Cowhides are frequently cut in half down the backbone for ease of handling, so that they may be hung in the tanning pits without being folded etc. 4. The left- or right-hand of a piece of movable type when the printing surface is uppermost and facing the viewer. The front is the belly and rear the back.

Harrod, Leonard Montague. The librarians' glossary of terms used in librarianship and the book crafts, and reference book. 3rd ed. London. Deutsch. 1971.


side cut

An obsolete term applied to the cutting or trimming of the fore edge (only) of a book.

Palmer, Elbridge Woodman. A course in bookbinding for vocational training. New York. Employing bookbinders of America. 1927.


side papers

The paper sides of a quarter, half, or three-quarter binding.

Sawyer, Harriet Price. How to care for books in a library. 2nd ed. Madison, Wisc. Wisconsin Free Library Commission. (Wisconsin Free Library Commission. Instructional Dept. Pamphlet no. 7). 1912.


side sewing

A method of securing the leaves of sections of a book with thread near the binding edge, from front to back through the entire thickness of the text block. When a book is said to be side sewn, it is implied that the text block does not consist of individual sections which are first fastened by themselves and then to each other, but that all of the leaves are sewn through at one time. Side sewing is an extremely strong form of sewing; however, it affords very little openability, unless the inner margin is very extensive, the paper is very flexible, e.g., JAPANESE SEWING, or the book is very large, e.g., an unabridged dictionary. Also called stab sewing. Cf: SIDE STITCHING.

Corderoy, John. Bookbinding for beginners. New York. Watson-Guptill. 1967.

Johnson, Pauline. Creative bookbinding. Seattle. University of Washington Press. 1963.

Strauss, Victor. The printing industry…Washington, D.C. Printing Industries in America. 1967.

U.S. Government Printing Office. Theory and practice of bookbinding. Rev. ed. Washington, D.C. U.S. Government Printing Office. 1962.


Side sorts

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


SIDE STICK

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


side stitching

A method of securing the leaves or sections of a book with wire staples, from front to back of the entire thickness of the text block. Side stitching is one of the strongest forms of construction and is frequently used in binding textbooks; it is also a common method of binding periodical issues made up of leaves or more than one section, and which, therefore, cannot be saddle stitched. The stitching is done by means of a machine that cuts the wire, forms it into a staple, drives it through the paper, and clinches it from the other side. Flat-wire staples of galvanized iron or aluminized iron are usually employed. Flat staples are used to provide flatter surface on the side of the publication than could be obtained with round staples.

The disadvantage of side stitching is that it affords almost no openability in the book; consequently the publication must be designed with wider margins and more flexible paper in order to compensate for the lack of flexibility. Also called 'stab stitching." Cf: SIDE SEWING.

Hutchings, Ernest A. D. A survey of printing processes. London. Heinemann. 1970.


side title

A title lettered or blocked on the side, i.e., the upper cover of a book.


Side-sticks

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


siding

1. See: SIDE (2). 2. The process of siding-up, or attaching, the paper sides to quarter, half, or three-quarter bindings. See also: FILLING IN (1).

Middleton, Bernard C. A history of English craft bookbinding technique. New York. Hafner. 1963.


sifted chalk

A finely powdered chalk used in removing excess grease from skins in process of being converted into PARCHMENT.

Fahey, Herbert, and Peter Fahey. Finishing in hand bookbinding…  San Francisco. The authors. 1951.


sig water

An alkaline solution of soda ash, borax or ammonia, used to wash the grain surface of leather preparatory to the application of dye solutions. Formerly, sig water was a solution of stale urine.


sighting

The procedure of observing where the finishing tool is to be impressed or "struck." Sighting is usually done over the top of the shank of the tool. It is not an uncommon practice to file a notch in the top edge of the shank to give a better view of the letter or ornament.


SIGLA

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

The twelve sigla


signature

1. A section or GATHERING (2) of a book, either in the flat or folded state, to which a SIGNATURE MARK has been assigned. Technically, the sets of 4, 8, 16, 32, 64, or 128 printed pages. when folded, constitute a "section," while a "signature" is only the sequential mark of identification printed on the initial page of the section; today, however, little if any distinction is made between the two expressions. The term is not altogether synonymous with SHEET (5), because a sheet as printed may contain more than one section (see: FOLDING), and, in the case of a half sheet, may constitute a section of fewer pages than others in the same publication. Thus books consist of many sections but those sections may not consist of the same number of leaves. 2. The name or initials, written in a person's own hand, for the purpose of authenticating a document.

Carter, John. A B C for book collectors. 5th ed. London. Hart Davis. 1972.

Glaister, Geoffrey Ashall. An encyclopedia of the book. Cleveland. World. 1960.

Karch, Robert Randolph. Graphic arts procedures. 4th ed. Chicago. American Technical Society. 1970.

Radford, Richard George. Letterpress machine work. New York. Staples Press. 1951. 2 vol.


SIGNATURE

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

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

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

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

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

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

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


signature

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


signature

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


signature

Each folded sheet or section of a book.

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


signature

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


signature

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


signature

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


signature and catchword line

The line of type in an old book which bears both the signature and the CATCHWORD. It is usually located below the lowest line of the text. If the signature and catchword are on separate lines, the lower is called the DIRECTION LINE.


signature mark

The letter or number, or the combination of letters and numbers, printed at the foot of the first page (and sometimes on subsequent leaves of a section) as a guide to the bookbinder in the process of gathering. Signature marks were written or stamped in until 1472, when Johann Koeloff of Cologne printed a signature as the last line of a text page. The binders of manuscripts usually cut off the signature letters.

Each section has a different signature, and when letters are used for identification, as is the usual practice, they progress in alphabetical order, with J, V, and W usually omitted to avoid confusion, although their exclusion does have an historical basis, in that manuscripts and early printed books were usually in Latin, in which I stands for both I and J, V for both U and V, and there is no W.

When all designated letters of the alphabet have been used, a lower case sequence or a new sequence of double letters followed by triple letters, or sequences combining capital and lower case letters are used, e.g., AA, BB, Aa, Bb, 2A, 2B, etc. If the same sequence is used again, it is known as duplicated or triplicated signatures. The preliminary leaves are sometimes not signed, in which case the text may begin with section B; however, the preliminaries are sometimes assigned a lower case letter or letters and are occasionally signed with an asterisk (*) or similar symbol. The title leaf is almost never signed (especially in 16th and 17th century English publications). In the United States, when they are used at all, which today is very infrequently, printers have tended to use all the letters of the alphabet.

When the quire includes additional sheets or a portion of a sheet (inset), these are also signed to indicate how they are to be folded and inserted. Also called "signature" (1). See also: COLLATION (1); DESIGNATION MARK; VOLUME SIGNATURE.

Pratt, Guy A. Let's bind a book. Rev. ed. Milwaukee. Bruce. 1944.


signed bindings

Bookbindings signed by the binder. Several forms of "signatures" have been used over the years, including: 1) the initials, cypher, or name of the binder tooled in blind on the outer surface of one of the covers, either by means of a tool or with a roll; 2) BINDER'S TICKET; 3) a stamped name, mainly on the inside edge of the lower cover, but also at the tail of the spine, inside the upper cover, on the inside of the front hinge, and. in modern times, in ink at the edge of one of the flyleaves; 4) a note inserted in the book by the owner; and 5) sometimes external evidence, such as a description of the work done, as with Roger Payne, or correspondence; or a famous style—Edgar Mansfield, Paul Bonet, etc.


signet

A type of REGISTER (1), consisting of a silk ribbon, often lavishly ornamented with precious stones, and used frequently by French bookbinders of the 16th century.


silica

A powdered quartz prepared in several degrees of fineness. It is inert, has a sharp grain, and is used to impart tooth to coating materials.

Mayer, Ralph. A dictionary of art terms and techniques. New York. Crowell. 1969.


silica gel

A colloidal form of silica, available in the form of pale amber colored highly absorbent granules. and used as a dehumidifier. It is generally kept in small cloth hags near objects on display or in storage that are prone to cockling or other damage. By absorbing moisture from the atmosphere. silica gel helps prevent formation of mold, softening of water-soluble coatings, cockling, warping, etc. When saturated, it can he dried by heating. Sometimes color-coded particles are added which change color when the gel has become saturated. It is also available in an air-floated, extremely fine powder form that is useful for adding slip resistance to coating, and dulling effects to varnish and similar finishes.


silk

The elastic, hygroscopic protein fiber produced by the larvae of many species of moth of the natural order Lepidoptera the most important of these being the Bombyx moths, and especially Bombyx mori (the silkworm or mulberry worm). Raw silk threads consist principally of sericin and fibroin, which are proteins containing carbon, nitrogen, hydrogen, and oxygen but not sulfur. Silk is widely used in spinning thread and weaving fabrics, and is used in bookbinding for sewing, for doublures, for covering books (generally embroidered bindings), and in the repair of torn leaves, etc. Silk as a covering material is somewhat extravagant, particularly since books covered with it usually must have boxes to protect them, as it does not wear well and is particularly susceptible to deterioration in natural light. Silk used for doublures, however, is protected from the deteriorative effects of light and air and often out-lasts the covers. See also: JAPANESE SILK; MOIRÉ BOOK CLOTH; SEWING THREAD; SILK GAUZE; SILKING; SILK-SCREEN PRINTING: SILK-SCREEN PRINTS; WATERED SILK.

Clough, Eric A. Bookbinding for librarians. London. Association of Assistant Librarians. 1957.

Grant, Julius. Books & documents; dating, permanence and preservation. London. Grafton. 1937.

Prideaux, Sarah Treverbian. An historical sketch of bookbinding. London. Lawrence & Bullen. 1893.

Town, Laurence. Bookbinding by hand, for students and craftsmen. New York. Pitman. 1950 (1951).


silk cord

Braided and twisted strands of silk used for tying or sewing booklets, brochures, pamphlets, etc.

Palmer, Elbridge Woodman. A course in bookbinding for vocational training. New York. Employing bookbinders of America. 1927.


silk flyleaves

The free flyleaves and board paper of an endpaper assembly made of silk. While very attractive, the use of silk for flyleaves causes problems because it tends to fray at the edges and must, therefore, be turned in. Since this can only be done after the book is trimmed, they must be attached as one of the last operations. This problem can largely be overcome. however, by the use of JAPANESE SILK, which has less tendency than ordinary silk to fray. Silk flyleaves are frequently used in conjunction with leather joints. See also: DOUBLURE (1); DRUMMING ON.

Vaughan, Alexander J. Modern bookbinding; a treatise covering both letterpress and stationery branches of the trade…New ed. London. Skilton. 1960.


silk gauze

A very thin. transparent. strong, finely meshed silk cloth, which is used in archival work for reinforcing paper and other materials. Pure silk is one of the strongest materials available for reinforcing paper, and is almost invisible when properly applied. It is stronger than either Japanese copying paper or lens tissue, but its permanence is much less than that of a high quality paper because it tends to deteriorate relatively quickly. especially if exposed to natural light. Deterioration proceeds even more quickly if the adhesive used to attach the silk contains alum as a preservative. The use of silk gauze in archival work has declined over the years in favor of various cellulose products, e.g., CELLULOSE ACETATE.

Middleton, Bernard C. The restoration of leather bindings. Chicago. American Library Association. (A. L. A. Library Technology Project, LTP publication no. 18). 1972.


silk pattern

A book cloth embossed with small diagonal lines, imparting an appearance of silk.

Pleger, John J. Bookbinding. Rev. ed. Chicago. Inland Printer. 1924.


silk sewn

An expression sometimes applied to books sewn with silk thread. At one time it was common to indicate Bibles and prayer books sewn with silk by means of a tiny gold stamp "silk sewn" on the inside of the upper cover.


silk stitch

A style of sewing at one time used extensively for sewing booklets of a superior quality in lieu of wire stitching.


silk thread

See: SEWING THREAD.


silk-screen printing

Essentially a stencil process used to duplicate original designs, largely in situations where the run is too short to justify the expense of lithography. A fine mesh material, such as phosphor bronze, steel gauze, bolting silk, etc, is used in the process. The design is cut in a stencil (or the areas not be reproduced are painted out on the screen itself) which is secured to the underside of the screen. Ink, paint, or another material is then forced through the screen onto paper, glass, or another material.

American Paper and Pulp Association. The dictionary of paper, including pulp, paperboard, paper properties and related papermaking terms. 3rd ed. New York. American Paper and Pulp Association. 1965.

Grimm, Francis W. A primer to bookbinding. Boston. Houghton Mifflin. 1939.


silk-screen prints

Decorative end- and cover papers produced by the same principle as the stencil print, except that the paint is forced through a cloth, producing a printing quality. Paint used for these papers can be made from a mixture of frothed wallpaper or wheat paste and water, to which poster or powder paint has been added. It should be the consistency of whipped cream, but thin enough to flow freely and not clog the screen. Silk-screen paint may also be used. The less pigment used the more transparent the color will be.

Johnson, Pauline. Creative bookbinding. Seattle. University of Washington Press. 1963.


silking

The process of applying a thin, transparent, finely meshed silk cloth to one or both sides of a leaf as a means of repairing or preserving it. A leaf so treated is said to have been "silked." In general, the process may be said to he reversible. See also: SILK.


silver leaf

A thin sheet of silver (Ag) metal used in lieu of gold leaf for tooling books. Because silver is somewhat less malleable than gold, silver leaf is usually about three times as thick as gold leaf and is, therefore, easier to handle. Unlike gold, however, it requires lacquering or varnishing to prevent tarnishing. Because of this, palladium or platinum leaf is often used instead of silver when a silvery effect is desired.

Silver was used in the very early days of tooling with metal, and its use in England has been recorded as early as 1550. Silver paint was used occasionally in the 17th century, although the silver was not painted into blind impressions to simulate tooling, but was used to supplement the tooled areas so as to provide a more solid effect of the tooling.

Cockerell, Douglas. Bookbinding, and the care of books; a textbook for bookbinders and librarians. 5th ed. London. Pitman. 1971.

Middleton, Bernard C. A history of English craft bookbinding technique. New York. Hafner. 1963.


silvered

A term used to describe a book whose edge or edges have been covered with silver leaf instead of gold.

Harrod, Leonard Montague. The librarians' glossary of terms used in librarianship and the book crafts, and reference book. 3rd ed. London. Deutsch. 1971.


silverfish

A small wingless, silvery insect, of the order Thysanura, and especially Lepisma saccharina, which flourishes in a damp environment, feeding on the glazed surfaces of photographs, and the starchy content of paper, board, and paste. It has done extensive damage to book collections in the past. It can be controlled by the use of proper fumigants, such as ethylene oxide, methyl bromide, hydrogen cyanide, etc.; however, as the use of these chemicals can be dangerous, a better procedure is to create a cool, dry environment which the insects cannot tolerate. See also: BOOKWORMS.


Singer sewing

A method of side- or fold sewing pamphlets, periodicals issues, textbooks, etc., with thread. Despite the fact that the term implies the use of a particular machine, it has come to be more-or-less a generic term for sewing of publications which ordinarily would be stitched. Pamphlets are generally Singer sewn through the fold, while multi-section journals and books. especially textbooks, are sewn through the side. The machine used for this sewing utilizes a single needle and can side sew books up to 1 1/2 inches in thickness with stitches up to one inch in length. A high-speed drill is located in front of the needle and they are raised and lowered simultaneously. The drill produces a hole in the sheets and is then withdrawn. The book is then moved forward for the length of the stitch desired and the threaded needle enters the hole while the next hole is being drilled for the succeeding stitch. See also: SIDE STITCHING.

Hutchings, Ernest A. D. A survey of printing processes. London. Heinemann. 1970.

Melcher, Daniel, and Nancy Larrick. Printing and promotion handbook …3rd ed. New York. McGraw-Hill. 1966.


single coated paper

A paper which has received but one application of coating, either on one or both sides. The term does not indicate a paper coated only on one side. which is a paper properly termed "coated one s.de."


single spread

The process of applying an adhesive to only one adherend of an assembly. See also: DOUBLE SPREAD (2).

Skeist, Irving. Handbook of adhesives. New York. Reinhold. 1962.


single-section book

A book. pamphlet. etc., consisting of one folded section. Most periodical issues are single-section publications.


single-shear stroke

A paper cutting machine which utilizes a knife that moves with a sidewise motion at the same time that it descends. Because its edge is always parallel to the top of the table, the single-shear knife cuts the entire width of each sheet at the same time all the way down through the pile. Cf: DOUBLE-SHEAR STROKE.

Gray, Niel. Paper-cutting machines…Chicago. United Typothetae of America. (Typographical technical series for apprentices, pt. 1, no. 10). c. 1918.


singleton

A vague expression used with reference to a single leaf, especially where a conjugate pair is normal in a gathering. This single leaf will he the leaf remaining after the other has been removed, the removed leaf itself in a new location, or an additional leaf printed for insertion.

Carter, John. A B C for book collectors. 5th ed. London. Hart Davis. 1972.


sisal

A West Indian plant, Agave sisalana. or A. rigida, whose leaves yield a fiber used in making hard fiber cordage. Some of it is used in rope papers obtained from cordage waste. Also called "sisal hemp."


six on

A rarely used technique of sewing a book on raised cords. the number of cords being the same in number as the sections to be sewn with a single length of thread. Because each of the sections is sewn to only one of the six cords does not mean that the method is unduly weak, because when all six sections are sewn they are pierced and fastened together at head and tail.


sixteenmo

A book size produced by folding a sheet with four right angle folds, giving a leaf size 1/16, the size of the sheet and forming a section of 32 pages. For a full definition, the size of the sheet must also be given. A sheet 25 by 38 inches produces a book size (untrimmed) of 6 1/2 by 9 1/2 inches. Written as 16mo or 16 °. Also called "sextodecimo."


SIXTEENMO

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


sixteenmo

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


sixty-fourmo

A book size produced by folding a sheet with six right angle folds, giving a leaf size 1/64 the size of the sheet and forming a section of 128 pages. As it is both difficult and impractical to fold a sheet with six right angle folds, the 64mo is generally composed of a sheet folded with both parallel and right angle folds, or by using more than one sheet of paper and insetting. Written as 64mo or 64°.


SIXTY-FOURMO

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


size

1. The dimensions of a book as measured by its height. Size is usually given in centimeters (or inches), or, in the case of miniatures and fine bindings, in millimeters. The fold symbol, e.g., f°, 4°, 8°, etc., is used as an indication of approximate size. A book is said to be "narrow" if its width is less than three-fifths of its height, "square" if more than three-fourths, and "oblong" or "landscape" if the width of the cover is greater than the height. The width of a book is generally given only when unusual, or for old books, fine bindings, and in restoration work. When both are given, height is given first. In describing fine bindings it is not unusual for the thickness to be given also. See also: BOOK SIZES; FOLDINGS; SIZES OF PAPER. 2. A glutinous substance prepared by boiling the hides and bones of animals. It is sometimes used for sizing paper. See: GELATIN; GLUE. 3. Any material used in the internal sizing or surface sizing of paper or board. Typical sizing agent s include rosin, gelatin, glue, starch, modified celluloses, synthetic resins, latices, soluble nylon, waxes, etc. 4. A material, such as GUM TRAGACANTH, boiled in water and used as a base (size) to support marbling colors. See (also: ALBUMEN; EGG ALBUMEN: GLAIR; LETTERING SIZE: SIZING.

Clowes, William Beaufoy. A guide to printing. London. Heineman. 1963.

Gazurian, Johnny A. The advertising & graphic arts glossary. Los Angeles. Los Angeles Trade-Technical College. 1966.

Perry, Kenneth Frederick, and Clarence T. Babb. The binding of books. Rev. ed. Bloomington, 111. McKnight & McKnight. 1967.


size

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


size

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


size

A preparation of pastewash used in finishing and gilding.


Sizes of books

See folio, quarto, octavo, etc.


sizes of paper

The common or standard sheet sizes of paper. They are:

in the United State. (in inches)

Bible: 25 x 38, 28 x 42, 28 x 44, 32 x 44, 35 x 45 and 38 x 50;

Blotting: 19 x 24 and 24 x 38;

Bond (wood pulp and cotton content): 8 1/2 x 11, 8 1/2 x 13, 8

1/2 x 14, 10 x 14, 11 x 17, 17 x 22, 17 x 28, 17 1/2 x 22 1/2,

19 x 24, 2O x 28, 22 x 25 1/2, 22 x 34, 22 1/2 x 35, 23

x 29, 24 x 38, 28 x 34, 34 x 44, and 35 x 45;

Book (uncoated): 17  1/2 x 22  1/2, 19 x 25, 22 1/2 x 35, 23 x

29, 23 x 35, 25 x 38, 28 x 42, 28 x 44, 32 x 44, 35 x 45 and

38 x 50;

Book (coated two sides): 22 1/2 x 35, 24 x 36, 25 x 38, 26 x 40,

28 x 42, 28 x 44, 32 x 44, 35 x 45, 36 x 48 and 38 x 50;

Cover (wood pulp and cotton content): 20 x 26, 23 x 29, 23 x 35,

26 x 40 and 35 x 46;

Document manila: 22 1/2 x 28 1/2 and 24 x 36;

Glassine: 24 x 36, 25 x 40 and 30 x 40;

Index bristol (woodpulp and cotton content): 20 1/2 x 24 3/4,

22 1/2 x 28 1/2, 22 1/2 x 35, 25 1/2 x 30 1/2 and 35 x 45;

Label (coated one-side book): 20 x 26, 25 x 38, 26 x 40, 28 x

42, 28 x 44, 32 x 44, 35 x 45, 36 x 48, 38 x 50 and 41 x 54;

Ledger (wood pulp and cotton content): 17 x 22, 17 x 28, 19 x

24, 22 x 34, 22 1/2 x 22 1/2, 22 1/2 x 34 1/2, 24 x 38,

24 1/2 x 24 1/2 and 28 x 34;

Litho label (coated one side): 25 x 38, 28 x 42, 28 x 44, 32 x

44, 35 x 45, 36 x 48, 38 x 50 and 41 x 54;

Manifold: 17 x 22, 17 x 26, 17 x 28, 19 x 24, 21 x 32, 22 x 34,

24 x 38, 26 x 34 and 28 x 34;

Manuscript cover: 18 x 31;

Newsprint: 21 x 32, 22 x 24, 24 x 36, 25 x 38, 28 x 34, 28 x 42,

34 x 44, 36 x 48 and 38 x 50;

Offset book (uncoated): 17 1/2 x 22 1/2, 22 1/2 x 35, 25 x 38,

28 x 42, 32 x 44, 35 x 45, 36 x 48, 38 x 50, 38 x 52 and

41 x 54;

Offset book (coated): 22 x 29, 22 1/2 x 35, 25 x 38, 28 x 42, 28 x

44, 32 x 44, 35 x 45 and 38 x 50;

Photomount board: 23 x 29

Rotogravure: 25 x 38, 28 x 42, 28 x 44, 32 x 44, 35 x 45 and

38 x 40;

Text: 23 x 29, 23 x 35, 25 x 38, 26 x 40, 35 x 45, and 38 x 50;

Writing: 17 x 22, 17 x 28, 19 x 24, 22 x 34, 24 x 38 and

28 x 34.

in Great Britain (in inches)

Foolscap                    13 1/2 x 17

Foolscap, oblong double     13 1/2 x 34

Pinched post                14 1/2 x 18 1/2

Crown                       15 x 20

Post                        15 1/4 x 19

Large post                  16 1/2 x 21

Foolscap, double            17 x 27

Demy                        17 1/2 x 22 1/2

Medium                      18 x 23

Post, double                19 x 30 1/2

Royal                       20 X 25

Crown, double               20 X 30

Large post, double          21 X 33

Imperial                    22 X 30

Demy, double                22 1/2 X 35

Medium, double              23 X 36

Royal, double               25 X 40

Foolscap, quad              27 X 34

Crown, quad                 30 X 40

Imperial, double            30 X 44

Demy, quad                  35 X 45

Medium, quad                36 X 46

Crown, double quad          40 X 60

Book Manufacturers' Institute. Helpful aids in book production. New York. Book Manufacturers' Institute. 1953.

Glaister, Geoffrey Ashall. An encyclopedia of the book. Cleveland. World. 1960.

Stevenson, George A. Graphic arts encyclopedia. New York. McGraw-Hill. 1968.


sizing

1. A property of a material stemming from an alteration of its surface characteristics, which, in the case of paper, pertains to fiber characteristics. In so far as internal sizing of paper is concerned, it is a measure of the resistance of the paper to the penetration of water and/or various liquids, e.g., ink; while in terms of surface sizing, it refers to the increase of properties such as water and abrasion resistance. abrasiveness, creasibility, finish, printability, smoothness, and surface bonding strength, as well as a decrease of porosity and surface fuzz. 2. The process of adding materials to a papermaking furnish or the application of materials to the surface of a paper or board to provide resistance to the penetration of liquids and, in the case of surface sizing, to affect one or more of the properties listed under 1. Traditionally, papers are BEATER SIZED, SURFACE SIZED and TUB SIZED.

Papers are generally classified into three groups according to sizing; unsized, weak-sized, and strong-sized. Unsized papers are WATERLEAF (1); weak-sized papers are SLACK SIZED; and strong-sized papers are HARD SIZED. Blotting paper is an example of waterleaf, while sized newsprint is slack sized, and bond paper is hard sized.

Rosin sizing is the principal size used for machine-made papers, while gelatin is often used for handmade papers. 3. The application of a sizing material, e.g., albumen, to the edges of a book before laying on the gold leaf. 4. The process of applying size (glair) to the covers of a book or directly into the blind impressions before tooling in gold. 5. The process of sorting books similar in size into batches for treatment.

American Paper and Pulp Association. The dictionary of paper, including pulp, paperboard, paper properties and related papermaking terms. 3rd ed. New York. American Paper and Pulp Association. 1965.

Britt, Kenneth W., ed. Handbook of pulp and paper technology. 2nd ed. New York. Van Nostrand Reinhold. 1970.

Calkin, John Burgess. Modern pulp and paper making. 3rd ed. New York. Reinhold. 1957.

Hewitt-Bates, James Samuel. Bookbinding. 8th ed. Leicester. Dryad. 1967.

Strauss, Victor. The printing industry…Washington, D.C. Printing Industries in America. 1967.

Warren (S. D.) Co. Boston. Facts and views of papermaking at S. D. Warren Company. Boston. S. D. Warren Co. 1965.


skeleton guard book

A type of guard book consisting entirely of guards, and meant to contain photographs, clippings, etc.

Porte, Roy Trewin. Dictionary of printing terms. 4th ed. Salt Lake City. Porte. 1941.


skeleton marked

An unevenness in leather produced from an underfed animal, especially in those areas of the skin that covered bony structures, such as the ribs.

Wilson, John Arthur. Modern practice in leather 367. manufacture. New York. Reinhold. 1941.


skewings

Waste gold leaf generated in the process of blocking and sent to the refinery for recovery. See also: GOLD RUBBER; RUBBING-OFF CHEST.


skimming

The process of removing film from the surface of marbling size. The film results from evaporation and must be removed before the colors are placed on the size, otherwise they will not expand properly. It must be done quickly and the colors dropped on immediately so as to prevent another film from forming. Skimming may be done with a skimmer, a device attached to the marbling trough, and which is raised and lowered on both ends, according to the quantity of size in the trough. The rubber blade which skins the size allows for a clean skim, and, being supported on the rim of the trough, assures an even and quick pull which does not disturb the size.

Pleger, John J. Bookbinding. Rev. ed. Chicago. Inland Printer. 1924.


skin

1. The raw integument of a mature, fully grown animal of the smaller type, e.g., goatskin, sheepskin, pigskin, etc.; or the covering of an immature animal of the larger type, e.g., calfskin. The term also applies to a small hide; among cattle hides, for example, it would include one weighing less than 15 pounds in the green salted state. For a description of the physiology of the integument, see: LEATHER. 2. The leather produced from such a material which has not been split. See also: BASIL; ROAN. 3. The covering of a fur-bearing animal, dressed and finished with the fur on, i.e., a PELT. 4. A high, hard finish on paper or board. 5. An expression sometimes used to indicate the tearing of paper, with reference to the fact that when paper is torn the fibers are not broken but pulled apart, i.e., the paper "skins" better when torn along the length of the MACHINE DIRECTION rather than across it.

Bailey, Frederick T. Textbook on histology. 16th ed. Ed. by Wilfred M. Copenhaven, and others. Baltimore. Williams & Wilkins. 1971.


skin dresser

An obsolete term for the workman who shaved or pared leather.

Nicholson, James B. A manual of the art of bookbinding… Philadelphia. Baird. 1856.


skinned

1. A pasted or glued surface on which the adhesive has been equalized by being rubbed over through another sheet of paper. 2. An adhesive which has been allowed to stand too long allowing the surface to partially dry and form a non-tacky "skin."

Skeist, Irving. Handbook of adhesives. New York. Reinhold. 1962.


skipped coating

A defect in a coated paper caused by failure of the coating machine and seen as areas on the web or sheet that are not coated.


skirt

See: RUSSET.


skive

The process of cutting leather more-or-less horizontally for the purpose of thinning it for a particular end use. When performed by hand it is done with a PARING KNIFE or SPOKESHAVE. See also: SHAVING (2); SKIVER.


skiver

The outer grain split of a sheep-, lamb-, or (occasionally) goatskin, vegetable-tanned, and usually from 0.25 to 1.0 mm thick. Skivers are finished in a wide variety of colors and embossed grains, as well as with a plain, smooth surface. At one time skiver was used very extensively for labels of many kinds of bindings, e.g., the red and black labels of law books. See also: FLESHER.

Hitchcock, Frederick H. The building of a book…2nd ed. New York. Bowker. 1929.

Vaughan, Alexander J. Modern bookbinding; a treatise covering both letterpress and stationery branches of the trade…New ed. London. Skilton. 1960.


skiver

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


slack sized

A lightly sized, somewhat absorbent sheet of paper. Slack sized also refers to below standard degree of water resistance. Newsprint is an example of a slack-sized paper. See also: HARD SIZED; SIZING; WATERLEAF.


slack tanned

A hide or skin which has undergone an insufficient degree of tannage—i.e., less than that necessary to produce the desired characteristics in the leather.


SLICE

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

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

A iron ink scraper, or Slice


Slice galley

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


slicker

A blunt blade of brass, steel, glass, or plastic, used for the more delicate procedure in SETTING OUT, i.e., SLICKING. The slicker is also used to work DUBBIN into a skin.

Sharphouse, John Henry. The leatherworker's handbook. London. Leather Producers' Association. 1963.


slicking

The process of SETTING OUT very thin. delicate leathers and/or those with very high requirements of smoothness of grain surface. The operation is done by means of a SLICKER and its primary purpose is to remove water and stretch the leather, thus making it perfectly flat and smooth. The slicker is applied with considerable pressure to the flesh side of the skin (called "setting on the flesh") and then lightly on the grain side (called "setting on the grain") to remove any final slight irregularities. 2. The process of smoothing and removing residual hair from a skin that is being stretched and dried in the process of making PARCHMENT or vellum.


sliding knife

A PLOW knife that slides along in a dovetail groove. Any length of the sliding knife may be exposed for cutting, unlike the BOLT KNIFE, which, being attached to the shoe of the plow is unavoidably a fixture and must be worn down by cutting before it will trim accurately. The sliding knife was invented toward the end of the 19th century and rapidly superseded the bolt knife. Also called "Scotch knife."

Middleton, Bernard C. A history of English craft bookbinding technique. New York. Hafner. 1963.

Zaehnsdorf, Joseph William. The art of bookbinding…London. Bell. 1890.


slip

1. A fluid or semi-solid mixture of a pigment, such as clay and water. 2. Any printed leaf considerably smaller than the leaf of the book to which it is attached or inserted into, including errata sheets, a CANCEL (1) notice, and the like. Also called "slip cancel." 3. The ease with which papers or boards slide over one another. Too much "slip" is undesirable in paper because it then becomes more difficult to stack, whereas too little is also undesirable because it makes the material too difficult to sort and handle.

Carter, John. A B C for book collectors. 5th ed. London. Hart Davis. 1972.

McGuire, Edward Patrick. American adhesive index. Mountainside, N. J. Padric. 1962.


slip

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


slip

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


slip

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


slip

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


slipcase

A more-or-less elaborate box made to order for a specific book, or other archival material, and used for protection. The simplest form of the slipcase ir a cloth- or paper-covered box with one open edge into which the book is slipped with its spine exposed. The addition of a cloth dust wrapper or chemise affords additional protection. however, since the spine is then covered, the title must either be blocked directly on the closed edge of the box or a label must be attached to the chemise. The substitution of an inner box for the chemise is a further elaboration. The inner box is usually made of chipboard covered with cloth, and frequently it is lined with felt or a felt substitute to protect the contents against friction within the inner box. A cloth tab may be attached as a means of pulling the inner box from the case, or the sides of the case may be thumb-notched to permit grasping of the inner box. Simple slipcases, which have no inner box or chemise, should not be notched as this places considerable strain on the joints of the book when it is removed and also causes soiling of the covering material. The outer case may be improved in appearance by rounding the closed edge to give the appearance of the spine of a book, but this is seldom done. except for very valuable books. The booklike appearance may be further enhanced by attaching false bands to the closed edge to give the effect of sewing on raised bands, and by covering the case with a leather spine and cloth sides.

A slipcase should fit the book it protects. The inner box, if any, other wise the case itself, should hold the book snugly so that it cannot move and rub against the board, which in turn should provide a sliding fit in the case. But the case (or box) should not be so tight that the book must be pulled from it, nor so loose that the book will fall out. See also: PULL-OFF BOX.

Clough, Eric A. Bookbinding for librarians. London. Association of Assistant Librarians. 1957.

Horton, Carolyn. Cleaning and preserving bindings and related materials. Chicago. American Library Association. (Conservation of library materials pamphlet no. l; Library Technology Project publications, no. 16). 1969.

U.S. Government Printing Office. Theory and practice of bookbinding. Rev. ed. Washington, D.C. U.S. Government Printing Office. 1962.


slippage

A physical property of an adhesive manifest in the ability to move or reposition the adherends, such as the movement of the leather when covering a book.


slips

1. The free end of the cords, thongs, or tapes on which a book has been sewn, that are used to attach the boards (or case) to the next block. Tapes may be glued to the inside surface of the boards, or they may be glued into boards that have been split horizontally (or between two boards glued together); this is "split-board binding," that was at one time the traditional method for library binding. In library binding today, when tapes are used, the slips are glued to the overhanging spine lining cloth and both are then glued to the insides of the boards of the case. See also: SPLIT BOARDS. When cords or thongs are used, as in craft binding, they are strung through holes punched in the boards, in which case they are said to be "laced-in." See also: HOLING OUT; LACING-IN. 2. A term sometimes applied to the paper forms used in writing instructions to the binder. 3. Matter not set up into pages, but pulled as proofs, on long slips of paper called galley proofs. See also: PROOF (2).

Harrod, Leonard Montague. The librarians' glossary of terms used in librarianship and the book crafts, and reference book. 3rd ed. London. Deutsch. 1971.

Town, Laurence. Bookbinding by hand, for students and craftsmen. New York. Pitman. 1950 (1951).


SLIPS

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


slipsheet

The paper or other material inserted between printed sheets in order to avoid offsetting an image on one sheet onto the back of the next sheet. In terms of the preparation of copy, "slipsheet" means to insert pages into proper sequence to indicate the placement of illustrations that have not yet been prepared. Each page. or slipsheet, identifies its particular illustration, along with information as to whether the illustration is line or halftone, foldout or horizontal, as well as the size, the negative or art file number, the figure number and titles, and any other information that might serve to key illustration to its proper page for printing or collating. See also: BARRIER SHEET.

American Paper and Pulp Association. The dictionary of paper, including pulp, paperboard, paper properties and related papermaking terms. 3rd ed. New York. American Paper and Pulp Association. 1965.


slitting

The operation of cutting a fold or BOLT by hand for the purpose of inserting a map, plate, etc., within the section at a place other than the center. See a1so: BONE CUTTING.


Slug

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


slunk

The skin of an unborn or prematurely born animal. The term is applied particularly to calves, from which the very finest grade of PARCHMENT is produced. Slunks are also used in making SUEDE LEATHER, and the smaller the fibers, the finer the nap that can be produced. The skins of unborn or prematurely born animals have skins with very fine fibers and a much less highly developed vascular network.

Wilson, John Arthur. Modern practice in leather 367. manufacture. New York. Reinhold. 1941.


SLUR

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

“13. The shelves must be quite steady.

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

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

“16. Fix the winter as solid as possible.

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

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

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


SLUR

A blurred impression in a printed sheet.


SLUR PIN

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


SMALL CAPITALS

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

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


SMALL NUMBERS

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


small paper copy

A copy, or edition of a book printed on paper of a smaller size than that of a LARGE PAPER COPY. The paper, however, is usually the normal size for the edition and therefore perhaps should be called "plain paper copy," or not be given a designation at all.


SMALL PICA

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

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