staple

One of the several wire fasteners used in SADDLE STITCHING and SIDE STITCHING pamphlets, periodical issues, and the like. Staples for this type of work are of two general types: those already formed and fed automatically, and a continuous roll of wire that is snipped off, formed into a staple, and clinched. Round wire staples are used for saddle stitching, and flat wire staples for side stitching.

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


staple binder

A hand-. treadle-, or power-operated machine for saddle stitching pamphlets and periodical issues with wire staples.

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.

Latham. Firm. Monitor book wire stitchers. Chicago. Latham Machinery Co. n.d.


stapled

Describes a thin book, pamphlet, periodical issue, or similar thin publication, secured with wire staples. Wire stitching (stapling) in lieu of thread sewing was introduced by publishers in about 1880. Unless bronzed, or otherwise treated, the staples tend to rust. While inadequate for securing the leaves or sections of larger books and/ or books of quality, they are probably adequate for many pamphlets (if rust resistant), and are in fact used extensively for securing the leaves of many periodical issues.

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


starch

The carbohydrate (C6H10O5)x, which is being continuously formed and broken down in the living cell and which also serves as a reserve material. Like CELLULOSE, it is made up of a long chain of glucopyranose units joined together through oxygen by x-glucosidic bonds. Chemically, starch is a polymer of glucose, and yields glucose alone on complete hydrolysis, maltose when broken down by enzymes, and dextrine under other conditions. The starches commonly used in papermaking are obtained from corn, potatoes, tapioca and wheat, the last named being the principal source of starch for paste used in bookbinding. Starch was the original material for sizing paper and may have been the first adhesive. See also: PASTE.

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


starch place

A section in a book cloth where the WARP contains an excessive quantity of sizing.


starched edges

Decorative book edges produced by the use of colored starch (paste), which is sprinkled on the edges in very fine drops. When the starch is dry a darker color is sprinkled on. and, when that is dry, the starch paste is brushed off. Blue-gray (mixed with the paste) and dark brown were the colors commonly used for this decoration. Unsized book paper was best for this technique because it permitted absorption of the paste and color. When sized papers were used, the colors did not adhere.well and often ran together unless the edge was first treated with gall water.

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


starched-filled fabric

A BOOK CLOTH having the interstices of the cloth filled with starch. Cf: IMPREGNATED FABRICS.


start

A section of a book that projects beyond the other sections at the fore edge. A start is generally caused by: 1) the sections being too thick; 2) a large number of sections; or 3) the sewing thread being too loose.

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

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


start

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

Public domain (Project Gutenberg, pre-1930 text)


start

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

The Art of Bookbinding: A Practical Treatise


start

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


starting charge

A term sometimes used by edition binders to indicate the amount included in their bid or price to cover the costs incidental to beginning the binding of an edition, especially those costs relating to setting up the machines for the run.


starved joint

A joint having too little adhesive to permit a satisfactory bond. A starved joint may be a result of the adhesive being spread too thin to allow complete filling of the gap between adherends, by excessive penetration of the adhesive into the adherends, by inadequate assembly time, or by too great pressure.

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


static electricity

A condition of electrical charge associated with friction, which is a phenomenon occurring in paper and other non-conductors. In the paper mill it may be due to circumstances involving its manufacture, such as evaporation, friction against the cylinders and felts during shrinkage which takes place during drying, or when it is being glazed, calendered, etc. It also occurs when the paper is on the printing press, folding machine, or other converting equipment. The electricity causes the sheets of paper to adhere to each other or to machine parts, and may cause operating slowdowns. The drier the paper the more easily it retains static electricity, so that increasing the amount of water vapor in the air and storing the paper under carefully controlled conditions in an atmosphere of 65 to 70o relative humidity may reduce the problem.

Static electricity in the papermaking or processing machine may be reduced by passing the paper through electrical fields or by having grounded netting or trailing wires by the paper web.


stationery binding

One of the two broad subdivisions of bookbinding, the other being LETTERPRESS BINDING. By definition, stationery binding is that branch of bookbinding which deals with books meant to be written in, such as ledger, record, and account books, and the like; however, it also encompasses the binding of manifold and duplicate books, receipt books. check books, passports, bankbooks, loose-leaf volumes, and other forms of mechanical binding, as well as punching, perforating, padding, ruling, and other miscellaneous binding operations.

The style of binding applied to books used for written records, e.g., blankbooks, is by necessity much different from that for books meant to be read. Their shape, size, and durability depend on the purpose for which they are intended; consequently, stationery bindings vary greatly in style, complexity, and quantity. Blankbooks, including court record books, which are generally required for permanent records, are bound in a different style from letterpress work because not only must the binding withstand heavy use, it must also open very flat for writing purposes. See: SPRING BACK. To a large extent, loose-leaf books are replacing sewn blankbooks, but this branch of stationery binding is rather specialized and is not often undertaken by printing establishments. Manifold and other books designed for use with carbon paper, of which there is a tremendous variety, are generally of a less permanent nature and in most cases are bound in various styles of CUT FLUSH bindings appropriate to the intended use. Stationery binding is sometimes referred to as "vellum binding" because at one time the books were generally covered in vellum. See also: BLANKBOOK BINDING; MECHANICAL BINDING; RULING.

British Federation of Master Printers. Preliminary technical course in printing. London. British Federation of Master Printers. 1967. 7 vol.

Cowie's bookbinder's manual; containing a full description of leather and vellum binding…7th ed. London. Strange. (186-).

Practical printing and binding; Odhams complete guide to the printer's craft, edited by Harry Whetton. 3rd ed. London. Odhams Books. 1965.

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

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


stationery endpapers

Endpapers that are tipped on to, rather than being sewn to, the text block.

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


stave

A folded sheet of a blankbook.

Cummins, John Francis. The printer's guide. 2nd ed. Dublin. n.p. 1952.


steamboat boards

Any boards used for cutting books OUT OF BOARDS.

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


steamboating

The process of cutting or shearing a pile of books OUT OF BOARDS.


steamboating

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


steamset

A trade name for an English process of edition binding, in which the spine of the book is lined with an expandable cloth before rounding and backing. The lining and the adhesive on the spine are softened by the application of steam. and the book is rounded and backed while the adhesive is in the softened state. Full rounding with good formation of the shoulders. together with durability and good openability, are said to be merits of the process.

Comparato, Frank E. Books for the millions; a history of the men whose methods and machines packaged the printed word. Harrisburg, Pa. Stackpole. 1971.


steenbok

A small antelope of the genus Rhaphicerus especially R. campestris, which lives on the plains of Eastern and Southern Africa, and is used in producing a fine, soft leather.

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


steer hide

The hide of the male bovine animal that was castrated when only several months old. The hide of such an animal is finer. tighter in structure. and more uniform in thickness than the hide of a bull.

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


STEM

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


STEM

The vertical strokes of a type.

The American Printer: A Manual of Typography


stencil

1. A method of printing which utilizes wax, silk, or other material. The ink, paint, etc., is applied to the hack of the stencil. and covers the paper, cloth, etc., only where the stencil is open. See also: SILK-SCREEN PRINTING. 2. A thin cut metal plate which allows the transfer of a design, letter, etc., to a surface when an inked brayer or brush is passed over its surface.

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


stencil prints

Decorative end- and cover papers produced by the application of paint to paper through a stencil. Prepared transparent wax stencil paper can be used for the stencils. The paint is applied very sparingly with a stiff-bristled brush by starting at the edge of the cut-out at the top of the stencil and then into the open area. This prevents the paint from seeping under the cut edge and leaves a sharper outline. The paint can also be applied with a spray gun, or by rolling an inked BRAYER over the stencil. Either watercolors or dyes may be used for these prints.

Collins, Arthur Frederick. Book crafts for senior pupils; a handbook for teachers and students. Leicester. Dryad Press. 1938.

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


steps

Irregularities in the fore edge of a book usually resulting from the sections of the book being too thick, or because of starts in the sections. See also: START.

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


STEREOTYPE

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

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

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

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

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

Stereotype-Plate Risers. See Risers.


Stereotype printing

Printing from stereotyped plates.


STET

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


STET

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


stiasny test

A chemical test designed to determine the type of vegetable tanning agent used in tanning a leather. It consists of boiling the specimen in a solution of formaldehyde and hydrochloric acid, which causes any condensed tannins present to be completely precipitated. while any pyrogallol tans remain in solution. The test solution is obtained by extracting a fragment of the sample (a piece 4 by 4 mm) by refluxing, for 4 hours, first in a 50% aqueous solution and then equal volumes of 6N hydrochloric acid, acetone and water.

Even under the best of conditions this test is difficult to use. Since most vegetable tannins contain both pyrogallol and condensed tannins, it is frequently impossible to judge the colors and precipitates with any degree of certainty. Usually more information of a qualitative nature can be obtained by paper chromatographic separation of the tannin constituents.

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


stick

1. A device used to hold the leaves of a current issue, or several current issues, of a newspaper. It is, in effect, a split stick which grips the newspaper at the fold both inside and outside, and is held at the end by a thong or ring, or other type of fastener. 2. The metal holder in which type is set for stamping titles in a blocking press. 3. The implement used in setting printing type by hand, and called a composing stick.

American Library Association. Editorial Committee. Subcommittee on library terminology. A. L. A. glossary of library terms, with a selection of terms in related fields. Compiled by Elizabeth H. Thompson. Chicago. American Library Association. 1943.

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


STICK

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


stick mark

See: BACK MARK (1).


stick prints

Decorative end- and cover papers produced by the application of wooden doweling, spools, bamboo, and wood scraps of various kinds that have been dipped in color to the paper. Poster paint mixed with paste, glue, or rubber cement is used for printing. The results are improved if the color is used sparingly and the stick is rocked slightly to form a good impression.

Forsyth, K. Marjorie. Bookbinding for teachers, students and amateurs. London, Black. 1932.


STICKFULL

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

Stiff Justifying. See Hard Justifying.


stiff leaf

1. The blank leaf of an endpaper pasted directly to the first leaf of a book. The first folio number is then on a left-hand page. It is a technique used in blankbook binding. 2. Two ruled leaves pasted together at any place where the ruling changes, so as to have uniform ruling at any SPREAD (1) to which the book is opened. Leaves are also glued between the front fly leaf and the first page of the index, as well as between the index and the main part of the book.

Practical printing and binding; Odhams complete guide to the printer's craft, edited by Harry Whetton. 3rd ed. London. Odhams Books. 1965.


stiffen

1. The process of making a glue or paste more dense, or stiff, by increasing the ratio of solids to solvent. 2. To increase the rigidity of a board by gluing paper or another board to it.


stiffened paper covers

A temporary form of binding consisting of paper covers glued to thin boards, cut flush at head and tail, with the fore-edge flaps turned over.


stiffener

A thin millboard used for stiffening another board or other material. The term is also applied to an INLAY (1). See also: LEVERS.

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


stiffener

A thin mill-board used for various purposes.


stiffness

A term relating to the ability of a material such as paper or board to resist bending while under stress. Resistance to the bending is called flexural stiffness, and may be defined as the product of the modulus of elasticity and the moment of inertia of the section. Other factors being equal, stiffness of paper and board varies as the cube of its thickness and directly with the modulus of elasticity. Stiffness is improved by increasing the degree of hydration of the pulp used in making the sheet, because a high degree of hydration makes paper dense and hard, and provides cohesive strength. The property is obtained more readily with some pulps than with others. Soda pulp, for example, does not produce particularly stiff paper because the relatively long beating period required to develop the degree of hydration required virtually pulverizes the short soda pulp fibers. Sulfite pulp, on the other hand, can be hydrated to the point of hardness before the fibers are entirely broken down; consequently, long-fibered sulfite pulp is more often used in the production of stiff, hard papers.

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.

Crown Zellerbach Corp. Making pulp and paper. San Francisco. Crown Zellerbach Corp. 1958. 1 vol.

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


stilted

The SQUARES of a book that are unusually extensive. A book is stilted so as to make it of the same height as other books on the same shelf. Stilting may be required when one volume of a set is rebound (and trimmed), in order to make it range with other volumes of the set. In addition, books issued in parts were sometimes stilted by a binder who trimmed excessively.

Burdett, Eric. The craft of bookbinding; a practical handbook. London. Davis & Charles. 1975.

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


stippled edges

The edges of a book which have been spotted irregularly with color mainly to keep them from appearing to be soiled. See also: SPRINKLED EDGES; STAINED EDGES.

Conkey, W. B. Company. What a businessman should know about printing and bookmaking. Rev. ed. Hammond, Inc. W. B. Conkey. 1928.


stitcher-trimmer machine

A hand-fed machine that collates, stitches, and trims up to 7,000 units per hour. It can be made to accommodate up to eight hand feeding stations. Two or four wire-stitching heads for stitching through the folds are available and are laterally adjustable. The machine can handle a maximum size of 17 1/2 by inches and a minimum of 4 by 3 inches.

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


stitching

See: SADDLE STITCHING; SIDE STITCHING.


stitching

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


stock

1. The hides or skins in a tannery awaiting processing, or in some stage of processing into leather. 2. Paper pulp which has been beaten and refined, treated with sizing, color, filler, etc., and which after dilution is ready for sheet or web formation. 3. Paper, cloth, leather, etc., on hand in inventory. 4. Paper or other materials to be printed, especially paper for a particular printing job. 5. All of the books, manuscripts, etc., in a library.

Battista, Orlando A. Synthetic fibers in papermaking. New York. Interscience. 1964.

Chidester, Otis Holden. First year graphic arts. Tucson, Ariz. Graphic Arts Press. 1949.

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


stocking

The process of forcing oil into a skin mechanically during OIL TANNING.


STOLEN PROPERTY

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

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

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

Stops. See Points.

Strahan, Andrew. See Donations.

Strahan, William. See Donations.


stone marble

Perhaps one of the earliest of the cover marbles. The cover was first sprinkled with black, followed by brown, in large drops in three or four places, which ran down the sides in streams. This was followed by an application of dilute sulfuric acid on the areas not covered by the brown.

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

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


stone papers

Plain, dull-coated brown, green, and slate-gray papers, which were used for Bibles beginning in about 1821, and a short time later appeared in the early cloth bindings. Their smooth-coated finish, usually in very somber shades, were very respectably Victorian, and although perhaps practical, were unattractive; however, their use continued until the end of the century. See also: SURFACE PAPERS.

Loring, Rosamond Bowditch. Decorated book papers…1st ed. 1942; 2nd ed. 1952. Cambridge, Mass. Harvard University Press.

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


stops

Small, circular finishing tools, designed to "stop" a fillet when it intersects another line at an angle. It is used to avoid the time required for mitering. The same tools are also used in stopping up a full gilt spine.

Coutts, Henry T., and George A. Stephen. Manual of library bookbinding; practical and historical. London. Libraco. 1911.

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


stops

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


stops

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


storage life

The length of time an unopened package of adhesive can be expected to remain in usable condition under specified conditions of temperature and humidity.

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


stormont marble

A marble pattern developed in the late 18th century and one especially identified with English bookbinding (sometimes being called the "English stormont"). Its distinctive feature is the red vein running through a network of slaty blue. Indigo is especially suitable for this pattern because of the absence of any pasty or sticky quality to it. Instead of the usual oxgall, a small amount of turpentine is added to the blue, which causes the color to break up into a fine network of lacy spots. Because the turpentine evaporates rapidly, the marbler must handle the colors quickly, keeping them stirred constantly. The name "stormont" applies to all colors mixed with turpentine, which may be used in combination with a French or shell color. The pattern is usually produced on a size of gum tragacanth and flea seed.

Woolnough, Charles W. The art of marbling as applied to book edges and paper. 2nd ed. London. Heylin. 1854.


straight

A term prefixed to a tanning or coloring process to indicate that only the process thus specified has been employed in the manufacture of a leather, e.g., "straight vegetable," indicating tannage solely by the use of vegetable tannins, or "straight dyed," indicating coloring solely by immersion of the leather in a dye bath without subsequent application of pigmented finishes.

British Standards Institution. British standard glossary of leather terms. B. S. 2780: 1956. London. British Standards Institution.


STRAIGHT-EDGE

A small board having one edge perfectly straight.


straight-grain

Ostensibly, a goatskin having creases in one direction on the grain surface. The term is generally applied to leathers other than goatskin, which makes the expression "morocco" virtually meaningless. Originally, the creasing was done by BOARDING (1) the skin in the wet condition; however, a similar effect is now obtained by plating the skin with a (heated) engraved steel plate, which renders the term completely meaningless, as well as inaccurate, because the grain of a true morocco is always produced by boarding in the wet condition. The technique dates from the second half of the 18th century.

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


straight-grained roan

A sheepskin that is split, dyed, seasoned, machine finished, and grained horizontally on the grain surface with a straight-grain. When the flesh split is so treated, it is called a "straight-grained split."


strappings

See: CLOTHINGS.


strapwork

A form of decoration consisting of interlaced double lines, usually forming a geometrical pattern.

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

Walters Art Gallery, Baltimore. The history of bookbinding 525-1950 A.D. Compiled by Dorothy Miner. Baltimore. Trustees of the Walters Art Gallery. 1957.


straw

A fibrous material used in the production of two distinctly different paper products: 1) a coarse, yellowish fiber used for STRAWBOARD and cheap wrapping papers; and 2) a bleached fiber that has some of the properties of ESPARTO PAPER, as well as the shorter-fibered wood pulps, and which is used in the manufacture of relatively high grades of paper.

Any of the cereal straws may be used to make paper pulp, and although wheat is the one most often employed, barley, rye, oat and rice straws are also used. There is probably no significant difference in the grade of pulp obtained from them. Even though the supply of straw runs into the millions of tons, it has not found very wide application in the manufacture of paper and board, except for its widespread use during the Second World War. The cereals are all annual crops and the bulk of the supply for a year's production of a paper mill would have to be gathered within a very brief period, which means that the mill would have to have a very large capacity for baled straw. In addition, unless the mill has means to protect the straw from the weather, deterioration might take place. In most cases the pulp mills are not located near the areas where the straw is produced; therefore, transportation costs would have to be considered. This is particularly significant since the bulk of straw is so much greater than that of wood, which means that the amount of paper pulp obtainable from a given digester capacity is relatively low.

Chemical tests for determining the presence of straw in paper include the aniline sulfate test, which gives a pink stain.

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

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


strawboard

A coarse, yellowish board produced largely from straw pulp. Strawboard lacks the mechanical strength to be used as the boards of a book; however, as the bending of a material results in the maximum stretching and compression at the outer surfaces, if the surface of the board could be stiffened the entire board would then become more rigid. The additional rigidity may be obtained by pasting a hard, tough paper on both sides of the board, thus producing a board that is lightweight and stiff, free from excessive lamination, and relatively easy to produce. Vellum tips could also be used to strengthen the board at the corners in some instances.

While not as strong mechanically as millboard, strawboard is much less laminated and is therefore less likely to split or open out when handled. If its weakness to bending stresses could be improved, as described above, it would actually be preferable to millboard for use in bookbinding. In addition, it has been demonstrated that strawboard is less likely to form sulfuric acid because it contains a lower percentage of iron impurities than does millboard, and it is alkaline, which in itself promotes greater permanence.

The use of strawboard in bookbinding was unknown until about the middle of the 18th century, and its use has never been extensive.

British Federation of Master Printers. Preliminary technical course in printing. London. British Federation of Master Printers. 1967. 7 vol.


stretch

An extension of the length of a material to the point of rupture to determine its tensile strength. Stretch is generally measured as a percentage of the original length. (t 7)


strike

1. The impression created by a finishing tool. 2. In paper ruling, strike is the point at which the pens drop and come into contact with the paper; at this point ruling commences.

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

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


strike in

The relative penetration of a liquid into a material. The term is generally used with reference to printing, where it refers to the absorption of the ink vehicle into the paper. Newspaper ink "dries" by means of strike in (absorption). Strike in, however, may not be desirable as the absorbed ink may result in SHOW 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.


strike through

A severe case of STRIKE IN, where the ink used in printing actually penetrates the sheet and is visible on the opposite side. See also: SHOW THROUGH.


striking out

See: SETTING OUT; SLICKING (1)


string prints

Decorative end- and cover papers produced by using string as a medium for printing. This technique, in which a line pattern is emphasized, involves tying string around a block, inking it with a brayer and then pressing the block against the paper. The paper may also be pressed against the block. The string may also be tied around the brayer, which is then rolled over the printers' ink and then onto the paper. As the brayer rolls across the sheet the pattern repeats itself. Rolling in different directions and using more than one color results in a variation of design. For more control in shaping the design in a formal arrangement, the string can be glued to the block in the pattern desired and then inked and printed. String prints may also be combined with other media, the paper being rolled first with one color and the string print applied over it in a different color. The technique is also used in the production of paste papers.

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


stringiness

The property of an adhesive which causes it to form filaments, threads, etc., when the applicator is removed from the adherend, or when transfer surfaces are separated. Transfer surfaces include rolls, picker plates, stencils, and the like.


STRIP A FORM

Taking the furniture away from the pages.—M.


strip covers

An instruction to a library binder to remove and discard the covers of periodical issues before binding. "Strip advertisements" is an instruction to remove all full-page advertisements (on both recto and verso of the leaf) before binding. Their removal makes for a thinner volume, and thus reduces shelf space required; but the space actually saved compared with the cost to the library of having covers and advertisements removed, plus the loss of potentially valuable historical material, make the practice of debatable value. Cf: BIND ALL.

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


strip gumming

The application of a line of adhesive along the edge of a sheet, either by hand or by means of a gumming machine.


stripping

1. The process of removing dirt, grease, or uneven tan deposition from the grain of a newly tanned leather by drumming the skins in a solution of warm water (40° C.) and a small amount of milk alkali, e.g., 1 by weight of the stock of soda ash, borax, or sodium bicarbonate. Too vigorous or prolonged stripping is to be avoided as it can seriously de-tan the leather. If heavy stripping is carried out, or if the original tannage was not satisfactory for the leather required, it is possible to retan the skins at this stage. 2 A term used mainly in library binding to indicate GUARDING.

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


stripping machine

A device used to apply a strip of cloth or paper to endpapers, reinforce side stitched or sewn books between the cover and outer sections, reinforce the folds of sections, hinge or guard folded maps, and apply strips of cloth or paper to pads, check books, composition books, and the like. The machine can accommodate books up to 2 inches thick and apply strips 1/2 to 3 inches wide. It can be used with hot melt or cold adhesives, or water if the material used is pre-glued.


Stroaks

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


STROKES

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


STRONG INK

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


stub

1. That part of an original leaf which is left after most of it has been cut away from its conjugate leaf. See also: CANCEL (1). 2. A narrow strip of paper or linen sewn between sections of a book for the purpose of attaching plates, maps, etc. A book which has had stubs bound in is said to be stubbed. See also: COMPENSATION GUARD; GUARD (2).

American Library Association. Editorial Committee. Subcommittee on library terminology. A. L. A. glossary of library terms, with a selection of terms in related fields. Compiled by Elizabeth H. Thompson. Chicago. American Library Association. 1943.

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

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


stub book

See: GUARD BOOK.


stuck-on headband

See: HEADBAND.


STUD

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


stuffing

1. The operation of inserting layers of chipboard into a book having excessive sewing swell before nipping, so as to prevent the book from starting. Also called "packing." See: START. 2. The process of incorporating grease into a tanned hide, either by hand or by drumming, so as to improve its quality or to impart special properties. DUBBIN is frequently employed in this process, although other materials are also used. The mixture spreads over the damp fibers, and penetrates into them as the leather dries. The oil enters the hide easily, while the harder fat remains on the surface or in the surface layers. Stuffing is generally used on heavy hides in lieu of FATLIQUORING.

Sharphouse, John Henry. Leather technicians handbook. New ed. London. Leather Producers' Association. 1971.

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

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


stumpwork embroidery

An elaborate colored embroidery with intricate padded designs and scenes in high relief. Stumpwork embroidery was especially popular in English embroidered bindings of the 17th century.


stylus

An implement for writing, used in ancient and medieval times for writing on wax or clay. The stylus is pointed at one end and is sometimes flattened on the other end for flattening out previous writing.


Sub

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


substance

1. The weight of a paper expressed in terms of weight per ream of sheets of a given size. It is usually based on a ream of 500 sheets. The weight of a ream of a given size and number of sheets is called the substance number, the "substance" being the product of the density, i.e., the degree of dilution of the pulp suspension flowing onto the papermaking machine wire, the rate at which it flows, and the speed of the wire. See also: BASIS WEIGHT. 2. The total weight of a hide or skin suitable for conversion into leather. While "substance" in this context will vary greatly, depending on the type of hide or skin, age and sex of the animal, etc., as an example of substance, 100 pounds of green salted calfskin will average:

43.8 pounds water

5.9 pounds (dry) hair

3.8 pounds (dry) fleshings

.8 pounds pate or cheekings

2.0 pounds (physiologic) fat

.5 pounds minerals

12.0 pounds salt (NaCl)

31.2 pounds hide substance

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.


substantive dyes

See: DIRECT DYES.


substrate

A broader term than ADHEREND, used with reference to the surface upon which an adhesive, e.g., acrylic resin, is spread for bonding, coating, etc.

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


subway test

A test designed to simulate the distortion imparted to a paperbound book by a reader holding it in one hand with covers touching. The volume is bent through 360° to bring its covers back to back. If a leaf becomes detached, the volume fails the test. In flattening a book in preparation for use in most copying machines, a book also undergoes a partial distortion, so that the subway test, with its resultant stresses on the binding, is valid, at least to a limited extent, in determining the durability of the binding. The test, nevertheless, is subjective and care must be taken that it is conducted by the same trained individual every time in order to avoid operators' variables as much as possible. The name of the test derives from the habit some (standing) public transit riders have of holding the overhead strap or bar with one hand while holding a book (usually a paperback) in the other. See also: PAGE FLEX TEST.


sudoriferous glands

The sweat glands of a hide or skin, usually more or less completely removed during the beamhouse operations of liming, unhairing, bating, and scudding.


suede leather

A term taken from the French, "gants de Suède" (Swedish gloves), and applied to a leather finished on the flesh side by buffering so as to raise a velvet-like nap. The typical suede leather is produced from the smaller skins, such as calfskin, kidskin, lambskin and goatskin, although cowhide has also been used.

The nap is produced by buffing or wheeling the surface on the flesh side, or the split side of flesh splits; velvet suedes, however, are buffed on the grain side. A common criterion of good suede leather is that the fibers of the nap should be of uniform length and tightly packed together, in order to give a resilience to the nap so that it does not readily shown fingermarks. c The firmness of the nap depends upon the density and compactness of the fiber structure. Velvet suedes are finer than flesh suedes and a younger animal, such as a SLUNK, produces an even finer suede.

A principal concern in making suede leather is to retain the fine nap and still produce a soft leather; however, the leather must not be made soft by means of improper FATLIQUORING, because even a small excess of oil will produce a greasy suede nap.

Suede leather, often tooled in blind, was used in England as early as the 17th century, and in the 18th and early 19th centuries in blankbook binding.

British Standards Institution. British standard glossary of leather terms. B. S. 2780: 1956. London. British Standards Institution.

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.

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

Tanners' Council of America, Inc. Dictionary of leather terminology. 6th ed. New York. Tanners' Council of America. 1969.


sulfate paper

See: KRAFT PAPER.


sulfate process

One of the two principal chemical methods of converting wood into pulp for papermaking, the other being the SULFITE PROCESS. Today, the terms "sulfate" and kraft, when applied to paper pulp, are generally used interchangeably, although there are slight differences between them. The term ' kraft" was first applied to the strong brown paper produced from pulp made by the sulfate process, and later to indicate the pulp itself. Originally, the term "sulfate" designated all paper pulps made by the sulfate process; later, it was used strictly with reference to special grades of pulp, such as bleachable sulfate pulp, bleached sulfate, etc., while "kraft" became restricted to that particular quality of unbleached sulfate pulp which had been cooked so as to produce a high yield or pulp of exceptional strength. Today, however, the term "sulfate" is generally used in the paper industry to indicate all grades of pulp produced by a process which utilizes sodium sulfate as it s principal chemical constituent. The only exceptions to this common practice are certain speciality grades of pulp, such as easy-bleaching sulfates made from both softwood and hardwood trees.

Sulfate pulps were first used primarily for the production of various grades of paper and board where physical strength was of greatest importance. Although the stronger grades are produced from the softwoods, very large quantities of hardwood sulfate pulps are also produced. Mixtures of hardwoods, with their longer fiber improve the formation and surface features of the paper or board.

Casey, James P. Pulp and pa per: chemistry and chemical technology. 2nd ed. New York. Interscience. 1960-61. 3 vol.

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

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

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


sulfite process

One of the two principal chemical methods of converting wood into pulp for papermaking, the other being the SULFATE PROCESS. Bleached or unbleached sulfite pulp is used in the manufacture of nearly all classes of paper, and bleached sulfite pulp is also used in the manufacture of rayon, cellophane, and other cellulose esters and ethers. Although it is possible to produce bleached sulfite pulp from the hardwoods, the pulp is usually made from softwoods of low resin content, e.g., spruce, balsam, fir, and hemlock. Traditionally, sulfite pulping has involved the digestion of the wood with a calcium acid sulfite cooking liquor, generally a mixture of calcium bisulfite and excess sulfurous acid; however, since processing for waste liquor recovery is both difficult and impractical with calcium-base liquors, more soluble bases, such as sodium, ammonium, and magnesium are now being substituted for calcium.

The sulfite cooking process may be modified to produce pulps that can be roughly classified as soft, medium, or strong, which are classifications that depend to a great extent on the degree to which lignin is removed and the cellulose of the fiber is depolymerized. Sulfite pulping is superior in the amount of lignin removed, and produces papermaking fibers that are white in color and can be bleached to higher whiteness with less chemicals than required for the sulfate process. Sulfite fibers also give fewer problems in maintaining desired formation characteristics of the finished paper; however, paper made from sulfite fibers is not as strong as that made from sulfate pulp.

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.

Crown Zellerbach Corp. Making pulp and paper. San Francisco. Crown Zellerbach Corp. 1958. 1 vol.


sulfonated oils

Oils rendered soluble in water by chemical treatment with sulfuric acid. Most sulfonated oils are actually soaps, but the fatty acid has a soluble sulfonic group combined with it, which tends to give it a limited water solubility even when the soap is decomposed by the addition of the acid. Sulfonated oils are used in FATLIQUORING leather, in the preparation of cotton fiber, as mordants for certain dyes. as finishing oils in silk, linen, and leather manufacture, and in paint and varnish making.


sulfur dioxide

One of the oxides of sulfur. Sulfur dioxide (SO2), which is probably the most common cause of the deterioration of paper, is produced when sulfur, or materials containing sulfur e.g., coal, oil—is burned in air. It is present in varying amounts in the atmosphere of almost all industrialized nations. Sulfur dioxide, even at higher concentrations than are normally found in the atmosphere, is not in itself harmful to paper or bookbinding materials, but it can be converted into highly destructive sulfuric acid, either by being oxidized to sulfur trioxide (SO3), and then into sulfuric acid (SO3 + H2O = H2SO4), or by reaction of SO2 with water to form sulfurous acid, which in turn oxidizes to form sulfuric acid (H2SO3 + H2O = H2SO4 + 2H). Some authorities maintain that this conversion of sulfur dioxide to sulfuric acid requires the presence of small amounts of copper or iron, i.e., minute particles of metal broken from the refining apparatus and entering the pulp, as is almost always the case with papers produced during the past 150 to 200 years; whereas others maintain that the process will take place regardless of metallic content and that the copper and/or iron impurities simply function as catalysts and thus quicken the rate of deterioration.

Archival papers should be protected against atmospheric sulfur dioxide. insofar as possible, by: 1) removing dangerous or potentially dangerous impurities, e.g., catalytic materials, from the paper, or, alternatively, manufacturing paper free from them; 2) the addition of alkaline and buffering agents to neutralize any sulfuric acid that does form; 3) destroying the chemical (catalytic) activity of the metallic impurities by the use of inhibitors, such as magnesium salts; and 4) storing paper in an atmosphere as free as possible from sulfur dioxide.

Sulfur dioxide is also used as a reducing agent in the preparation of basic chrome tanning liquor from sodium dichromate in acid solution: Na2CrO7 + H2O + 3SO2 = 2Cr(OH)SO4 + Na2SO4.

Kimberly, Arthur Evarts, and B. W. Scribner. Summary report of National Bureau of Standards research on preservation of records. Washington, D.C. U.S. Government Printing Office. (National Bureau of Standards miscellaneous publications, M 154). 1937.


sulfur oxide

Any of the several oxides of sulfur. See: SULFUR DIOXIDE; SULFUR TRIOXIDE.


sulfur trioxide

A compound (SO3) that reacts violently with water to form SULFURIC ACID. It is formed by the oxidation of SULFUR DIOXIDE.


sulfuric acid

A heavy, viscous, colorless, odorless, and relatively non-volatile acid (H2SO4). It is miscible in all proportions with water and can be formed in book materials, especially in paper. See: SULFUR DIOXIDE.

It is a very powerful acid and is highly destructive to cellulosic and proteinaceous materials, such as paper and leather. Sulfuric acid was also used, particularly in the 19th century, in the execution of many so-called cover marbles, and is still used in leather manufacture for bleaching, deliming, pickling, pH control, and the like.

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

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


sulfurous acid

An unstable, relatively weak acid (H2SO3), formed by dissolving SULFUR DIOXIDE in water. It is used as a reducing and bleaching agent, and forms SULFURIC ACID when oxidized.


sulfurous anhydride

See: SULFUR DIOXIDE.


sumac

A vegetable tanning material obtained from the dried leaves of certain species of Rhus, especially R. coriaria (from the Mediterranean region—Sicilian sumac) and more recently from various American sumacs, including the dwarf sumac (R. copallina), the white sumac (R. glabra), and the staghorn sumac, (R. typhina). Sumac provides a very desirable tannin where white or light-colored, soft and supple leathers are required. Because it produces such desirable qualities of drape, feel, flexibility, etc., it is used in the tannage of goatskins (morocco leather), skivers, roans, etc. Another important advantage of sumac is that the leather produced with it does not darken upon exposure to light and is less likely to decay than leather produced by use of some other tannins.

In spite of its special value for certain classes of leather, the use of sumac as a tanning agent has declined in recent decades. This decline has been due in part to the development of less expensive tannins, such as wattle, quebracho, and myrabolans for general tanning, and also perhaps to the adulteration of the product by commercial harvesters of sumac in the Mediterranean region.

Good quality sumac is sold in the form of a light, yellowish-green powder, which has a tannin content of about 26 to 27%; however, the tannin content may vary from 25 to 30%. Sumac generally has a higher pH value than other tannin materials in its class, i.e., about 4.0, and also a very high acids and salts content. A large proportion of the salts are weak acids. Sumac, which is one of the pyrogallol class of tannins, is very mild in its action and penetrates the hide substance very slowly. Unlike most of the pyrogallol tannins, sumac does not form BLOOM (1). Its first recorded use as a tanning agent was in England in 1565. See also: VEGETABLE TANNINS.

Frank Norman. Howes, Frank Norman. Vegetable tanning materials. London. Butterworth. 1953.

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


SUMMER

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

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

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

Sunday, Public Meeting on. See Public Meetings.


sun damage

Damage that occurs to a hide or skin when it becomes heated above a certain critical temperature while it is still moist and is laid out in the sun to dry (cure). A completely dry skin can become very hot and still not be affected under normal conditions of cure, but prior to this a skin is very susceptible to damage. Also, the drying of a salted skin proceeds so uniformly throughout its entire thickness that the cooling effect produced by evaporation off its surfaces maintains the temperature of the entire skin below the danger point until it is uniformly dry. Without salt, however, a skin tends to dry unevenly when laid out in the usual manner, which is flesh side up. This can happen because the flesh side can dry out completely and begin generating heat, while the underside remains moist, and, being shielded from evaporation, also begins to generate heat. This is especially the case when pieces of flesh, generally of a fatty nature, are present on the flesh side, and further retard the drying of areas beneath them. The result of overheating moist skins is to "cook," and therefore gelatinize, the skin fibers, so that they are no longer leather-forming collagen. The damage, however, is not visible in the dried skin, nor can it be detected even after the skin is soaked to return it to the pre-cured condition. It is only after liming that the damaged areas tend to disintegrate, leaving holes in the skin, that the damage becomes apparent. In many cases the damage is largely limited to the grain surface, which becomes deeply corroded, giving rise to the trade term "blister" for this particular type of damage. See also: PUTREFACTIVE DAMAGE.

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.


sun spots

A variation of the Turkish, snail, or wave marbles, consisting of a color or colors which are made to spread out in a raylike effect somewhat like the rays of the sun. The effect is produced by adding a small amount of kaolin (in water) and boiled potash to the colors. The colors are then dropped on the size, a drop of potash water is dropped on, causing the color to contract, followed by another drop of the color directly over the first, which causes the color to radiate outward.

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


sundex process

A British process of laminating a paper document. The process utilizes semi-transparent glassine paper in lieu of cellulose acetate foil, with the three components of the "sandwich," i.e., the document and the two sheets of glassine being sealed together with an aqueous adhesive, such as carboxymethylcellulose (C. M. C.) or starch paste. The sandwich is then consolidated by pressing it between heated surfaces. The Sundex process is safer than conventional LAMINATION in that an operating temperature below 100° C. is needed in place of the much higher temperature required in conventional laminating. In addition, the treated document need only be soaked in water (assuming the document itself is not sensitive to aqueous solutions) for delamination to take place. Another important advantage claimed for the process is that the components of the sandwich are closely related materials, and the adhesive is compatible with both. The final sandwich is therefore more mechanically and chemically homogeneous than the usual laminated sandwich, and consequently less liable to unbalanced stresses due to changes in moisture content and temperature of the surrounding atmosphere.


sunfast

See: FAST COLORS.


super

See: MULL.


super

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


supercalender

An off-machine calender stack used to impart density, gloss, and smoothness to paper. It is similar to the calender except that alternate chilled cast iron and softer rolls are used. The rolls used to supercalender uncoated paper usually consist of cast iron and highly compressed paper, while the rolls used for coated paper are usually cast iron and highly compressed cotton. The finish produced varies according to the raw material used to make the paper and the pressure exerted on it, and ranges from the highest English finish to a highly glazed surface. Supercalendered papers are sometimes used for books containing fine line blocks or halftones because they print well from type and halftones, although for the latter they are not as good as coated paper.

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

Jennett, Sean. The making of books. 4th ed. New York. Praeger. 1967.

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


superficial fascia

The relatively thin layer of flesh on a hide or skin, known in the leather trade simply as "flesh" and containing adipose (fatty) and areolar (loose connective) tissues and sometimes muscle tissues.


superfinish

A polishing process applied to some book cloths, especially those with a hard surface. Finishing is done by die-embossing the cloth, and airbrush coloring.

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


Superior letters

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


SUPERIORS

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

Supernumeraries. See Newspapers.


Superiour Letters

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


supported French joint

See illustration</> A modification of the FRENCH JOINT. It is used to impart additional support to the shoulders of large books. A thin board is glued to the book board; however, instead of stopping at the inside edge of the thicker board, it extends the exact distance of the intended gap between the board and the shoulder, i.e., the distance of the French joint. When the boards are attached, these thin boards press against the shoulders and help support them.


surface color

1. The color of a coating or top layer as opposed to a substance that is colored throughout its mass. 2. The color effect presented by a surface when viewed by reflected light, especially when associated with metals, e.g., the yellow of gold, the white of platinum, etc.

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


surface papers

Decorative endpapers, colored on one side only subsequent to the manufacture of the paper. They were produced in several (usually drab) colors and some were glazed. Endpapers of this type were in common use by the 1820s, generally with the drab colors predominating, although clear yellow papers of varying shades were also produced later on in the century. The endpapers were used in publishers' cloth and leather bindings, as well as in miscellaneous bindings of cloth and leather. The color was applied to the paper in pigment form, which imparted a somewhat artificial effect, unlike the vegetable-stained, surface-colored papers which preceded them. Crudely pigmented surface papers were used in the later 18th century, but only rarely. This type of paper is never found on the sides of half-bindings because it was too easily stained by grease; however, it was used for the covers of inexpensive "yellowback" books of the 19th century. The darker colors, especially brown, mauve, and black, were often used for devotional books. Also called "coated papers."

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


surface sized

Paper or board sized when the web or sheet is dry or partially dry, usually on the papermaking machine but also as a separate operation.

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


surface tension

A force which tends to bring the contained volume of a body, e.g., a liquid, into the form having the least surface area, as in the tendency of a drop of water to assume a spherical shape, i.e., the smallest surface area for the given volume of liquid.


surface-active agent

A substance that, when used in small quantities, modifies the surface properties of liquids or solids. A surface-active agent reduces surface tension in a fluid or the interfacial tension between two immiscible fluids, such as oil and water. Surfactants are particularly useful in accomplishing the wetting or penetration of solids by aqueous liquids and serve in the manner of detergent, emulsifying, or dispersing agents. They are more effective than soap in certain situations and are used by conservators for such purposes as cleaning, wetting, and dispersing. See also: WETTING AGENT.


surface-size press

A part of the papermaking machine, usually located between two drier sections, and used to apply relatively light coatings of a surface size or other material to the surface of the paper web. The unit may be vertically or horizontally oriented and is equipped to spray or otherwise apply material to one or both sides of the paper web as it moves through the papermaking machine.


surfactant

See: SURFACE-ACTIVE AGENT.


Sutcliffe, George

An English bookbinder apprenticed to Maudie's Library and then employed in the shop of Douglas Cockerell in 1899. In 1901, Sutcliffe and FRANCIS SANGORSKI opened their own bindery and began producing the jewelled bindings on which their great reputation was largely built. Of the hundreds of such bindings, the finest and their most outstanding achievement was a binding known as the GREAT OMAR.

Coutts, Henry T., and George A. Stephen. Manual of library bookbinding; practical and historical. London. Libraco. 1911.


SWASH LETTERS

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

The Alphabet of swash letters (italic capitals)

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


sweat glands

See: SUDORIFEROUS GLANDS.


sweating

1. A pressing operation employed in handmade papermaking following the initial pressing of the WATERLEAF sheets between felts. Each sheet is removed from the felt, pressed, laid one on top of another, with the other of the sheets being rotated after each pressing, until the desired pressure has been reached. This process of repeated pressing was not a common practice until the 16th century, as evidenced by the roughness and absence of finish of paper made before that time.

2. An old and virtually obsolete method of loosening the hair of skins, by allowing controlled putrefaction to take place in a confined, warm area. It is probably the oldest method of unhairing and possibly is still being used in some countries, particularly for sheepskins (where the hair is often more valuable than the skin). Sweating consists of little more than putrefaction of the Malpighian layer. Because of the danger of damage to the skins in the sweat chambers, unless the process is very carefully controlled (see: RUN PELTS), its use was discontinued for the best grades of skins following the introduction of safer methods of unhairing (see: LIMING).

The skins are generally hung from beams in a closed room in which the air is kept warm and humid. During the process a considerable amount of ammonia and amines are generated, which assist in the unhairing action. As soon as the hair slips away easily, the skins are taken from the sweat chamber and placed in saturated lime water, which retards further bacterial actions and causes some swelling of the skins.

Clapperton, Robert Henderson. Paper; an historical account of its making by hand from the earliest times down to the present day. Oxford. Shakespeare Head Press. 1934.

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


SWEDISH

The Swedish Alphabet consists of twenty-eight letters.

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

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

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

The Swedish Alphabet


SWEEPINGS

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

Swift. See Fire Eater.

Symbols, Chemical. See Formulæ.


sweet oil

A mild oil, e.g., olive oil, mixed with paste, colors, and water to make the coloring matter used for sprinkling the edges of books, largely in the 19th century. The oil apparently was used to promote the penetration of the color and paste into the paper.

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


swell

The additional thickness in the spine of a book caused by the sewing thread and/ or extensive guarding. If the sections are thin and large in number, the sewing swell may become so great as to cause problems in subsequent operations. This is particularly true with hard-finished papers, because, when a book is made up of soft paper, the sewing threads will become embedded in the paper to some degree when the book is smashed or nipped and the swell reduced; however, since the threads will not be forced into hard paper by smashing without cutting it, the book retains the swell. Excessive swell can cause the spine of the book to buckle and run in, uneven trimming, and poor rounding and backing. While excessive swell is undesirable, some swell is required for proper rounding and backing. In hand binding, the danger of excessive swell can sometimes be avoided by sewing the book TWO ON.

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

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


swelling

An increase in the volume of the protein fibers and jellies of a hide or skin caused by the absorption of water, and seen as an increase in the thickness of the skin. Swelling is an important aspect in liming, unhairing, and splitting.


symmetrical design

A decorative design for a book built up by means of repeating tools at regular intervals—as in a diaper design, for example—or by drawing some symmetrical form and repeating small tools in conjunction with this form, in order to carry out a decorative scheme.

Diehl, Edith. Bookbinding; its background and technique. New York. Rinehart. 1946. 2 vol.


syneresis

The separation of a liquid from a gel, as, for example, water from paste, upon standing.

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


syntans

A contraction of "synthetic tannins," which are chemicals that combine with, or affect, the protein constituents of hides and skins and produce a product that is flexible, porous, and has the desirable qualities of leather. The most widely known syntans are made by treating aromatic substances, e.g., cresols, phenols, naphthalenes, etc., with formaldehyde and sulfuric acid. There are many variations in the ingredients of syntans, relative quantities used, and methods of manufacture. Syntans produce white or buff-colored leather, depending on the ingredients, which darken upon exposure to light, and generally behave much like vegetable-tanned leathers. Although syntans do exist which can be used alone to produce leather (so-called exchange or replacement syntans), many syntans lack the filling power of vegetable tannins and produce an undesirably thin, "papery" leather. They are also more expensive than the natural tannins. Syntans do have desirable properties, however, and are widely used in both chrome and vegetable tannages. When used in conjunction with other tanning agents, where they are known as "auxiliary syntans," they perform the following functions: 1) the presence of 5% syntan helps dissolve solid vegetable tannin extracts and reduces any tendency to form REDS (condensed tannins) or BLOOM (pyrogallol tannins); 2) a pretannage with 5 to 10% syntan improves the shade, i.e., makes it paler, and the levelness of color of a subsequent vegetable tannage; 3) a pretannage with a syntan or admixture with a vegetable tannage improves penetration of tannin into the skin; 4) when syntan is used with a vegetable tannin the leather develops a more uniform but paler color upon being dyed, hut the syntan generally prevents the development of deep, full shades: 5) some types of syntan may be adjusted with an alkali to a pH of 6.0 to become "neutral syntans," often called synthetic mordants (but should be called "synthetic leveling agents") which have value in dyeing leather: and 6) some syntans retard mold growth and/ or remove iron stains.

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.

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


synthetic glues

See: RESINOUS ADHESIVES.


synthetic leveling agents

See: NEUTRAL SYNTANS; SYNTANS.


synthetic resins

A group of complex, partially amorphous, organic semi-solid or solid substances that are produced by chemical reaction or by polymerization of relatively simple compounds. Synthetic resins are comparable to natural resins in various physical properties but are considered to be superior to them in that they are more uniform, possess greater clarity, durability, flexibility and resistance to chemical change. The synthetic resins include: 1) formaldehyde condensation products of phenol, urea, and melamine; 2) reaction products of polyhydric alcohols and polybasic acids (alkyd and polyester resins); 3) polymerization products of acrylic acid and its derivatives (acrylic resins) or styrene (polystyrene): and 4) polymers of butadiene and its derivatives, or copolymers, with other materials (synthetic elastomers, etc.).

According to the manner in which they react to heat and pressure, synthetic resins are classified broadly as being either thermoplastic or thermosetting. Although the cellulose polymers, cellulose acetate, cellulose nitrate, and ethyl cellulose, are prepared from natural materials and, therefore. do not conform to the definition of a synthetic resin, they are nonetheless classed along with them. These resins also find use in papermaking as adhesives in coating and laminating. as barrier materials, and as agents to impart special properties to paper, e.g., improved wet and dry strength. Synthetic resins are also used extensively in the application of finishes to the grain surface of leather.

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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.


SYRIAC

Under this appellation are classed three different alphabets.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

The following belong to etymology:—

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Syriac in the British Founderies.

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

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

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

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

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

The Syriac Alphabet


t pattern

A pattern on a book cloth consisting of longitudinal regular ridges and valleys.


T.E.G.

Abbreviation for TOP EDGE GILT.


t.s

Abbreviation for TUB SIZED, tub sizing, or TYPESCRIPT.


Abbreviation for TRIMMED FOUR SIDES.


tab

1. The crescent-shaped tongue of leather extending above and below the spine of some 12th century bindings and probably intended to facilitate the removal of the book from a chest where it was stored spine uppermost. 2. A small square or rectangular piece of paper, card, plastic, leather, or fabric attached to the fore edge of a leaf, and bearing one or more characters to serve as a guide or INDEX. See also: TAB INDEX.

American Library Association. Editorial Committee. Subcommittee on library terminology. A. L. A. glossary of library terms, with a selection of terms in related fields. Compiled by Elizabeth H. Thompson. Chicago. American Library Association. 1943.

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


tab index

A form of the index used when the ordinary cut INDEX is not feasible, such as with loose-leaf bindings. The set of 24 tabs (I and J are generally combined and X is omitted) are prepared in one strip of material, which is glued along half its length, leaving splits for attachment to the leaves. The letters are printed or blocked on the strip and the individual letters are then separated. The tabs are attached to the leaves in a complete series along the fore edge from head to tail (and usually from front to back) with the letters projecting.

Practical printing and binding; Odhams complete guide to the printer's craft, edited by Harry Whetton. 3rd ed. London. Odhams Books. 1965.


table book

1. An elaborately decorated edition of a book, often covered in velvet or silk, and intended for display on a drawing room table. This type of binding was popular in the 19th century. Its 20th century equivalent is the "coffee table" book, usually a large illustrated art book. 2. An ancient writing book consisting of wax-covered tablets of metal, ivory or wood fastened together at the back by rings or leather thongs. The writing was done with a stylus. See also: DIPTYCH. 3. An obsolete name for a notebook.

Leighton, Douglas. Modern bookbinding: a survey and a prospect. New York. Oxford University Press. 1935.

Smith, Frederick Richard. Bookbinding. London. Pitman. 1929.


TABLE WORK

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


TABLE WORK

Matter consisting partly of rules and figures.


tablet

1. An early writing material made of clay (which was inscribed while soft and then fired to make the writing permanent), stone, wood, or ivory (covered with wax. which was then inscribed with a pointed instrument). 2. See: PAD.

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


tablet-back board

A board used as a (more or less) stiff backing for a PAD. It is generally produced from ordinary chipboard, or newsboard, and ranges in thickness from 0.020 inch and upward.


TABULAR

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


tack

1. A general term applied to the state or property of tending to adhere, the relative stickiness of an adhesive film, the resistance offered by an adhesive film to division of the adhesive surface, or the resistance offered by the adhesive (while in the plastic state) to removal of the adherends. Some printing inks, varnishes, and similar viscous liquids also display tack. See also: BLOCKING . 2. That property of an adhesive which results in a bond of considerable strength immediately after application and contact under low pressure. 3. The resistance of an ink film to being split between two surfaces, such as between rollers, between plate and blanket, or between blanket and paper.

Abbey, John Roland. An exhibition of modern English and French bindings from the collection of Major J. R. Abbey. London. Arts Council. 1949.

French and Italian collectors and their bindings, illustrated from examples in the library of J. R. Abbey. Edited by A. R. A. Hobson. Oxford. Printed for presentation to the members of the Roxburghe Club. 1953.

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


tack range

The length of time an adhesive will stay tacky-dry after application, under specified conditions of temperature and humidity.


tack stage

The length of time during which an adhesive is sticky, or resists removal or deformation of the cast adhesive.


tacketing

See illustration</> limp vellum cover attached by tackets / blankbook spine reinforced by tackets

A method originally employed in non-adhesive binding to secure the section (or sections) and covers of limp vellum bindings. The technique was later used to secure the loose, jacketlike cover to the text block of some bindings, and, from late medieval times, as a method of decorating the covers of stationery bindings. Tacketing in one form or another dates back to at least the early 12th century. In the past 100 years or so, tacketing has been used to reinforce the sewing of large blankbooks. The tackets are secured around the folio, webbing, and clothings of the spine. In this latter use, it was restricted to the better grades of stationery bindings. Over a period of some 800 years, therefore. tacketing has evolved from a method of constructing a bookbinding to a method of reinforcing and decorating the spine and covers of a book.

Early tacketing involved punching two holes through the center fold of each section, as well as the vellum cover, about 1/2 to 3/J inch apart. The ends of a strip of vellum, gut, or leather lacing were passed through the holes from the inside, wound around each other and knotted at each end. When tacketing stationery bindings, the holes were punched through the sections, the cover, and the bands, and then wound around each other. Those stationery bindings having spring-backs were tacketed to help secure the folios to the clothings on the spine, or, if webbing were used, the folios, webbings and clothings.

When tacketing is employed in modern-day stationery binding, the tackets, which are usually made of catgut, are used at each webbing, but only on the first and last three folios.

Cummins, John Francis. The printer's guide. 2nd ed. Dublin. n.p. 1952.

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

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


tacking

The operation of attaching a tanned, damp hide or skin to a wooden frame so as to allow it to dry in a smooth and somewhat stretched condition. As this method of drying is slower than tunnel drying, it is more expensive. The stretching action, which is accomplished by "enlarging" the frame must be carefully controlled because excessive stretching may weaken the leather, resulting in a loose and PIPEY LEATHER. It is an operation requiring considerable skill on the part of the workman tacking the skins to the frame, especially since many leathers are sold by the square foot; consequently, judicious tacking (and stretching) can add to the area of the leather.


Tacky

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


tacky-dry

The state of an adhesive when the solvent and other volatile ingredients have evaporated sufficiently, or have been absorbed enough, so that the adhesive is in the proper tacky state.

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


tag

1. A grade of manila hoard used for the boards of semi-flexible bindings. 2. The band to which a seal is attached in old manuscripts. 3. See: CATCHWORD, 4. The straight or crossed tins of a lace.

Coutts, Henry T., and George A. Stephen. Manual of library bookbinding; practical and historical. London. Libraco. 1911.

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

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


tag board

A lightweight hoard used for envelopes. file folders, temporary wrapping, and the like. It is manufactured from jute. rope, chemical and mechanical wood pulps, or combinations thereof, usually on a cylinder machine but sometimes on a FOURDRINIER MACHINE. The board has a smooth surface and is available in a wide range of colors. Basis weights range from 80 to 300 pounds (22 1/2 X 28 1/2—500), the most common weights being 80, 100, 125, 150, 175, 200, and 275 pounds. Tag board should have good bending and folding strength, high bursting and tensile strength, good resistance to tearing, and a finish suitable for writing or printing.

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.

Goodwin, Bancroft L. Pamphlet binding…Chicago. United Typothetae of America. (Typographic technical series for apprentices, pt. 5, no. 30). 1925.


tail

1. The lower or bottom edge of a book, usually implying the very edge of the covers and spine. 2. The lower portion of a letter, e.g., "g" and the projection of an upper case letter, e.g., "Q."

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


tail edge

See: TAIL (1).


tail margin

The area between the bottom line of letterpress or writing and the bottom edge of the leaf. See also: MARGIN (1).


TAIL PIECES

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


tailband; tailcap

See: HEADBAND; HEADCAP.


Take

or *Taking.*—A given portion of copy.


TAKE INK

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


take off

A term applied to the flaying (removal of the skin) of an animal.


TAKE UP

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

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

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

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


TAKING COPY

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


TAKING DOWN

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

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


TAKING OFF

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

Taleek. See Persian.


talc

A hydrous mineral consisting of magnesium-silicate (3MgO . 4SiO2 . H2O)., Commercial talc is seldom if ever a pure mineral and therefore its physical and chemical properties usually vary over a relatively wide range. A commercial talc, such as soapstone, when ground into a very fine powder generally has a soft and greasy feel and is usually creamy to greenish-white in color. Talc is used as a filler in cultural papers, to which it imparts a raglike feel.


talipot palm

A fan palm, Corypha umoraculifera, found in Ceylon and the Philippines, and other areas of the Far East. It has very large, fan-shaped leaves which are cut into strips and processed for use as a substitute for paper. See also: PALM LEAF BOOK.


tall copy

1. A book which has had its head and tail edges trimmed very slightly. 2. A comparison of several copies of the same book in the same edition and on the same paper, one of which may be taller than the others. 3. See: LARGE PAPER COPY.

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


tall copy

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

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