A. A. Stewart

“ In no other trade is there a greater multiplicity of details to be considered in order to obtain a finished product, and a thoughtless, unnecessary waste of time, effort, or material in attending to these details adds enormously to the expense of the product. And so it is becoming [Pg 15] the practice of good managers to use cases more abundantly than formerly and to store them in convenient racks and cabinets, so that this large mass of material may be kept classified and may be obtained quickly when needed.
Fig. 11. Lead and Slug Case. Fig. 12. Wood Type Case. Fig. 13. Metal Furniture Case. ”

“ A type case, with 49 to 100 or more small boxes, is not a simple thing to make by hand labor. While the making of the outside frame and the bottom involve no special difficulties, the box partitions and their proper fastening to each other and to the bottom of the case require patience and skill. Only a highly developed system of specialization could provide the cases of today at the prevailing cost. ”

“ The kind and quantity of the work done in any workroom usually governs the kind and the extent of the equipment provided—making [Pg 7] allowance always for the customary variation in individual judgment and the proprietor's ability to purchase.
There is a wide range of choice from a plain wooden double stand with two pairs of cases, at which two persons may work, costing six to ten dollars, to a latest pattern steel working cabinet, also providing for only two workers, costing one hundred dollars, or even more. ”

“ Consequently the custom is to place working cases and working tops or shelves at an inclination upward from the front to the back.
This inclination serves also as the most convenient kind of a rest for galleys upon which loose lines of composed matter are handled. Lines of small type will not stand upright without support of some kind, even on a perfectly level, smooth, rigid surface. The universal custom, therefore, is to place galleys of type matter in a slanting position, so that the ends of the lines will be higher and all the matter will rest firmly against the lower rim of the galley. ”

“ The common-sense modern method is the well-stocked rack or cabinet with a compartment for each size of the series, with the compartments numbered and the larger pieces of the material numbered to correspond. An arrangement like this invites an orderly habit in persons who would otherwise be careless.
The usual style of furniture rack is shown in Fig. 35. This is made in several sizes to hold quantities large or small according to the requirements of the room. The position of a rack like this should be near the stone at a level near the height of the working surface. ”

“ The printer's cabinet is now made in a multiplicity of styles and in several sizes. The frames are usually of hard wood, but during the past few [Pg 21] years they have been made of pressed steel. Usually they provide for one or more tiers of standard wooden cases for type, etc. Some of the latest patterns combine in one structure racks for type cases and facilities for holding assortments of the various kinds of material which a compositor ordinarily uses, with provision for some special material, as well as ample working space for galleys, etc. ”

“ The compartments of the cases may be made wide or narrow to accommodate the size of the types they are to hold.
The apprentice who wants to learn about the latest and best feature of composing room equipment should make a special point to examine the catalogues of manufacturers and dealers in printers' supplies. These catalogues continually show new and improved articles that are finely illustrated and specifically described as to their particular advantages. ”

“ Double Case Stand, showing the cases in rack pushed back from front, to permit exposure of all boxes when a case is pulled forward for setting type. In all composing-rooms there are many cases at which it is necessary to work for only a few moments at a time, to set a single line, or to make a correction, etc. In order that cases kept in racks or cabinets may be used quickly it is necessary that each one may be pulled out clear of the case above, so that all the boxes at the rear are accessible. ”

“ It should hold the cases in a position where he can work with reasonable comfort, and it should be fitted to contain the necessary material for his immediate use. For the first purpose the height of the case, working top, or shelf, should conform approximately to a level that will be comfortable for the individual workman. A tall man may work easily at a case which would be too high for the comfort of an apprentice, and a case at the right elevation for one below the average height would cause a habit of tiresome, if not unhealthful, stooping in a tall person. ”

“ Cabinet has equipment for two compositors, supply of leads and slugs and assortment of materials such as brass and copper thin spaces and quads. Fig. 25. Double “City” Stand with working cases and case racks. Note that the lower case may be pushed up when necessary to allow access to galley underneath. The closed-in cabinet is the modern plan for a compositor's working stand and for holding cases of type in common use. This is a frame or stand enclosed at the sides and back to exclude dust and debris from the cases. ”

“ In teaching from these books it is very important that these questions and such others as may occur to the teacher, should be made the basis of frequent written work, and of final examinations.
The importance of written work cannot be overstated. It not only assures knowledge of material but the power to express that knowledge correctly and in good form. ”

“ In several styles there are two or even more crossbars. These crossbars serve not only to divide the main sections of boxes, but they also act as strong braces to which the bottoms are fastened, giving greater rigidity to the entire case.
The bottom of the case is fitted into a groove made in the outside frame, [Pg 14] so that it cannot be easily separated. This groove being slightly higher than the lower face of the side frame, upon which the case slides back and forth in the rack, keeps the bottom up far enough to allow it to pass clear of the runs, or of any case or shelf below. ”

“ For a long time the large single case with boxes for the entire list of characters was used, and these [Pg 10] are still common in many European composing rooms. In English and American workshops, however, the pair of cases, one above the other, for many years has been the rule for large fonts in book and news work. These cases, being smaller and holding but a part of the font, are more convenient for storing and for moving from place to place about the room as they are needed for use. ”

“ Large cases with small fonts, and open-frame working stands with few or no racks or shelves for storage of extra material, were not considered extravagant so long as the original cost was small. The employment of larger numbers of workmen, however, and the consequent additional equipment of cases, with racks, cabinets, imposing tables, and other facilities concentrated in city buildings where the cost of rent, light, heat, etc., is high and constantly increasing, have made the utilization of waste space a matter of urgent necessity. ”

“ In time there was an accumulation of all sorts jumbled together in the drawer in a manner to make it difficult to find needed pieces without loss of time. Often the quickest [Pg 27] way to obtain the right piece was to cut off a longer one.
This wasteful method was the universal custom before the era of the labor-saving assortment stored in orderly fashion in a cabinet and placed within instant reach of the workman. ”

“ One does not need to take much thought or to have much experience to understand that in all printed languages some characters are used more than others and therefore more types of these letters and larger boxes to hold them should be provided. ”

“ Each topic is treated in a concise manner, the aim being to embody in each publication as completely as possible all the rudimentary information and essential facts necessary to an understanding of the subject. Care has been taken to make all statements accurate and clear, with the purpose of bringing essential information within the understanding of beginners in the different fields of study. ”

“ Tall racks which hold cases too high to be reached comfortably by a person standing on the floor are not to be commended. While they may occupy less floor space and because of this seem to be an advantage where there are a great many cases that are seldom used, this advantage is usually more than offset by their disadvantages. ”

“ They are fastened to a wall or strong frame in some out-of-the-way place, or they may be fitted on special standards near the type cases or the make-up table. The galley cabinet, similar to that illustrated in Fig. 32, is a more expensive article of furniture for this purpose, but it is usually more satisfactory.
Wood Runs and Steel Runs
Early wooden case racks were fitted with strips of thin wood upon which the cases were moved in and out. These slender strips were not always of perfect grain and were difficult to attach firmly to the side frame. ”

“ Polhemus Cabinet, case rack and galley top. Fig. 27. Polhemus Cabinet, working side, lower case on tilting brackets. The old-style working stand or cabinet as illustrated in Figs. 20, 21, usually made it necessary for a workman to stand directly in front of a number of cases which he rarely used but which might be frequently used by other compositors. In small workshops this arrangement offers no inconvenience and there need be little loss of time or patience among courteous fellow workmen. ”

“ These consist of polished marble slabs on strong frames or tables, with drawer for quoins, etc., and also furnished below with galley racks, receptacles for wood or metal furniture, letter-boards, chase racks, etc. The more common modern imposing tables are made of steel, on iron frames, with the lower parts fitted for the storage of material used in locking up forms.
8. Proofing Apparatus—Proof planer and mallet, galley press, hand press, modern curved-surface machines, automatic proofing machines, self-feeding and self-inking. ”

“ A layout: the architectural plan. A dummy: the imitation of a proposed final effect. Use of dummy in sales work. Use of layout. Function of layout man. Binding schemes for dummies. Dummy envelopes. Illustrations; review questions; glossary; bibliography.
PART VIII—History of Printing 49. Books Before Typography By F. W. Hamilton
A primer of information about the invention of the alphabet and the history of bookmaking up to the invention of movable types. ”