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.