varnish

norm: varnish

text: A solution of a RESIN in a solvent, such as turpentine, boiled linseed oil, etc., containing a drier, which, after evaporation of the volatile constituents of the vehicle and oxidation of the nonvolatile vehicle, leaves a thin, glossy, more-or-less uniform layer of the dissolved materials. At one time varnish was used to impart additional gloss to leather and cloth. Book jackets, showcards, and the like, are also varnished to enhance their appearance and improve wear resistance. Small sheets are usually varnished by hand with a brush, but large sheets are generally varnished in a varnishing machine. In the latter case drying in a dust free atmosphere is made possible by the use of a drying apparatus usually attached to the varnishing machine. Varnishing can also be done on letterpress and lithographic printing presses but the finish is usually not equal to that obtained by hand or in a varnishing machine. Paper to be varnished must be hard sized, otherwise the varnish will be absorbed rather than remain on the surface. Varnish is also used to dilute ink, or as an ingredient in its manufacture. The correct selection of printing inks for work which is to be varnished is important because some inks are affected by varnish.

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


VARNISH

kind: definition

letter: V

letter_raw: V

text: With which ink is made.—M.

siglum: DAP

author: Savage, William

work: A Dictionary of the Art of Printing

rights: Public domain (Project Gutenberg, pre-1930 text)

rights_tier: public-domain


varnish

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

siglum: ABB

author: Zaehnsdorf, Joseph W.

work: The Art of Bookbinding: A Practical Treatise


varnishing machine

norm: varnishing machine

text: A machine resembling a printing press in many respects and used to varnish printed sheets, usually for the purpose of brightening and preserving colors, as well as to impart additional wear resistance. The varnish is applied from a fountain by means of rollers, as in printing, and the sheets are then conveyed on a canvas web into a drying oven for drying in a dust free atmosphere.

siglum: RE

author: Roberts, Matt T.; Etherington, Don

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

rights: 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.

rights_tier: us-government-flagged


vaseline

norm: vaseline

text: A trade name for soft paraffin. Yellow and white varieties are produced, consisting of semi-solid, partly translucent mixtures of hydrocarbons of the paraffin series ranging from C15H32 to C20H42. White vaseline is sometimes used to make gold leaf adhere to the surface of leather before application of the tool. Under no circumstances should it be applied to leather as a dressing.

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

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


vat dyes

norm: vat dyes

text: Dyestuffs that are insoluble in water, but the "leuco" compounds of which, subsequent to reduction, are soluble in dilute alkalies. In this state vat dyes have a great affinity for cellulosic fibers, e.g., cloth, paper, etc. After being impregnated with the reduced dye, the material is then exposed to the oxygen of the air, which causes re-oxidation of the leuco compound back to the insoluble state. Vat dyes are among the fastest dyes known, and, despite the development of new classes of fast dyestuffs, they continue to be used where high standards of color stability are required.

citations: 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.


vat machine

norm: vat machine

text: See: CYLINDER MACHINE.


vat papers

norm: vat papers

text: 1. A term sometimes applied to papers that are made by hand. 2. An English term for papers produced on a CYLINDER MACHINE.

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


veal

norm: veal

text: A leather produced with a grain pattern similar to, but somewhat coarser than, calfskin, and made from the skins of immature bovine animals which have not been fed on grass subsequent to weaning. The animals are allowed to grow to a comparatively large size, yielding skins larger and heavier than calfskins but smaller than cowhides. See also: KIP (2).

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


vegetable glue

norm: vegetable glue

text: An adhesive made from vegetable materials, as, for example, by treating starch with an alkali. Vegetable glue is soluble in water and gives a high "solids to water" ratio, which justifies its use as a substitute for animal glue in certain applications. The glue lack the rapid initial set characteristic of animal glue but it can be made to give reasonably satisfactory results with careful use. Because it does not have to be heated, it offers the important advantage of always being ready for immediate use. See also: DEXTRIN,

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

citations: Watson Aldred Auld. Hand bookbinding a manual of instruction. New York. Reinhold. 1963.


vegetable parchment paper

norm: vegetable parchment paper

text: A paper made by passing a WATERLEAF sheet through a bath of sulfuric acid, or (at times) zinc chloride, under established conditions of time, temperature, and the like. The treated paper is then washed thoroughly so as to remove the acid or zinc salt, after which it is dried. The chemical partially dissolves or gelatinizes the paper, which is then regenerated when the chemical is diluted by the washing. This forms a very tough, stiff, smooth paper with an appearance somewhat like that of a genuine parchment. Because paper treated in this manner has a tendency to become brittle and to wrinkle upon drying, it is frequently treated with a plasticizing agent, usually glycerine or glucose. The waterleaf sheet is made from rag or (more usually) chemical wood pulp.

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

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


vegetable tanned

norm: vegetable tanned

text: Leathers that have been tanned exclusively with vegetable tanning agents, or with vegetable tannins plus small amounts of other agents, the latter being used solely to assist in the tanning process or to improve or modify the leather, but which are not present in sufficient quantities to noticeably alter the essential vegetable-tanned characteristics of the leather. Cf: CHROME RETAN. See also: VEGETABLE TANNING.


vegetable tanning

norm: vegetable tanning

text:
The process of converting the protein (collagen and its related proteins) of a raw hide or skin into LEATHER by means of vegetable materials. Vegetable tanning produces a relatively dense leather, one that is firm and solid and yields a high weight of leather per unit of raw stock. It also produces a leather that is pale brown in color, and which tends to darken upon exposure to natural light. Depending upon the finishing treatment employed, the tanning material washes out of the leather very slowly.

Vegetable tannages are used to produce bookbinding leather not only because of tradition, but because they produce leathers having a soft drape and handle (in addition to their firmness), which retain applied grain patterns particularly well. Unless specifically treated, however, vegetable tanned leathers have but little water resistance.

The classical method of vegetable tanning, especially where flatness of the leather (and particularly of the grain surface) is of great importance, as with bookbinding leather, is pit tannage-usually accomplished by means of suspension in a rocker vat. Traditionally the skins are limed and unhaired, and delimed to a pH of 4.0 to 5.0, bated (and sometimes drenched with bran or acetic acid). The stock is then suspended as smoothly and flatly as possible in rocker vats containing used or new tanning liquor of a relatively low BARKOMETER reading. The strength of the tan liquor is gradually increased (the stock being transferred into pits containing progressively stronger liquor) until the tanning has just penetrated through the entire thickness of the skin, i.e., it has struck through. Splitting, if required and if not done previously, finishing, etc., are then carried out after drying.

The traditional method of vegetable tanning was slow and expensive and, furthermore, did not always give the characteristics desired in the leather. Not only was there sometimes too much firmness to the leather, but frequently the color of the leather was not as pale or as uniform as it can be made by the use of more modern methods of tanning.

The use of stronger liquors, mechanical action, pH control, and control of the contents of acids and salts have enabled the tanner to produce satisfactory leather in a much shorter time, and efforts are constantly being made to reduce the time of tannage even further. Increased mechanical action, such as drumming, accelerates the speed of tannin penetration but also results in pebbling of the grain, unless some form of pre-tannage is employed. Some tanners in both Europe and the United States employ such systems, in which a comparatively short rocker pit tannage is used to assure sufficient tannage to protect at least the outer quarter or third of the stock, with the stock then being drummed with strong liquors so as to rapidly tan the interior of the corium. There are many variations of this method, ranging from stock struck through in the rocker pits, and then being tumbled in liquors of 100° Bk. or more for as long as 48 hours, to stock only partially penetrated and then being hung on sticks in slowly rotating rotors, being drawn through a comparatively small volume of tanning liquor of gradually increasing strength.

Leather to be used for bookbinding should be tanned to give a pale, uniform, biscuit shade-one which can be readily dyed and finished in a variety of colors. The tannins in the leather should be well fixed and not easily removed by wetting the leather, otherwise they may cause stains when the leather is paste-washed or otherwise moistened.

Light leathers, e.g., goatskins, calfskins, etc., in the finished state, are usually sold on the basis of area (price per square foot); therefore, there is not the temptation to fix an unduly high proportion of tan on the fibers, as is sometimes done in the case of leathers sold by weight. Overly prolonged vegetable tannage is to be avoided as it may cause difficulties in dyeing and finishing. See also: BATING; DRENCHING; FATLIQUORING; LIMING; SOAKING (1); SPLITTING (1); UNHAIRING. Cf: CHROME TANNING.

citations: 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.

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

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

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

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


vegetable tannins

norm: vegetable tannins

text:
A group of complex hydrocarbon substances common throughout most of the vegetable kingdom, and having the capability, to a greater or lesser degree. of converting hide and skin, i.e., protein, into leather. Tannins are complex organic materials, and frequently have very large molecules and high molecular weights, on the order of 2,000 or greater, although it is still not certain whether they might better be considered macro-molecular substances. i.e., those with very large molecules and high molecular weights which break down into smaller fragments. Tannins were at one time classed with the glucosides because of the sugar groups that most of them contain but they are now more often regarded as constituting a class by themselves, as some, e.g., the hemlock tannins, do not have the sugar group in the molecule. In addition to carbon. hydrogen, and oxygen, some nitrogen, phosphorus, as well as traces of inorganic ions, may be present.

Vegetable tannins for the most part are uncrystallizable colloidal substances with pronounced astringent properties. They have the ability to precipitate gelatin from solution and to form insoluble compounds with gelatin-yielding tissues. which is the property which enables them to convert raw hide and skin into leather, consolidating the dermal network of the hide into firmer and drier structures of improved thermal stability, durability, and water resistance.

Because they are extremely complex substances, vegetable tannins are difficult to classify; however, they are usually considered to consist of polyphenolic systems of two types: the hydrolized tannins (the pyrogallol class), the main constituents of which are esters of glucose with acids such as chebulic, ellagic. gallic and m-digallic; and the condensed (catechol) tannins. which are based on leuco-anthocyanidins and like substances joined together in a manner not clearly understood. The pyrogallol tannins may be hydrolyzed by acids or enzymes and include the gallotannins (from plant galls) and the ellagitannins. which produce BLOOM (1) on leather, and which are characteristic of divi divi, myrabolans, sumac, tara, valonea, and other well-known tannins. The condensed tannins are not hydrolyzable and are characteristic of hemlock, mangrove, quebracho, wattle, and the like. The condensed tannins are more astringent, i.e., they tan more rapidly, than the pyrogallols have larger molecules and are less well buffered. They yield less sediment. or lose less upon standing, but the leather they produce often tends to turn a reddish color upon exposure to natural light. They also yield phlobaphenes or REDS.

The terms "condensed" and "pyrogallol," as such do not mean that the tannins contain these substances but simply indicate that dihydric and trihydric phenols are produced respectively when the materials are heated (dry distillation). Quite often the "tannin" derived from a plant material. e.g., oak bark. has characteristics of both groups and consequently is generally considered to be a mixture or compound of the two principal types.

The two classes of tannin also display different reactions towards acqueous solution of iron salts. The condensed tannins produce green-black colors while the pyrogallol class gives blue-blacks (a reaction important in the manufacture of some inks). Furthermore, they differ in their tanning properties. Pyrogallol tannins, for example, being less astringent than the condensed class, tan more slowly and produce leather of less solidity. In addition, when extracted from the plant they generally contain smaller molecules of tannin. and, being better buffered. i.e., containing weak organic acids and their salts, they resist changes in pH value when acid or alkali is added.

For a complete and even reaction with the skin or hide to take place during tannage, it is necessary to use the tanning material in the form of a liquor, i.e., an aqueous infusion of the plant material. Modern tanneries use extracts that are concentrates of acqueous liquors. the latter usually being concentrated under reduced pressure to provide highly viscous or even solid products. Other materials extracted are known as non-tannins (abbreviated non-tans) and may include: hydrolysis products of the tannins, starches, gums, hemicelluloses, poly-saccharides, hexoses, pentoses, uronic acid. organic acids (lactic and acetic), together with their salts, inorganic salts, proteins and zymoproteins (enzymes), if the temperature is not too high, as well as coloring matters such as brasilin, fisetin, and quercetin.

Vegetable tanning liquors are extremely complicated in their chemical composition, and the tannin/ non-tannin ratio, the color, and the particular substances involved have a considerable (and far from completely understood) bearing on their tanning properties and, therefore, on the quality of the leather produced.

Although tannins occur throughout the greater part of the vegetable kingdom, they are more prevalent among the Angiosperms, or higher plants, especially in certain Dicotyledon families, than they are among the lower types, such as fungi, algae, etc. The Gymnosperms also have classes in which tanning is well developed, e.g., the pines, spruces and hemlocks.

The Dicotyledons include many families in which tannin occurs quite freely, among which the most noteworthy are the Leguminosae, e.g., the black wattle; the Anacardiaceae, e.g., quebracho and sumac; the Combretaceae, e.g., myrabolans; Rhisophoraceae, e.g., mangroves; Myrtaceae, e.g., eucalyptus; and Polygonaceae, e.g., canaigre.

Tannin may occur in almost any part of a plant, including roots, stems or trunk, hark, leaves, fruit, and even hairs. It may occur either in isolated individual cells, in groups or chains of cells (the more common occurrence), or in special cavities or sacs. It may also be present in latex vessels and lactiferous tissue accompanied by other substances.

In the living plant, tannin is present chiefly in solution in the vacuoles. As the cell ages and loses its protoplasmic contents, the tannin usually becomes absorbed in the cell wall; in dead plant tissue tannin often accumulates in considerable quantities. Tannins often occur in green or immature fruits, the quantity decreasing as the fruit ripens. and they may also occur in seeds. often becoming more abundant following germination. Tannin is also quite prevalent in tissues as a result of pathological conditions, such as plant galls. Certain of these galls constitute the richest sources of tannin in plants, e.g., Chinese galls, which have a tannin content ranging from 50 to 80%.

The use of vegetable tannins in the manufacture of leather probably predates recorded history, and there is creditable evidence that they were in use in Egypt as far back as 5000 B.C.

The ancient Greeks and Romans were well versed in the art of vegetable tanning and evidence indicates that vegetable tannins were used in China many thousands of years ago.

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


vegetable vellum

norm: vegetable vellum

text: A term at one time applied to a Japanese vellum paper specially prepared in imitation of genuine VELLUM.

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


vehicle

norm: vehicle

text: The liquid portion of a material such as ink, paint. varnish, or a coating composition including the binders, adhesives, modifiers, and the like.


vein colors

norm: vein colors

text: The colors employed in marbling to produce the veins of the pattern. They are applied to the marbling size prior to the dropping on of the FRENCH (or body) COLOR.

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


veining liquid

norm: veining liquid

text: A special marbling size designed to promote the formation of veins in the colors after they are dropped. The size is produced by mixing soft water, e.g., rain water, and soap, in the proportions of 1 1/8 pints of water to 2 ounces of soap. See also: SPRINKLING WATER.

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


veiny leather

norm: veiny leather

variant: veined

text: The colored pattern of arteries, veins, and other blood vessels sometimes seen in parchment and vellum, or even leather, where the pattern of the larger vessels appears on the grain surface in the form of indentations. In parchment and vellum it is caused by insufficient removal of blood from the vascular system of the skin while in the case of leather it is due to bacterial degradation of collagen fibers in the vicinities of the blood vessels. Veininess usually results from the use of skins of animals found dead of natural causes, from improper or delayed curing after flaying, or for some reason wherein the blood is not drained from the animal immediately after slaughter. In some cases, veininess can actually enhance the beauty of vellum, especially if the blood vessels form geometrical and/or attractive patterns.


vellucent binding

norm: vellucent binding

text: A method of decorating (and protecting) a bookbinding utilizing TRANSPARENT VELLUM. The technique was developed by CEDRIC CHIVERS sometime around 1903, and is designed not only for the protection of leather bindings, but also to protect covers bearing colored designs (usually pictorial in nature) painted on paper, attached to the boards, and then covered with the vellum. The vellucent covering is also suitable for highly decorative designs because it is possible to further embellish the design by means of mother-of-pearl, irridescent shell, and the like, all of which may be covered and permanently protected by the vellum. The surface of the vellum itself can he tooled in gold, thus further enhancing the entire effect. See also: EDWARDS OF HALIFAX.

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

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


vellum

norm: vellum

text:
Originally, a translucent or opaque material produced from calfskin that had been soaked, limed and unhaired, and then dried at normal temperature under tension, usually on a wooden device called a stretching frame. Today, however, vellum is generally defined as a material made from calfskin, sheepskin, or virtually any other skin obtained from a relatively small animal, e.g., antelope. Some authorities do not even distinguish between vellum and parchment, although traditionally the former was made from an unsplit calfskin, and consequently had a grain pattern on one side (unless removed by scraping). while the latter was produced from the flesh split of a sheepskin, and consequently had no grain pattern. The important distinction between vellum (or parchment) and leather is that the former is not tanned hut is prepared essentially by soaking the skin in lime and drying it under tension. For a description of its manufacture, see PARCHMENT.

Most medieval manuscripts, whether illuminated or not. were written on vellum. Uterine vellum was made in the 13th and 14th centuries from the skins of unborn or still-born animals. See: SLUNK.

Limp vellum or limp-parchment bindings were used frequently in the 16th and 17th centuries, and were sometimes gilt but were also often not embellished. In later centuries vellum has been more commonly used like leather, that is, as the covering for stiff board bindings. Vellum can be stained virtually any color but seldom is, as a great part of its beauty and appeal rests in its faint grain and hair markings, as well as its warmth and simplicity. See also: VEINY LEATHER.

citations: Kenyon, Frederick George. Books and their readers in ancient Greece and Rome. 2nd ed. Folcroft, Pa. Folcroft Library Editions. 1971.

citations: Lydenherg, Harry Miller, and John Archer. The care and repair of books. 4th ed. New York. Bowker. 1960.


vellum binder

norm: vellum binder

text: A term sometimes used in Great Britain to indicate one who hinds account books (blankbooks), as well as other stationery bindings. It derives from the time when stationery binding was referred to as "vellum binding."


vellum binding

norm: vellum binding

text: See: STATIONERY BINDING.


vellum painting

norm: vellum painting

text: A painting executed on the under surface of TRANSPARENT VELLUM, or on white paper, prior to covering. Many vellum paintings were also executed on the outer surface of vellum, although by strict definition these were not actually "vellum paintings. See also: EDWARDS OF HALIFAX.

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


vellum parchment

norm: vellum parchment

text: A very tough handmade vellum paper, produced in England, somewhat similar in appearance to genuine vellum. It is said to he extremely durable and not easily affected by heat, mildew, and insects. Its equivalent in the United States is ART PARCHMENT.


velvet

norm: velvet

text:
1. A fabric produced in a wide range of construction and weights from silk, rayon, cotton, nylon, or wool. Velvet is characterized by a short, soft. dense pile produced either by weaving an extra warp into a single cloth, which is looped over wires and later cut, or by weaving a double cloth with an extra warp connecting the two fabrics which are later separated by cutting. Uncut velvet, or terry, is sometimes woven simultaneously with the cut to create figures on the cloth. Velvet brocades, which are the most luxurious of all velvets, are made with gold and silver threads as an extra weft, or filling, the figures being wrought by hand, as with embroidery. Velveteen and plush are cotton or wool fabrics woven in much the same manner as true velvet.

Book covers of velvet, often studded with jewels, were produced, (for royalty) as early as the middle ages; however, velvet attained to its greatest use in bookbinding in EMBROIDERED BINDINGS.

As velvet is difficult to work. embroidered velvet bindings usually included a large area of applique, laid. or couched work in colored silk or satin, always with large spaces that were unworked. Such work as actually was done on the velvet was always in thick gimp or gold cord. 2. A leather finished with a fine nap on the grain side, in contrast to SUEDE, which has a (usually coarser) nap on the flesh side.

citations: Davenport, Cyril James Humphries. English embroidered bookbindings. London. Kegan Paul, Trench, Trubner. 1899.

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


velvet calf

norm: velvet calf

text: A calfskin leather finished with a fine nap on the grain side. See: VELVET (2).


velvet Persian

norm: velvet persian

text: A term sometimes applied to a sheepskin. The origin of the term i s obscure.

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


velvet wrapper binding

norm: velvet wrapper binding

text: A form of protective covering for book covers, designed to be wrapped over the edges of the book. Used in medieval times, the velvet wrapper binding is frequently represented in Flemish paintings of the 15th century. The wooden boards, with no preliminary covering, are covered in velvet cut so as to extend above and below head and tail, and beyond the fore edge of the upper cover. The edges of the velvet were sometimes finished with embroidery of red floss and silver.


Venetian binding

norm: venetian binding

text: A style of binding, obtained directly from the Near East, probably in the 1480s, the boards of which were composed of, or coated with, some form of paper composition that permitted the corners and centers to be stamped in sunken panels or shaded compartments. The entire board was generally covered with thinly pared leather, which was then coated with a colored lacquer and painted with arabesques in gold. This style of binding often incorporated the lion of St. Mark painted on the center panel, and was perhaps used as the official binding of the Statutes and Commissions of the Venetian Senate.

citations: Dutton, Meiric Keeler. Historical sketch of bookbinding as an art. Norwood. Holliston Mills. 1968.

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


Venetian red

norm: venetian red

text: A coloring earth of a deep, reddish brown, which, in its natural form, may consist of nearly pure ferric oxide (Fe.,O) of the hematite type. It is prepared synthetically by calcining ferrous sulfate in the presence of lime. and is then known as "caput mortuum." It is used in coloring paper. Also called "India red" or "Indian red."

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


ventilating power

norm: ventilating power

text: The capability of a leather to transfer water vapor from an atmosphere of higher to one of lower relative humidity.


verdigris

norm: verdigris

text: A green or greenish-blue pigment prepared by the action of acetic acid on copper. Verdigris, which is toxic, was at one time used to make a green marbling color. It is also very destructive to paper because it acts as an oxidation catalyst.

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

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


vermicular

norm: vermicular

text: Inlays which resemble somewhat the track of a wriggling worm.

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


verso

norm: verso

text: 1. The back or reverse side of a leaf of an open book or manuscript, and one which usually bears an even page number. 2. The reverse, or second. side of a sheet to be printed. 3. The back of a separately printed sheet. which in former times was called the "folio verso." 4. A term sometimes applied to the outer side of the lower cover of a book.

citations: Library Association. Library Binding Institute standard for library binding. 5th ed. Boston. Library Binding Institute. 1971.


vertical stroke

norm: vertical stroke

text: A device that can be attached to a shear or double-shear stroke GUILLOTINE so as to bring the knife down vertically, instead of in a shearing motion. It is used with knives of a special shape designed to cut irregular or fancy edges.

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


VESPER, or PLAIN CHANT MUSIC

norm: vesper, or plain chant music

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

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

Ut Clef. Fa Clef.

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

ut     re     mi     fa     sol     la     si     ut.

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

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

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

Stabat mater—in G major.

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

The same in modern notation.

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

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

caption: Old notation for these clefs

alt: Old notation for these clefs

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

caption: ut     re     mi     fa     sol     la     si     ut.

alt: Old notation for the re mi fa scale

alt: Old music notation

alt: Modern music notation


vinegar

norm: vinegar

text: A dilute solution of ACETIC ACID. It is used as an astringent to help close the pores of a porous leather before tooling. This operation is essential, as close tooling may ruin adjacent lines unless the surface of the leather is compact and solid. Vinegar also helps to raise the grain of leather and thus accentuate the pattern.

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

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


vinyl coating

norm: vinyl coating

text: A relatively heavy coating of a plastic material applied to a substrate, such as a fabric. Impregnated buckram is an example of a cloth having a vinyl coating. The finished glossy, soft, pliable surface is obtained by heat curing.

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


vinyl resin

norm: vinyl resin

text: Any of the thermoplastic synthetic resins prepared by the polymerization or copolymerization of various vinyl compounds, principally vinyl acetate, vinyl chloride, and vinylidine chloride. Vinyl resins are clear water-white, non-yellowing materials, some of which are used in the preparation of coating materials, foils, and the like. See also: POLYVINYL ACETATE; POLYVINYL CHLORIDE.

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


viscosity

norm: viscosity

text:
1. That property of a fluid manifest as a resistance to flow and measured by the tangential force per unit area of either of two horizontal planes at unit distance apart, one of the planes moving with unit velocity relative to the other, the space between being occupied by the flowing liquid. If the velocity of flow is proportional to the force applied, the fluid is said to exhibit Newtonian behavior; however, many colloidal dispersions and suspensions display anomalous non-Newtonian flow, i.e., the velocity of flow is not proportional to the force applied.

Viscosity diminishes as temperature rises, often by about 2% per degree C; it also increases with an increase in pressure.

2. That property of a cellulose paper pulp, or other polymer, expressed by the viscosity of a solution of the material in a suitable solvent and under specified conditions. Viscosity in this respect is related to the strength, as well as other properties of the paper pulp fibers.

citations: 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.

citations: Kingzett, Charles Thomas. Kingzett's chemical encyclopedia; a digest of chemistry & its industrial applications. Ed. by D. H. Hey, and others. 9th ed. London. Baillière, Tindell and Cassell. 1966.


viscosity coefficient

norm: viscosity coefficient

text: The tangentially applied shearing stress capable of inducing a velocity gradient. When a shearing stress of 1 dyne per square centimeter produces a velocity gradient of 1 centimeter per second/second, a material is said to have a viscosity of 1 poise.


visible cloth joint

norm: visible cloth joint

text: An inner hinge made of cloth (usually cambric), constructed by joining the first flyleaf and the board paper. It is sometimes reinforced to the text block by mounting or sewing. See also: HINGE (1).

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


VISORUM

norm: visorum

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

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

caption: A visorum

alt: A visorum


void fraction

norm: void fraction

text: The ratio of the volume taken up by air spaces (the voids) to the total volume of a material.


volant

norm: volant

text: A term at one time applied to a print or illustration hinged at one edge only so that it could be turned over for viewing of the reverse side.


volume signature

norm: volume signature

variant: part signature

text: The number of the volume or part, or a letter indicating its sequence, placed on the same line as the signature, in order to prevent the binder from mixing the sections of various volumes of a work.

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


volumen

norm: volumen

text: The papyrus roll used in ancient Egypt, Greece, and Rome, written on one side only with a reed pen. The text was in columns, the lines of which ran parallel the length of the roll. The final papyrus sheet of the volumen was rolled around a knobbed rod which served as a handle. The rolls were stored in boxes or on shelves, and, in the latter case, had an identifying label of vellum attached to the end of the roll. The label, which was sometimes colored, bore the title of the work. A wooden case (manuale) was sometimes used to protect the edges of the roll. "Volumen" is Latin for "a thing rolled up."


volute

norm: volute

text: A decorative ornament, often found on heads-in-medallions rolls, which consists of a large curl (spiral) in roughly volute form at one end, the other end having a small curl turning in the opposite direction. The volute was always used in pairs. Its use as a single tool, with a reverse partner, was common in English restoration bindings, often pointillé.

citations: Oldham, James Basil. English blind-stamped bindings. Cambridge. Cambridge University Press. 1952.


vulcanization

norm: vulcanization

text: 1. The process of reacting rubber with sulfur or other suitable agent so as to change its physical properties in the direction of decreased plastic flow, diminished surface tackiness, and increased tensile strength. See also: SELF-VULCANIZING. 2. The cross linkage of an adhesive substance obtained by the application of heat and catalysts.


wagon

norm: wagon

letter: W

letter_raw: W

text: A hand instrument somewhat resembling a sled (with its runners) and used in the manufacture of gold leaf to trim the edges of the leaves to proper size. A finely sharpened knife made of the bark of a reed is used in conjunction with the wagon. This knife is said to be so sharp that not even the finest steel can be honed to an edge equally suitable for trimming the leaves.

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


wainscot

norm: wainscot

text: A cover marble executed by first painting the covers with a brown coloring and then water, followed by splashes of copperas (ferrous sulfate). A solution of alum is then thrown on, followed by a bold sprinkle of dilute sulfuric acid. An alternative "wainscot" consists of brown, a coating of glair, black in large spots, brown again, this time in large spots, and finally the dilute sulfuric acid.

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


wallet edge

norm: wallet edge

text: A type of limp binding which has the covering of the lower cover, along the entire length of the book, overlapping the fore edge of the book, terminating in a tongue which is inserted through a slot in the upper cover. See also: YAPP STYLE.

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


walnut marble

norm: walnut marble

text: A type of TREE CALF executed by sprinkling the covers with black and brown coloring only.

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


walrus hide

norm: walrus hide

text: A leather produced from the hide of a walrus, or the skin of a seal or sea lion, split, and used occasionally for covering books. Subsequent to tanning and splitting, it is difficult to distinguish between leather made from sealskin and walrus hide, and the names are often used interchangeably. "Walrus grain" is a term used to indicate a cowhide, sheepskin, or goatskin, as well as splits of various hides, embossed in imitation of walrus hide. In such cases, the proper description is "walrus-grained cowhide," etc.

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


warbles

norm: warbles

text: A defect in leather seen as small pinholes or as tiny scars. Warbles are caused by the larvae of the grub or warble fly (family Oestridae), which develop under the skin of the animal and emerge in the area of the backbone. If the animal is slaughtered before the wounds heal, the defect is known as "open warbles," while if sufficient time elapses for the animal to develop scar tissue, they are then called closed or "blind warbles." In either case leather produced from a warbled hide is unsatisfactory in both strength and appearance.

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


warehouse work

norm: warehouse work

text: An expression sometimes applied to the bookbinding work consisting of simple forms of binding, such as pamphlets, periodicals and booklets, as well as miscellaneous operations, such as cutting, folding, and stitching.

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


warm colors

norm: warm colors

text: Colors having red and yellow as the dominant hue. Yellowish or brownish grays are called the "warm grays." All warm colors lie in the red-yellow half of the color circle. Cf: COOL COLORS.


warp

norm: warp

text:
A series of parallel yarns extended lengthwise in a loom, thereby forming the lengthwise threads of a fabric. They are usually twisted tighter than the filling yarns and are sized so as to protect them during the weaving of the filling threads.

The warp direction of a cloth is the stronger of the two directions. There is some disagreement as to which direction the warp of a book cloth should run with relation to the spine of the book. Some contend that the warp should run across the joint of a case-bound book, as this will give more strength in the joint; others maintain that the warp should run parallel to the spine because: 1) it makes a neater joint; 2) in the event the cloth becomes damp or wet there is less likelihood of the covers warping in such a manner that the head and tail pull outward thus damaging the inner hinge; and 3) the cloth will adhere better in the joint.

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

citations: Library Association. Library Binding Institute standard for library binding. 5th ed. Boston. Library Binding Institute. 1971.


warping

norm: warping

text: The distortion of the covers of a book subsequent to binding, to the extent that the covers do not lie flat against the text block. This distortion is caused by the difference in expansion and contraction of the various components of the cover-cloth, boards board paper, and, to a lesser extent, the films of adhesive which secure these components together. Warping is found to occur in the direction of: 1) the side of the material which has the greater stretch; 2) the side of the material with the least moisture content; and 3) the side which is lined or has the greater number of layers. On newly bound books these factors are at work because of the setting and drying of the adhesives; subsequent to binding, stresses may occur because of atmospheric changes. The practical means of minimizing warping include the use of well-matured boards, cutting the boards and board papers so that the grain (machine direction) runs parallel to the spine of the book, the use of adhesives containing a minimum amount of water (and no more than the minimum amount required of plasticizer), and adequate pressing of the books after casing-in or covering. In addition, maintenance of a stable atmospheric environment is important.


WASH

norm: wash

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


WASH THE FORM

norm: wash the form

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


WASTE

norm: waste

text:
The surplus sheets of a work.

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


Waste

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

siglum: NBL

author: Bailey, Arthur L.

work: Notes on Bookbinding for Libraries


waste sheet

norm: waste sheet

text: 1. A sheet of paper tipped to the outside over the permanent endpaper to prevent it from becoming damaged or soiled during the binding of the book. Special instructions on binding the book may also be written on this sheet. Originally, the waste sheet was printed with an abbreviated title so that the publication could be identified. The so-called printed waste sheet is known as the half-title paper and is always found in books of any pretension to high quality. 2. An old term for the advertisements, blurbs, etc., at the front and back of some publications. 3. Sheets of paper used in press makeready and register, or the spoiled sheets resulting from errors in printing and binding.

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

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


water

norm: water

text: A colorless or faintly blue-green liquid (H2O). Molecules of water enter into the constitution of many crystalline salts, e.g., alum—K2SO4.Al2(SO4)3 . 24H2O, in which they may be reversibly held. The outstanding chemical reactions of water are: 1) its reaction with certain metals, e.g., Na, Ca, Fe, more or less easily, with the liberation of hydrogen, such as, Na + H2O → NaOH + H; 2) its reaction with oxides of non-metals, e.g., with SO3 to form acids, such as, SO3 + H2O → H2SO4; 3) with halides of nonmetals, to form hydrogen halides and an oxyacid, such as PCl3 + 3H2O → H3PO3 + 3HCl; 4) with dissolved salts of weak acids or weak bases, forming solutions with an alkaline or acid reaction (hydrolysis), such as Na2CO3 + H2O &equil; NaOH + NaHCO3; and 5) with coke at high temperature to form water gas, C + H2O → CO + H2.

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


water glass

norm: water glass

text: See: SODIUM SILICATE.


water resistance

norm: water resistance

text: That property of a material which enables it to resist, but not completely prevent, the action or penetration of water. A material may be made water resistant to a greater or lesser degree by the application of sizing, coating, impregnating, or other materials.


water stain

norm: water stain

text: A blemish on book papers, documents, etc., caused by the movement of materials within the paper, such as coloring matter, dust, acids, and the like, resulting from the paper being wetted with water, either accidently or during washing. The water itself does not stain the paper, unless it contains impurities which leave it and enter the paper fibers. Water stains can frequently be removed or reduced by hot water or a size bath.


water-vapor permeability

norm: water-vapor permeability

text: A form of PERMEABILITY applied specifically to water vapor. Because the cellulosic fibers of paper have a very high affinity for water, water vapor permeability does not generally correlate with the permeability of other vapors and gases. See also: VAPOR PERMEABILITY.

citations: 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.

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


watercolor inks

norm: watercolor inks

text: Thin, semi-transparent inks that contain no oils, and which are used when printing in colors from a rubber surface. As they remain water soluble, even after printing, they cannot be used where inadvertent wetting may occur, nor can papers printed with them be washed or deacidified by means of aqueous systems.


watercolor paper

norm: watercolor paper

text: A paper designed to be used with watercolors. It is a typical drawing paper, either made by hand or machine; tub sized, and machine, air, or loft dried. The paper has a hardsized surface, and a texture designed to enhance the absorption of watercolors so that they will not run or penetrate too deeply into the paper. When intended for use with oil paints, the paper is made to simulate the surface of canvas.


watered silk

norm: watered silk

text: A silk cloth having a wavy or damasklike pattern, i.e., a MOIRÉ EFFECT. While seldom used as a covering material, it is sometimes used for doublures and fly leaves. See also: MOIRÉ BOOK CLOTH.


waterleaf

norm: waterleaf

text: 1. A completely unsized sheet of paper, and one having low water resistance. See also: ABSORBENT PAPERS. 2. Handmade paper in its initial stage of manufacture, consisting of paper fibers spread evenly over the surface of the hand mold; they are then removed and pressed between felts. As it is unsized, it is very absorbent and has low water resistance. It is generally surface sized to make it suitable for writing or printing. See also: SIZING (1).


watermark

norm: watermark

text:
A distinguishing letter, design, symbol, etc., incorporated into a paper during manufacture. True watermarks are a localized modification of the formation and opacity of the paper while it is still wet, so that the marks can be seen in the finished sheet of paper when viewed by transmitted light. This type of sheet modification may be accomplished by means of a bronze letterpress-type dandy roll that impresses a design in the wet web, or by means of a design wired to the grid of the mold in paper that is made by hand. The place where the dandy roll impresses, or the location of the wired design, will contain less fibrous material and, therefore, will have greater translucency. Another method is to use a bronze, intaglio-type device on the dandy roll, the resulting modification being that more fibrous material is located at the point of impress. See: SHADE-CRAFT WATERMARK. A variation of the letterpress method incorporates the use of a soft rubber, letterpress-type device that impresses a design in the web of paper on the underside of the web, i.e., the wire side (where the watermark is found in handmade paper), so that it is seen through the sheet from the top. This type of watermark, which is produced at a point on the papermaking machine where the web is no longer sufficiently wet to modify the formation and opacity of the paper, is actually, therefore, a form of embossing and cannot be called a true watermark.

Forms of the watermark are generally divided into four very broad classes: 1) the very earliest, generally consisting of simple circles, crosses, knots. ovals, three-hill symbols, triangles, and the like, which were easy to construct simply by twisting and bending soft wires. (These early marks also included many pomme crosses, based on the Greek cross with balls or circles at the ends of the cross bars. A similar watermark, found on Italian paper of the 14th century, consists of a circle above which is a patriarchal or papal cross. These earliest marks were prevalent from about 1282 to 1425); 2) watermarks emphasizing man and his works. (Thousands of designs of this nature have been noted, a large number of them featuring human hands in various forms); 3) watermarks consisting of flowers, fruit, grains, trees and other plants, etc.; and 4) watermarks consisting of wild, domesticated, and legendary animals.

More recent developments of the watermark have resulted in some complicated and occasionally artistic forms, reflecting an increasing skill in design and manufacture. "Light and shade" watermarks have been used from time to time in the 20th century, but they are relatively uncommon because of the difficulty and expense of producing them.

The papermaker's initials or name, the place or date of manufacture of the paper (if included) were more likely to be found in the COUNTERMARK, which was a subsidiary and smaller mark introduced in the 17th century, and was generally located in the opposite half of the sheet to the watermark itself.

Watermarks in paper, particularly in endpapers, can provide valuable information about the history of bookbinding.

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

citations: Hunter, Dard. Papermaking through eighteen centuries. New York. Franklin. (Burt Franklin research and source series, 735). 1971.

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


waterproof

norm: waterproof

text: A relative term indicating that a material has been treated, i.e., sized, coated, impregnated, etc., in such a manner as to increase its resistance to the penetration of water. The basic principle of waterproofing is that the presence of the waterproofing chemical or other material in or on a fibrous substance modifies the surface tension between water and the substances of the fiber. WATER RESISTANCE is probably a better term to use with respect to any of the materials used in book and paper conservation.


Waterproof sheets

norm: waterproof sheets

text: sheets of celluloid, such as are used by photographers.

siglum: BCB

author: Cockerell, Douglas

work: Bookbinding, and the Care of Books


Waterproof sheets

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


Waters, Peter

norm: waters, peter

text:
An English bookbinder and conservator who studied bookbinding under William Matthews at the Guilford College of Art, Surrey after which he attended the Royal College of Art, London. He then worked for three years with Roger Powell before entering as a partner in the firm of Powell and Waters in 1956. In this same year, Waters succeeded Powell as lecturer in bookbinding at the Royal College of Art. From 1956 to 1971, he executed a number of bindings for private collectors museums. and presentation, and worked with Powell in the repair and restoration of a number of valuable books in the libraries of Trinity College, Dublin, Aberdeen and Winchester Universities. and others. In 1966 Waters served as consultant to the Biblioteca Nazionale Florence, Italy, as Technicial Director for the restoration of flood-damaged collections and was principally responsible for the design and incorporation of the restoration system employed. From 1968 to 1971 he was codirector with James Lewis of a research project at the Imperial College of Science and Technology, London, relating to the conservation of library materials. In 1971 Waters was appointed Restoration Officer in the Preservation Office of the Library of Congress. There he inaugurated new concepts and programs relating to the conservation of the Library's extensive collection of books manuscripts, maps, and other archival materials.

Waters' philosophy has been rooted in the Bauhaus tradition of "fitness for purpose" in design, which through his extensive knowledge of book structure has found expression ranging from the binding of individual books to the planning of comprehensive conservation measures culminating in his now widely followed concept of "phased preservation."


wattle (bark)

norm: wattle (bark)

text: A vegetable tanning material obtained from the bark of the black wattle (Acacia mollissima), indigenous to Australia but cultivated extensively in South Africa and other areas. Large quantities of wattle are exported, much of it to England, in the form either of the bark itself, or as the extract. The tannin content of the bark ranges from 30 to 45%, with the average being about 35 to 39%. Wattle is essentially a tannin of the condensed class; it has a high pH value, a low salts and acids content, and a relatively low viscosity, especially in warm solutions. It is very astringent, penetrates the hide substance rapidly, and has a high degree of tan fixation. Like most other vegetable tannins, it is seldom used alone, but generally in mixtures with myrabolans, sumac, valonea, etc. Also known as "mimosa." See also: VEGETABLE TANNINS.

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


wave marble

norm: wave marble

variant: wave nonpareil marble

text: A marble pattern consisting of colors drawn into an undulating form, with the points of each row meeting each other. The colors-red, yellow, blue, and green-are dropped on the size, over which the marbler beats a small quantity of white. The colors are then raked with a double rake (one having teeth 3 or 4 inches apart, those of the rear rake being adjusted so as to be exactly in the center of the spaces of the forward rake, and about 1 1/2 inches behind it). The rake is then drawn through the colors in a manner similar to that used in executing the NONPAREIL MARBLE, i.e., from left to right. The raking is done with an undulating or see-saw motion, but only enough to make the top of the last wave touch the bottom of the first, thus producing a uniformity over the entire sheet and giving the pattern the appearance of squares.

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


waved

norm: waved

text: A term used occasionally to indicate a book cover that has warped or curled.


wavelengths

norm: wavelengths

text:
The electromagnetic spectrum consisting of a continuous range of electromagnetic waves travelling at the speed of light, or approximately 186,300 miles per second. The length of these waves ranges from several miles (low frequency radio transmissions) to as short as 10^-12 cm (&ggr;-rays). Wavelengths may be expressed in centimeters; however, the shorter wavelengths are more commonly expressed in Ångstrom (Å) units, defined as 1 Å = 1 x 10^-8 cm.

Approximate wavelengths for various types are:

Wavelength

Type             in Centimeters             In Å

y-rays             10^-12     to  10^-10          0.01

X-rays             10^-9      to  10^-7           0.1 to 10

Ultraviolet light  10^-6      to  4 X 10^-5       100 to 4,000

Visible light      4 X 10^-5  to  8 X 10^-5     4,000 to 8,000

Infrared light     8 X 10^-5  to  0.1           8,000

Radio waves        1 to 10^5

citations: Kingzett, Charles Thomas. Kingzett's chemical encyclopedia; a digest of chemistry & its industrial applications. Ed. by D. H. Hey, and others. 9th ed. London. Baillière, Tindell and Cassell. 1966.


wavy edges

norm: wavy edges

text: An effect in book and other printing papers similar to the warping of book covers. It is usually caused by a more rapid rate of change in the moisture content of the edges of sheets in a pile as compared with the center.


wax

norm: wax

text: An animal or plant substance, such as BEESWAX or CARNAUBA WAX, that differs from fat in that it is less greasy, harder, and more brittle. Wax is essentially an ester of monohydric alcohols and fatty acids of high molecular weight, in association with some free acids and alcohols. See also: CANDELILLA WAX; CHINESE WAX; INSECT WAX; JAPAN WAX; LANOLIN; MICROCRYSTALLINE WAX; PLANT WAX; SPERMACETI WAX.

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


wax emulsion

norm: wax emulsion

text: A stable aqueous emulsion usually made of paraffin or microcrystalline wax; it sometimes contains rosin. It is prepared by means of emulsifying agents and mechanical agitation. The emulsion may be either acid- or alkali-stable, depending on the emulsifying agent employed. Wax emulsions are used for sizing and waxing paper, and in the manufacture of leather.


wax resist

norm: wax resist

text: A method of producing decorative end- and cover papers, similar to the process used in BATIK. The wax acts to resist the paint in the CRAYON-RESIST process. Approximately equal parts of beeswax and paraffin are used. The mixture is heated, and, if a crackled effect is desired, additional brittleness may be imparted by the addition of more paraffin. The melted wax is applied to the paper in lines, spots and/or various shapes. A water color wash is applied over the entire surface of the paper, and adheres only to the unwaxed areas. The wax is removed by placing the paper between protective sheets and pressing with a warm iron. The wax-resist process is also used at times in decorating the leather covers of books.

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

citations: Smith, Philip. New directions in bookbinding. New York. Van Nostrand Reinhold. 1974.


wax size

norm: wax size

text: A sizing agent containing paraffin or as similar type of wax.


WAYZ GOOSE

norm: wayz goose

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

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


WAYZ GOOSE

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

siglum: AMP

author: MacKellar, Thomas

work: The American Printer: A Manual of Typography


WEAK INK. See Soft Ink.—M

norm: weak ink. see soft ink.—m

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

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


wear resistance

norm: wear resistance

text: A term used in the leather trade to indicate the reciprocal of the loss in thickness of a specimen of leather after a specified degree of abrasive action upon it.


web

norm: web

text: Paper on, or as it comes from, the papermaking machine in its full width, or from a roll of paper in any converting operation. The expression "in the direction of the web" means in the direction of the run of the papermaking machine when the paper is being made. It also means the direction in which the greater proportion of the paper fibers are oriented, i.e., the grain (machine direction) of the paper. The direction of the web is important in work printed to register, as paper stretches more across the web than in the direction of it.


webbing

norm: webbing

variant: webbings

text: 1. The strong, narrow fabric, closely woven of plied yarns, on which heavy blankbooks are sewn. 2. Filaments or threads that sometimes form when adhesive surfaces are separated. See also: STRINGINESS.

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

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


wedge shaped

norm: wedge shaped

text: A bound book that is thicker at the spine than at the fore edge. The condition is caused by excessive, uncompensated sewing swell, compensation guards that are too thick for the inserted material, excessive guarding of damaged folds, or by guards made of paper that is too thick. Such a condition may at times also be the reverse. where the fore edge is thicker than the spine, because of swelling of the paper, or an improperly folded map, etc. In the latter case, the fore edge swells but the spine, being fixed in position, does not.

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

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


weft

norm: weft

text: The threads or yarns in a fabric that cross the WARP and extend from selvage to selvage, i.e., the threads carried by the shuttle. The typical cloth is stronger, i.e., has a greater breaking strength, in the warp direction than in the weft. Also called "filling."

citations: U.S. National Bureau of Standards. Fabrics for book covers. Washington, D.C. U.S. Government Printing Office. (Product Standard PS 9-68). 1968.


WEIGHTS AND MEASURES

norm: weights and measures

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


WELL

norm: well

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


well-closed formation

norm: well-closed formation

text: A paper is said to have a well-closed formation when the paper fibers are arrayed in an even, regular manner so that the paper has a uniform appearance. It is the opposite of a WILD (1) formation.


WELSH

norm: welsh

text:
The Welsh alphabet, as now popularly used, contains twenty-eight letters: a, b, c, ch, d, dd, e, f, ff, g, ng, h, i, l, ll, m, n, o, p, ph, rh, r, s, t, th, u, w, y.

J, q, x, and z, are not properly Welsh letters, nor are they wanted in words purely Welsh.

K and v occur frequently in old Welsh, but are now generally disused; the place of the former is supplied by c, which always has the hard sound, and that of the latter by f.

In addition to the common accented letters, the Welsh requires ŵ and ŷ to be accented likewise; as, gŵr, a man; tŷ, a house.

Of the twenty-one Welsh consonants twelve are immutable, namely, ch, dd, f, ff, ng, k, l, n, ph, r, s, th; the remaining nine, b, c, d, g, ll, m, p, rh, t, are mutable. These are divisible into three classes of three letters each. The first, containing c, t, p, is susceptible of three kinds of modification, viz. the obtuse, the liquid, and the aspirate; the second class, comprising g, d, b, is affected by two kinds, the obtuse and the liquid; and the third, comprising ll, m, rh, is susceptible of the obtuse form only.

The following table will show at one view the various changes of the mutable initial consonants:—

The following examples may be given to show more clearly the nature of these mutations:—1. Câr, a kinsman; 2. Gwâs, a servant.

The obtuse sound is assumed after—

1. All verbs, except of the infinitive mood, and interjections.

2. All personal pronouns; the possessives DY, thy; mau, mine; tau, thine; and ei (masc.) his; but not when fem.; the relatives pa, which; pwy, who; and à, that.

3. Adjectives and formative adverbs, and interjections.

4. The duals dau and dwy, two.

5. All prepositions, except yn, in, and tua, towards.

6. Pronominal prepositions.

7. The article y, the, if the object be feminine.

8. The participial sign yn.

9. The disjunctive sign neu, or.

The liquid sound is assumed after—

1. The possessive pronoun my or fy, my.

2. The word yn when used as the English preposition in.

The aspirate sound is assumed after—

1. The possessive pronoun ei (fem.) her.

2. The adverbs tra, over; and ni, and na, not.

3. The conjunctions a, and; no, than; neu, or; and oni, unless.

4. The preposition â, with.

5. The numerals tri, three; and chwe, six.

All vowel initials take h before them, after ei (fem.) her; ein, our; and eu, their.

Welsh substantives do not vary in their terminations, but the cases are distinguished by prepositions changing their initial letters, if mutable, according to their dependance on the preceding word; as, N. tŷ, a house; G. dodrefn fy nhŷ, the furniture of my house; A. prynodd dŷ, he bought a house; Ab. allan o’i thŷ, out of her house.

Deg, ten, and pymtheg, fifteen, before blynedd, years, not only change the initial of the following word into its corresponding liquid, but likewise suffer a variation themselves; thus, for deg blynedd and pymtheg blynedd we find deng mlynedd and pymtheng mlynedd; and for pump blynedd we read pum mlynedd, five years.

Authorities.—Dr. Pughe’s Welsh Grammar, 2d edit. Denbigh, 1832.—Rev. W. Gambold’s Welsh Grammar, 3d edit. Bala, 1833.—Dr. Prichard on the Celtic Languages, London, 1831.


west end marble

norm: west end marble

text: A marble pattern executed in much the same manner as the SPANISH MARBLE, the major difference being that the paper is laid down without shading. Aside from the veins, it consists of two hues of the same color. one of which is dark and dotted all over with small white spots, while the other, or top color, is lighter in shade. The vein colors are mixed with gall and water, as in the case of the Spanish marble. The dark color is sprinkled on full so as to drive the veins up well, and the white is then beaten on finely and evenly all over. The light or top color is sprinkled on lightly and evenly, and the paper is then laid on.

citations: Hasluck, Paul Nooncree, ed. Bookbinding. Philadelphia. McKay. 1903.


wet press

norm: wet press

text: A dewatering unit on the Fourdrinier papermaking machine, situated between the sheet-forming equipment and the driers. It uses pressure, or a combination of pressure and suction to remove water from the wet web before it reaches the driers. The press consists of pressure nips, each formed by a pair of heavy rollers. One of each pair is usually covered with rubber and may be perforated and fitted with an internal suction device which further reduces the amount of water in the web. The paper web is carried through the nip of each wet press on a FELT (2), which itself, being both bulky and porous, absorbs and thus removes water from the paper.

citations: 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.


wet strength

norm: wet strength

text: The resistance to breakage of an applied adhesive as measured immediately after removal from immersion under specified conditions of time, temperature, and pressure.

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


wet-rub resistance

norm: wet-rub resistance

text: The ability of the coating of a material to resist softening and abrading due to rubbing, or, in the case of a printing paper, from the combined action of fountain solution and blanket.


wet-salting

norm: wet-salting

text: A method of curing hides and skins for storage and/or transportation subsequent to flaying. The hide is spread out, flesh side up, and well sprinkled with salt (sodium chloride). Coarse, or round salt is preferred to fine salt, as the former spreads evenly, while the latter tends to form patchy. wet cakes. A second hide is laid over the first and sprinkled with salt, a process which is repeated until a stack 5 to 8 feet high is formed, the top hide being well overlaid with salt. The pack is left for approximately 30 days, during which time the salt dissolves in the moisture of the hides and the brine thus created permeates throughout the pile. The amount of salt used is generally 1 pound of salt for each pound of hide. When the hides are ready for shipment. they are "taken up," the salt is knocked off and the hides are then bundled and tied. Also called "green salting. See also: BRINING; DRYING (1); DRY-SALTING,

citations: 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.

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

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


wet-strength paper

norm: wet-strength paper

text: A paper which, even when saturated with water, has an unusually high resistance to rupture or disintegration. This property is produced by subjecting the paper or the fibers from which the paper is made to chemical treatment. Wet strength. which is most evident and significant when it occurs in absorbent papers. should not be confused with water repellency or the resistance of paper to wetting when exposed to water. Normally, a paper loses most of its strength when saturated with water, and one which retains more than 15% of its dry strength when completely saturated with water may correctly be referred to as a "wet-strength paper." A very superior wet-strength paper may retain as much as 60% of its dry strength when wet.

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


wettability

norm: wettability

text: The state or condition of being wettable, or the relative affinity of liquid for the surface of a solid. such as the affinity of water for paper or leather. Wettability increases directly with increasing affinity, as measured by the contact angle formed between the liquid and the solid. This increases from non-wettability at an angle greater than 90° to complete wettability when the contact angle is 0°.


wetting

norm: wetting

text: The relative capability of a liquid adhesive to display affinity for an adherend, i.e., to flow uniformly over the adherend surface.


wetting agent

norm: wetting agent

text: A substance, usually a SURFACE-ACTIVE AGENT, which reduces the surface tension of a liquid and therefore increases its adhesion to a solid surface. Improved wettability is observed as a lower (often zero) contact angle between the solid and liquid. A wetting agent usually consists of a molecule with a hydrophilic (water attracting) group at one end and a hydrophobic (water repelling, and therefore oil attracting) group at the other. Wetting agents are used to improve absorbency of blotting papers, and for improving dispersibility of pigments. such as calcium carbonate and titanium oxide.

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

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


wetting down

norm: wetting down

text: The process of dampening paper before printing. Wetting down was necessary in the early days of printing because of the non-uniformity of the height of the type used, and because type was used longer and. therefore, wore down more. In addition, the early hand-operated presses were not as powerful as later presses. Slightly dampened paper takes ink more readily than dry paper. and does not require as much pressure to make the impression on the softened surface of the paper. The impression, however. makes a thicker line and may also show on the other side of the sheet. Wetting down also often resulted in uneven stretching of the paper fibers during impression, causing the book to be thicker in the printed area than in the margins. See also: CONVEX COVERS.


wetting out

norm: wetting out

text: The process of dipping large sheets of handmade paper into cold water so as to remove wrinkles and cockles. The paper is then again made up into packs and pressed.

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


WETTING PAPER

norm: wetting paper

text:
In quoting my old pressman’s observations again, it will be perceived that he is speaking of the practice when pelt balls were in use.

“When a pressman is engaged to work in a strange office, if there be no balls for him, he puts an old and a new pelt into the pelt pot, and, while his pelts are soaking, he inquires whether he has to wet paper or not; if he has to wet it, he does it in a large trough lined with lead, containing clean water. He holds the middle of the back of each quire in one hand, and the fore edge with the other hand, and draws it quickly through the water, the back first; lays it on a clean wrapper (which is laid on a clean paper board); opens part of the quire, leaves that part on the board, and draws the remainder of the quire, and all the other quires in the same proportion, through the water as often as necessary, till he has wet all the heap; then he places another paper board on the top of the heap, and puts sufficient weight on it; in this state it continues till the paper is all properly damped, by the moisture becoming diffused through the whole heap, except it be for fine work, when he turns the paper as often as he thinks necessary, pressing it at each turning; and common work would look better if the paper were turned.

“Paper for different works being of various qualities, it is impossible to form a regular judgment of how many dips in each quire all sorts of paper require; therefore the wetter must be cautious in examining, while wetting, whether each sort is of a soft, or spongy, middling, hard, or harsh nature; also to consider whether it be for a light or a heavy form, and dip each sort accordingly.”

In large establishments the pressmen do not wet the paper, but there is one or more persons appointed to that duty solely, who also turn it and press it, so that it is delivered to the pressmen to print, more uniformly in good condition, than where they wet it. See Token. Token Sheet.


Whatman paper

norm: whatman paper

text: A high grade quality of English hand-made paper, both laid and wove, chiefly used for drawing.


Whatman, James

norm: whatman, james

text: An 18th century English papermaker. His father. James Whatman (1702-1759), acquired a part ownership in the Turkey Mill papermaking establishment near Maidstone in 1740 and developed it until it became one of England's leading papermaking firms. The Whatmans are credited with the first manufacture of WOVE PAPER in Europe, in about 1755, and they may also have invented the wove-wire mold (about 1756). Whatman paper is still being made, and is used for special editions and privately printed books.

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


WHEEL

norm: wheel

text: Also called girt wheel, and drum; a cylinder of elm wood, with two flat broad grooves turned in it, on which the two girts wind and unwind alternately, as the carriage is run in and out. It is fixed on the spit, and one end of each girt is nailed to it; the other ends are fastened, the one that runs the carriage in to the end of the coffin, and the other to the fore end of the plank. The diameter of the wheel varies according to the size of the press.


wheeling

norm: wheeling

text: The process of tumbling hides and skins, or leather, in a revolving drum. Newly tanned leather is wheeled after pressing in order to remove wrinkles and creases.


whip stitching

norm: whip stitching

text: The process of sewing single sheets into "sections," the number of sheets so sewn depending on the thickness of the paper. The "sections" are then sewn on tapes or cords in the usual manner of hand sewing.

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


whipping

norm: whipping

text: The process of overseaming or overcasting an insert in a book. See also: WHIP STITCHING.


whipping

text: The process of overseaming plates.

siglum: MAB

author: Nicholson, James B.

work: A Manual of the Art of Bookbinding


whipping

text: Another term for overcasting, but when longer stitches are made.


whipping

text: Same as whipstitching or overcasting.


whistling joint

norm: whistling joint

text: A wrinkled joint (inner hinge) caused by the board paper not adhering securely in the joint and inside edge of the board.

citations: Buffum, Clara. Hand-bound books…Providence, R.I. 1935.


white dressing

norm: white dressing

text: A 19th century and earlier process of treating skins with weak organic acids during the manufacture of vellum and parchment. Subsequent to soaking, washing, and fleshing, the skins were immersed in a series of acid vats, much in the same manner skins are limed today. There were generally five such baths; the first was usually intended to cleanse the skins, the second to soften the hair and epidermis for unhairing, and the final three to swell and plump the skins and give them body. The entire process generally took 5 to 6 weeks.

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


white edges

norm: white edges

text: The edges of a book which have been trimmed smooth but not colored, marbled, gilt, sprinkled, or otherwise decorated or treated in any manner. Also called "plain edges."

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


white edges

text: Simply cut, without being gilded or colored.


white gold

norm: white gold

text: A pale gold alloy which somewhat resembles silver or platinum and usually contains nickel with or without other metals, such as copper, tin, or zinc. It is used to a limited extent for embellishing books. It is considerably thicker than regular (23 1/2 karat) gold leaf.

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


WHITE LINE

norm: white line

text: A line of quadrats.—M. So it is usually understood at present; yet it frequently happens that quadrats are not in sufficient quantity to use for white lines, even for the bottoms of the pages; reglet of a proper thickness is then substituted for quadrats, and sometimes leads, but these should never be used for this purpose—for a volume or a pamphlet may be wanted in a great hurry in the same measure, and then an inconvenience may arise from the leads being blocked up in an unnecessary manner.


WHITE LINE

text: A line of quadrates.


WHITE PAGE

norm: white page

text: A page that no matter comes in.—M.


WHITE PAPER

norm: white paper

text: Although the first form be printed off, yet pressmen erroneously call that heap white paper, till the reiteration be printed.—M. This application of the term is now wearing away; and generally speaking, it is only used for paper not printed upon; when the pressmen are printing the first form of a sheet or the first side of a half sheet, they say they are working the white paper.


WHITE PAPER

text: Until the second side of a sheet is printed, pressmen call the heap white paper.


WHITE PAPER REGISTER

norm: white paper register

text:
Pulling an impression without ink, or with a sheet of waste paper between the form and the paper for the work, for the purpose of ascertaining that the furniture is right. This is a good old custom, and it is a pity that it is now so seldom practised, as it would prevent those mistakes of wrong furniture which occasionally occur in the white paper form, and when this happens, which I have known at different times, the only remedy is, either to cancel what has been printed, or to alter the reiteration form to make it register with that which is printed, to the disfigurement of the book when it is bound.

Whole Press. See Full Press.—M.


white size

norm: white size

text: See: ACID SIZE.


white spot

norm: white spot

text: A technique used in coloring the edges of a book. Drops of melted wax are spattered on the edges, which are then colored in the usual manner. When the wax is removed, the edges appear to be colored with white spots. The pattern may be varied by using two or three colors, or by sprinkling the edges before the wax is applied and then again after it is removed.

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


whiteness

norm: whiteness

text: The condition of being white, i.e., the degree to which the color of a material, such as paper, approaches that of "ideal white." Whiteness in paper in associated with low colorimetric purity and high luminous reflectively.


whittawed leather

norm: whittawed leather

text: See: TAWING.


Whole binding

norm: whole binding

text: when the leather covers the back and sides of a volume.


wholesale trade binding

norm: wholesale trade binding

text: 1. A term synonymous with TRADE BINDING (1) in the 18th and 19th centuries. 2. A term sometimes associated in England in the first half of the 19th century with bindings of wholesale booksellers, especially those who catered to the provincial and foreign book trade. The booksellers brought new books in sheets and had them bound independently of the publishers. This type of binding was prevalent before the introduction of modern EDITION BINDING (1825-30), It was most prevalent in the field of fiction, and because it continued to satisfy the demand of distributors of the novel, such publications were the last type of book, at least those published in large editions, to be bound in publisher's cloth. This was essentially the reason why equal numbers of boarded and half-cloth books of fiction were issued in wholesalers' as well as in publishers' bindings between 1820 and at least 1845. Similar (printed) labels were applied to each and it was usually very difficult to distinguish between them.

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


wide lines

norm: wide lines

text: See: CHAIN LINES.


WIDE SPACING,

norm: wide spacing,

text:
is when en quadrats, or two thick spaces, are used between the words.   Wilkins, Beata. See Donations.   WINTER

is when en quadrats, or two thick spaces, are used between the words.

Wilkins, Beata. See Donations.


wild

norm: wild

text: 1. An irregular formation of the fibers in a sheet of paper, resulting in a mottled appearance in the LOOK-THROUGH of the sheet, as opposed to a CLOSE FORMATION. It is caused by: 1) partial clotting or lumping of the fibers; and 2) high freeness or excessive vacuum at the first suction box of the papermaking machine. It is especially noticeable in long-fibered papers, although it is possible to imitate a wild formation in paper made up of short fibers by manipulating the sheet forming equipment. Also called "cloudy." 2. See: MARBLED GRAIN.

citations: 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.


willow

norm: willow

text: 1. A machine consisting essentially of two rotating drums having spikes attached to their interior surfaces. The willow is used to tear raw material, e.g., rags, waste paper, etc., for use in making paper. The willow frequently utilizes air currents to remove dust from the usable papermaking material. Also called a "devil." 2. A long grain in leather. The willow grain is produced by drawing the leather from head to butt over a dull blade.

citations: Horne, Herbert Percy. The binding of books; an essay in the history of gold-tooled bindings. 2nd ed. New York. Haskell House. 1970.


willow calf

norm: willow calf

text: A leather produced from calfskin, usually brown in color, and generally with a typical box grain pattern It is a full chrome-tanned leather boarded either in one direction-head to butt-or in two directions, as with box calf.

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


willow side

norm: willow side

text: A side of a cattle hide, i.e., cut down the backbone, full chrome, semi-chrome, or vegetable tanned, and usually colored brown but also produced in other colors, but never black. It has a grain pattern formed by BOARDING (1) in one direction (head to butt). There is some confusion concerning this leather because at times it is boarded in two directions, producing a grain pattern similar to that of BOX SIDE.

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


windows

norm: windows

text: The uncolored areas of marbled papers.


WINTER

norm: winter

text:
A solid piece of wood, generally elm, similar to the head of a press, mortised into the cheeks below the carriage and the long ribs, and on which they rest.

I would recommend, contrary to the general practice, that in wooden presses the winter should lie solid in the mortises of the cheeks, and have no spring; and that all the spring should be in the head, which would not affect the perpendicular descent of the platen. This method of constructing a press would be found advantageous in all cases; but more particularly in one-pull presses, in which the platens are large:—

For it must be obvious, where an uniform impression is meant to be obtained from types, by means of the perpendicular descent of a body with a plane surface, that this surface and the surface of the types should be parallel to each other, and that every variation from these parallels must affect the equality of the pressure.

It being a necessary consequence, that the surface of the types should be horizontal; it will be equally clear, that every departure from this horizontal line will destroy the parallelism of the two surfaces, and prevent an equal pressure on all their parts.

One part of the carriage of a press lies on the winter, the other end resting on, and confined to, the forestay, which is fixed to the floor, and cannot give way; the coffin, in which is the press stone, lies on the carriage; and on the press stone the types are placed. Now, when great pressure is applied to the types, to produce an impression, it causes the winter to give way, which immediately disturbs the horizontal plane of the types, and destroys the parallel between them and the face of the platen, and causes an unequal pressure, besides straining the cords of the platen, the platen itself, and all the parts connected with it, to the injury of the workmanship, and of the whole machine; all which would be avoided by the winter being laid solid in the mortises of the cheeks, and the carriage and ribs justified by a level. It would also be attended with another advantage,—not being so liable to slur in running in; the inner tympan not being so close to the platen.

This principle is equally applicable to iron presses, as well as to wooden ones; and will tend to preserve them a longer time in good condition.


wire binding

norm: wire binding

text: Any form of binding in which the leaves are secured by wire. The term formerly restricted to wire-stitched pamphlets but is now applied to various forms of spiral, coil, or comb bindings.

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


wire lines

norm: wire lines

variant: wire marks

text: See: CHAIN LINES (1); LAID LINES.


wire sewing

norm: wire sewing

text: A 19th century method of "sewing" the sections of a book through the folds and onto tapes, webbings, or muslin, by means of wire staples. This method of "sewing," which originated in Germany in about 1880, while strong, fell into disuse because of the development of edition (thread) sewing machines, and also because the staples rusted and disintegrated and the books came apart. See also: SADDLE STITCHING.

citations: Bailey, Arthur Low. Library bookbinding. New York. Wilson. 1916.


wire side

norm: wire side

text: That side of a sheet of paper formed in contact with the wire of the mold in handmade paper, or the wire of the papermaking machine. See also: FELT SIDE.

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


wire stabbing

norm: wire stabbing

variant: wire stitching

text: See: SADDLE STITCHING; SIDE STITCHING; WIRE SEWING.


Wire staples

norm: wire staples

text: are used by certain machines in the place of thread for securing the sections.


Wire staples

text: Fine wire staples used by certain book-sewing machines in the place of thread for holding the sections to a piece of muslin. Also the staples used in place of thread in saddle-stitching a pamphlet of one signature on a machine. Used also in holding a book of several signatures together, the staple being driven through all the signatures close to their back edges.


wire thread

norm: wire thread

text: A very small gauge steel or brass wire in reels, which is drawn and formed into staples for use in saddle- or side-stitching pamphlets and booklets.

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


with the grain

norm: with the grain

text: Paper that has been folded in the direction in which the majority of the fibers of a machine-made paper are oriented. See also: MACHINE DIRECTION.


witherite

norm: witherite

text: A naturally occurring barium carbonate (BaCO3), used as a coating material in the manufacture of paper.


without spring-back or hubs

norm: without spring-back or hubs

text: An economical form of blankbook binding used in the United States. The book is bound without a SPRING-BACK (1) or HUBS and is usually covered in half leather with canvas or a lighter cloth on the sides. Although the book sometimes has a hollow back, it more often has a tight back, as the latter imparts additional strength to what is essentially a weak form of blankbook binding.


witness

norm: witness

text: The leaves of a book which are untrimmed and therefore show the original size of the sheet of paper. Even if the other leaves are trimmed, this leaf (or leaves) functions as a "witness" that the book has not been excessively cut. See also: UNCUT.

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


witness

text: When a volume is cut so as to show that it has not been cut as small as some of the leaves, their uncut edges prove this, and are called witness and sometimes proof.


witness

text: When a volume is cut so as to show that it has not been so cut down, but that some of the leaves have still rough edges. These uncut leaves are called “Witness” (*see* PROOF).


witness

text: When a book has been trimmed, leaving some of the leaves still rough, the latter are a witness as to the original size of the sheet and prove that it has not been cut down.