The American Printer: a Manual of Typography

» e » --3- r THE American Printer: % Haiwal of lijpcgraplpi, CONTAINING PRACTICAL DIRECTIONS FOR MANAGING ALL DEPARTMENTS OF A PRINTING OFFICE, AS WELL AS Complete Instructions foi* Apprentices: WITH SEVERAL USEFUL TABLES, \ NUMEROUS SCHEMES FOR IMPOSING FORMS IN EVERY VARIETY, HINTS TO AUTHORS, ETC. "\. 1^ I i 1 t,3 jVX aV. t *v. n* ./\. iv ^ h • JO FIAT LUX. PHILADELPHIA: THE MACKELLAR, SMITHS & JORDAN CO. 1889. o Entered, according to Act of Congress, in the year 1866, by L. Johnson & Company, In the Clerk's Office of the District Court of the Eastern District of Pennsylvania. Entered, according to Act of Congress, in the year 1878, by macKellar, Smiths & Jordan, In the Office of the Librarian of Congress, at Washington, D. C. j&efrwrtMtttjjf $bitbn—§Ubis*b antr (Enlarged. ELECTROTYPED BY THE MACKELLAR, SMITHS & UORDAN CO., PHILADELPHIA. SEVENTEENTH EDITION. THIS edition of the American Printer, while essen- tially the same as the previous one, contains some additional matter. Philadelphia, March, 1889. NOTE TO THE ELEVENTH EDITION. THE success of the American Printer is without a parallel in typographical literature; ten editions, or about ten thousand copies, having been disposed of since the day of publication. The present edition has been abridged and condensed in some respects, and con- siderably enlarged in others. As it stands at present, we think it will be found the most practical manual of printing extant. The pages have been reset in a type that finds much favour in the eyes of admirers of fine typography. Philadelphia, January, 1878. IV PREFACE TO FIRST EDITION. SEFULNESS rather than originality has been ^-J aimed at in the preparation of the American Printer, which is offered as an improvement on the typographical work formerly published by us. In addi- tion to the results of actual personal experience em- bodied in the volume, information has been gathered and extracts have been freely made from various publications, such as Ames and Dibdiris Typographical Antiquities, Thomas's History of Printing, Timperlefs Dictionary of Printers and Printing, Savage's Diction- 1 ary of Printing, foh?tson's Typographia, Chambers s Encyclopedia, Beadnell 's Guide to Typography, as well as other books referred to in the notes. The work has been prepared amid the manifold interruptions incident to business life; yet we think nothing has been over- looked that is essential for the instruction of the learner or for the assistance of the workman. vi PREFACE TO FIRST EDITION. Besides the matter relating to practical typography, the volume contains a sketch of the discovery of printing, and notices of type-founding, stereotyping, electrotyping, and lithography. The implements employed in typography are described and their uses explained; and complete schemes for imposition are laid down. The valuable tables and the plans of cases for various lan- guages, and for music and labour-saving rule, will be found extremely useful; as well as the extensive lists of abbreviations and of foreign words and phrases, and orthographical hints. Special attention has been given in setting forth the functions and duties of the foreman and proof-reader, so that the operations of an office may be prosecuted with efficiency, comfort, and economy. Authors and publishers, as well as typographical amateurs, may consult the volume with profit; and, in- deed, any intelligent person will find it a serviceable companion. — CONTENTS. PAGE. Rise and Progress of Printing 13-50 Discovery of Printing—Laurentius Koster—Geinsfleisch—Guten- berg—Fust—Bible printed—Peter Schoeffer—Caxton—Ulrich Zell —Lambert Palmaert—Abraham Colorito—Humphreys and De Vinne on the invention of printing—Lenox's collection of rare Bibles — Ancient typographical peculiarities — Catchwords — In- vention of Signatures—Printing introduced into America—Type- founding in Europe—Decree of the Star Chamber—Type-founding in America—Prices of Type—Stereotyping—El ectrotyping—Litho- graphy—Engraving—Walk over a type-foundry. Implements or Tools of the Art 51-120 Types— Roman letter—Italic—Black—Anglo-Saxon—Names and sizes of type—Gradations of type—Table of proportions of type A Bill of Pica —A Fount of type — Capitals — Small capitals; Points—Apostrophe—Hyphen—Parenthesis and Bracket—Refer- ences—Accents—Numerals— Arabic figures —Old-style figures Cancelled figures — Fractions — Signs — Metal rules or dashes Braces —Spaces —Two-line letters — Quadrates — Quotations — La- bour-saving quotation furniture — Hollow quadrates — Circular quadrates—Labour-saving curvatures—Leads—Flowers and bor- ders—Brass rule—Brass labour-saving rule—Improved labour- saving rule case—Earliest written sounds—Hieroglyphic alphabet —Runic alphabets—Anglo-Saxon alphabet and plan of cases German alphabet and plan of cases—Greek alphabet and plan of cases—Hebrew alphabet and plan of cases—Comparative table of bodies of Music type—Music composition—Music cases—Modern conveniences. Composition 121-140 General remarks—Requisites in an apprentice—American cases Position of a compositor—Laying type—Distributing—Composing — Spacing — Justifying — Head-lines — Notes — Blanking — Para- graphs —Indexes—Titles—Dedications—Contents —Prefaces—Sig- naturing—Errata—Ironical rules—Advice to apprentices—Ironical rules for beginners in business. vii — viii CONTENTS. PAGE. Imposition 141-199 General remarks—Tying up pages—Laying pages—Making up furniture—Making the margin—Locking up forms—Memoranda Nomenclature of sheets — Schemes for imposing, from folio to i28mo. Proof-reading and Correcting 200-217 Qualifications of a reader—Should be a printer—Indebtedness of authors to proof-readers — Process of reading — Proof record Errors made in correcting—Two readers desirable—Punctuation Alterations in proof—Stower's remarks—Revise—Correcting in the metal—Capricious alterations—Proper method of correcting—Over- running—Hints to authors—Table of proof-marks,with explanations —Table of signatures. The Foreman or Overseer 218-234 General duties—Treatment of compositors—Punctuality—Morning duties—Knowledge of all materials on hand—Order—Overseeing work—Regulating takes of copy—Prompt reading and correcting Memorandum— Press-book— Press duties —Warehouse— Casting off copy — Managing hurried work — Companionships — Taking copy—Making up—Dividing the letter—Making up furniture Imposing and distributing letter—Correcting—Transposition of pages—Rules to be observed in a printing-office. The Press and its Working . 235-292 History of the printing-press—Blaeu, its first improver—Ramage press—Stanhope press—Clymer or Columbian press—Smith press —Washington press—Adams's bed-and-platen power-press—Inven- tion of the Cylinder press—Frederick Konig—William Nicholson —Dr. Kinsley—Applegath and Cowper—Account of the house of R. Hoe & Co.—Stop Cylinder press—Cottrell & Babcock presses Campbell presses — Richard M. Hoe's type-revolving printing machine—Bullock perfecting press—The Walter perfecting press The Hoe perfecting press—Presses at the Centennial Exhibition, 1876—Railroad-ticket printing and numbering press—Job presses Ruggles, Hoe, Gordon, Degener,Wells, and Gaily—Franklin press Nonpareil press — Fire-fly press — Liberty press — Globe press — Peerless press—Universal press—Amateur presses—Folding machines—Setting up a Washington press—Setting up the roller- stand—Composition rollers—Melting kettle—Covering tympans Wetting paper—Blankets—Making ready a form on a hand-press Pulling—Rules and remedies for pressmen—Ley-trough—Making ready on cylinder presses—Fine hand-presswork—Printing wood- — — CONTENTS. ix PAGg. The Press and its Working.— (Continued) 235-292 cuts—Card printing— Gold printing—Bronze printing—Printing in colours—Ink stone and muller—How to use dry colours—How to multiply colours—Contrast of colours—Oiling a press—How to treat wood type. Warehouse Department Warehouseman—Warehouse-Book—Receipt of paper and delivery of sheets—Giving out paper to wet—Over-sheets—Hanging up paper to dry—Taking down sheets when dry—Filling in and press- ing sheets—Counting out and putting away sheets—Standard sizes of machine-made paper—Table for giving out paper for a thousand copies. Jobbing Facilities 300-310 Selection of type and presses—How to make a paying business Memorandum order—Estimate book—Ames's paper and card scale —Le Blond's chart—Cabinets and cases—Rules for the govern- ment of a job office—Job composing-sticks—Patent quoins—Corner quadrates — Shooting sticks — Mitering machine—Lead cutter Perforating machines—Imposing stone—Copy-holder—Paper and card cutters—Megill's patent gauge pin—Extension feed-guide Automatic counters—Patent ink fountain—Iron furniture. Useful Receipts How to make printers' rollers—German preservative for rollers Directions for recasting rollers—Printers' ley—Paste—Mucilage Glue—Gum—Magenta surface paper—Coloured writing inks—Fire- proof ink—Printing ink varnish—Lithographic transfer ink—To give dark printing inks a bronze or changeable hue—An ink for marking tin or zinc—Drying preparations—Silvering solutions—To soften leather belting—How to open a ball of twine—To prevent adhesion of paper—To detect ground wood in paper—French gold printing—Transfer varnish—To make paper waterproof—To pre- serve books—To restore engravings. Orthographical 318-332 Discrepancies a or an before a vowel or silent h—o or oh—able and ible—im or in and em or en—in and un—ise and ize—or and our—sion and Hon—Farther and further—Peas and pease— Omission of s in the possessive case—Formation of the plurals of words compounded of a noun and

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