Part 11
The next business is to arrange the margin, so that each page may occupy one side of a leaf, and have the proper proportion of white paper left at the sides as well as at the head and foot. The page when printed should be a little higher than the middle of the leaf, and _have a little more margin on the outside than in the back_. This rule is often neglected by careless or ignorant printers, and the appearance of the book when bound is repulsive to the eye of taste.
One mode of making margin is the following:—For octavos, measure and mark the width of four pages by compasses, on a sheet of paper designed for the work, beginning to measure at one extremity of the breadth of the sheet. The rest of the paper divide into four equal parts, allowing two-fourths for the width of two separate gutter-sticks; the remaining two-fourths divide again into four equal parts, and allow one-fourth for the margin along each side of the short cross, and one-fourth for the margin to each outside page. But as the thickness of the short cross adds considerably to the margin, reduce the furniture in the back accordingly, and thereby enlarge the outside margin, which requires the greatest share to allow for the unevenness of the paper itself, as well as for pressmen laying sheets unevenly when the fault is not in the paper. Having thus made the margin between the pages to the breadth of the paper, in the same manner proportion the margin at the head to the length, and accordingly measure and mark the length of two pages, dividing the rest into four parts, one-fourth of which is allowed for each side of the long cross, and one-fourth for the margin that runs along the foot of the two ranges of pages. The furniture on both sides of the long one must be lessened to enlarge the bottom margin, for the reason assigned for extending the side margin.
Go the same way to work in twelves, where, for the outer margin along the foot of the pages, allow the amount of two-thirds of the breadth of the head-sticks, and the same for the inner margin, that reaches from the foot of the fifth page to the centre of the groove for the points; and from the centre of that groove to the pages of the quire, or the cut off, allow half of the breadth of the head-stick. The margin along the long cross is governed by the gutter-sticks; and it is common to put as much on each side of the long cross as amounts to half the breadth of the gutter-stick, without deducting almost any thing for the long cross, since that makes allowance for the inequality of the outer margin.
Another plan, more simple, is the following:—Having laid the pages as nearly as possible in their proper places on the stone, with a suitable chase around them, fold a sheet of paper which has been wetted for the work, or one of the same size, into as many portions as there are pages in the form, and, holding the sheet thus folded on the first or left-hand page of the form, one edge even with the left-hand side of the type, place the adjoining page so that its left side may be even with the right-hand edge of the folded paper, which will leave a sufficient space between the two pages to admit the gutter-stick, which should then be selected of a proper width to suit the form in hand, as follows:—In octavos, about a Great Primer less in width than the space between the pages, as determined by the above rule; in duodecimos, about a Pica less; in sixteens, about a Long Primer; and proportionably less as the number of pages are increased. Having thus secured the proper width for the gutter-sticks, cut them somewhat longer than the page, and holding one of them between the two pages, above the page-cord, close the pages up to it; then open the folded sheet so as to cover the two pages, and, bringing the fold in the paper exactly in the middle of the gutter-stick, secure it there with the point of a pen-knife or bodkin; the right-hand edge of the paper thus opened must be brought to the centre of the cross-bar, which determines the furniture required between it and the pages. Having thus arranged the margins for the back and fore edge of the book, proceed in like manner to regulate the head and foot margins, by bringing the near edge of the folded paper even with the bottom of the first page, and so placing the adjoining off page that its head may be barely covered by the off edge of the folded paper, which will give the required head margin. All other sections of the form must be regulated by the foregoing measurements, when the margins for the whole sheet will be found correct.
The greater the number of pages in a sheet, the smaller in proportion should the margin be: the folded paper, therefore, should lie proportionally less over the edge of the adjoining page, both for gutter and back, in a form of small pages than in one of larger dimensions. A folio may require the page to be half an inch nearer the back than the fore-edge; while a duodecimo may not require more than a Pica em.
In imposing jobs where two or more of the same size, requiring equal margins, are to be worked together, fold the paper to the size appropriate for each, and so arrange the type that the distance from the left side of one page to the left side of the adjoining one shall be exactly equal to the width of the folded paper, as before described.
Having dressed the inside of the pages, next place side- and foot-sticks to their outsides; being thus secured by the furniture, untie the pages, quarter after quarter, the inner page first, and then the outer, at the same time forcing the letter toward the crosses, and using every precaution to prevent the pages from hanging or leaning; and, in order to guard against accidents, when the quarter is untied, secure it with a couple of quoins.
LOCKING UP FORMS.
First, carefully examine whether the pages of each quarter are of the same length; for even the difference of a lead will cause them to hang. Test their exactness: place the ball of each thumb against the centre of the foot-stick, raising it a little with the pressure, and, if the ends of both pages rise equally with the stick, it is a proof they will not bind; then fit quoins between the side and foot-stick of each quarter and the chase. After pushing the quoins as far as possible with the fingers, make use of the mallet and shooting-stick, and gently drive the quoins along the foot-sticks first, and then those along the side-sticks, taking care to use an equal force in the strokes, and to drive the quoins far enough up the shoulders of the side- and foot-sticks, that the letter may neither belly out nor hang, and the lines be kept straight and even. Quoins should be slanted on one side only, but the edges should not be bevelled. The several quarters of a form should be partially tightened before either quarter is finally locked up; otherwise the cross-bar may be sprung.
Before locking up the form, plane the pages gently over all the face. If this be properly done, a second planing is hardly necessary, provided the justification is perfect and the pages are all of the same length. But, as this is seldom the case, the second planing can hardly be dispensed with.
It often occurs that the quoins, when locked up wet, stick so tight to the furniture as to render it troublesome to unlock them: in such cases, drive the quoin up a little, and it afterward unlocks with ease.
Before lifting a form after it is locked up, raise it gently a short distance, and look under it, to ascertain whether any types are disposed to drop out. If all is right, carry it to the proof-press, and pull a good proof. Then rub it over gently with a ley-brush, rinse it well, and place it in a rack, and deliver the proof, with the copy, to the proof-reader.
MEMORANDA.
Each part of the furniture should be in one piece where it is practicable,—as, for instance, the gutters, the backs, and the heads; but sometimes pieces will be wanted of a width that is not equal to any regular size, and then two must be used.
All the gutters of one sheet should be cut of a precise length; so also with the backs and the heads; but each sort should be of a different length from that of the others: thus they can be easily distinguished from each other, and mistakes be prevented.
The sheet being imposed, the stone should be cleared; the saw and saw-block put in their places, the shears, the mallet, planer, and shooting-stick, the surplus furniture, the leads, the quoins, and every other article. The compositor will tie up his page-cords, and, if he has any companions, will return to them their proportion.
The chase and furniture of one form should always be used for a similar form; that is, the chase and furniture of the outer form should be again used for an outer form, and the chase and furniture of the inner form should be again used for an inner form; they should also be put round the pages in the same order in which they were put about those of the preceding forms. For want of care or thought in these apparently trifling circumstances, trouble, inconvenience, and loss of time frequently occur; for the register will be almost sure to be wrong when this is neglected, and then the forms must be unlocked and the leads changed, to correct the fault.
_Before the form is printed, a proof should be taken and the sheet folded, to make sure of the correctness of the imposition._
The preceding rules and directions were intended for type-forms, and were formerly of universal necessity. Now most books are printed from stereotyped or electrotyped plates. The same instructions, however, are generally as applicable to plate as to type pages.
NOMENCLATURE OF SHEETS.
When a sheet of paper of Medium or larger size is folded in two leaves, like most newspapers, it is called a _folio_; when folded in four leaves, it is named a _quarto_ or _4to_; when folded in eight leaves, an _octavo_ or _8vo_; in twelve leaves, a _duodecimo_ or _12mo_; in sixteen leaves, _sextodecimo_ or _16mo_; in eighteen leaves, _octodecimo_ or _18mo_; in twenty-four leaves, _vigesimo-quarto_, or _24mo_, and so on. The Latin names beyond _duodecimo_ are seldom used.
PROOF-READING AND CORRECTING.
PROOF-READING.
Undeniable as is the fact that a book marred by typographical errors and grammatical blemishes is a scandal to the profession, it must be admitted that a careful, steady, and competent reader is indispensable in every printing-office.
It is eminently desirable that a reader should have been previously brought up a compositor. By a practical acquaintance with the mechanical departments of the business, he will be better able to detect those manifold errata which, unperceived by the man of mere learning and science, lie lurking, as it were, in a thousand different forms, in every sheet; and which, if overlooked, justly offend the taste and discernment of all appreciators of correct and beautiful typography.
Some of the principal imperfections which are more easily observed by the man of practical knowledge in the art of printing are the following: viz. imperfect, wrong-founted, and inverted letters, particularly the lower-case n, o, s, and u, as well as p, d, b, and q; awkward and irregular spacing; uneven pages or columns; a false disposition of the reference marks; crookedness in words and lines; bad making-up of matter; erroneous indention, &c. These minutiæ, which are rather imperfections of workmanship than literal errors, are apt to be overlooked and neglected by mere literary readers.
A person of a thoroughly cultivated typographical taste, a quick eye, and a ready mind, though not a compositor, may doubtless be competent to detect those minor deviations from exact workmanship in a proof which the inexperienced and the careless are apt to overlook. But, without these qualifications, no person can be safely intrusted to read a sheet for press, and the labours of the printer are liable to go forth into the world in a manner that will reflect discredit on the employed and give offence to the employer. No form, therefore, ought to be put to press until it has been read and revised by an _experienced_ reader.
A thorough proof-reader, in addition to a general and practical acquaintance with typography, should understand clearly the grammar and idiomatic structure of his mother-tongue, and have, as it were, an encyclopedic knowledge of the names, times, and productions of its writers, as well as an entire familiarity with the Bible especially, and with Shakspeare. He should be, in fact, a living orthographical, biographical, bibliographical, geographical, historical, and scientific dictionary, with some smattering of Hebrew, Greek, Latin, French, Spanish, Italian, and German. Yet all these accomplishments are valueless unless he also possess a keen and quick eye, that, like a hound, can detect an error almost by scent. There are eyes of this sort, that with a cursory glance will catch a solitary error in a page. The world is little aware how greatly many authors are indebted to a competent proof-reader for not only reforming their spelling and punctuation, but for valuable suggestions in regard to style, language, and grammar,—thus rectifying faults which would have rendered their works fair game for the critic.
Although no corrector of the press can strictly be required to do otherwise than to _follow his copy_,—that is, faithfully to adhere to the original, with all its defects,—yet every one must perceive that he performs a friendly and perhaps a charitable service, by pointing out, in proper time, imperfections and mistakes which have escaped the observation of a quick or voluminous writer. With the spirit, the opinions, the whims of an author, no corrector of the press has any business to interfere. In reprints of old and standard works, no license of alteration ought to be granted to either correctors or editors.
Strict uniformity should always be preserved in the use of capitals, in orthography, and punctuation. Nothing can be more vexatious to an author than to see the words _honour_, _favour_, &c. spelt with and without the _u_. This is a discrepancy which correctors ought sedulously to prevent. The above observations equally apply to the use of capitals to noun-substantives, &c. in one place, and the omission of them in another. However the opinions of authors may differ in these respects, still the system of spelling, &c. must not be varied in the same work.
When an author gives him the option, a proof-reader ought to spell ambiguous words and arrange compounds in a methodical and uniform way; and, to enable the compositors to become acquainted with and to observe his method, he should furnish for their guidance a list of such ambiguous words and compounds.[15]
Such being the qualifications of a reader, we exhibit the process which proof-sheets ought to undergo before the pages are put to press.