Anecdotes of Literature, &c., says,--“It must have been immediately
obvious that common writing ink, from its want of substance and
viscosity, could by no means answer the purpose. But it must excite
surprise, and indeed admiration, to perceive how soon the greatest
perfection was attained in this particular. So very soon indeed,
and so effectually, that very nearly at the same period books were
printed at Mentz, at Rome, and at Venice, which may almost defy
the competition of succeeding artists.--The Psalter of Fust and
Guttenburg, at Mentz, the Lactantius of Sweynheym and Pannartz, at
the Subiaco Monastery, and the Pliny of Jenson, at Venice, may be
adduced as specimens of extraordinary beauty, with regard to the
quality of the ink; not perhaps surpassed, or, if at all, in a very
small degree, by the productions of Bodoni at Parma, or the most
perfect examples of the London Presses. It is observable that this
excellence of the ink is particularly apparent in all the early books
printed upon vellum, and in Germany.”
This is strictly true, for the ink has, after a lapse of four hundred
years, preserved its beautiful blackness, as I have myself witnessed,
particularly in the large Bible printed by Faust and Schœffer,
and generally known as the Mentz Bible without Date; but in the
seventeenth century the quality had materially retrograded, and it
was not till the latter part of the eighteenth century that it began
to recover its character, when two or three of our most celebrated
printers set about improving the ink of commerce for some very
expensive splendid works, but the ingredients which they used they
kept a profound secret.
As I believe that I am the only person who has written a practical
work on the subject, I will give an extract from the preface of my
work on Printing Ink, which will show the state in which this article
was at that time.
“The process of making printing ink has never yet been treated of
fully by any practical man, either printer or manufacturer, so that
this work will come before the public on a subject as new as it is
important.
“This assertion may perhaps appear to require some modification, as
the following pages will present to the reader many receipts for
making printing ink, by preceding authors; but when it is known
that this subject is only treated of incidentally by some, and that
others of them were not professionally printers, and therefore could
scarcely be expected to know what was the desideratum, much less to
attain it, we shall have little cause to wonder that all have failed.
That they have failed, admits of no question: a long experience in
the art of printing in all its branches enables and obliges me to
say, that ink made from any one of these receipts could not be used
in any printing office in the metropolis.
“Moxon, who wrote the first practical work on printing, gives a
detailed method of preparing printing ink after the Dutch manner,
which he highly praises; yet this ink would be deemed worthless at
present, and although as good as the succeeding ones, he is never
quoted on this subject; yet when types are treated of, his name
appears in every subsequent work on printing. I believe few printers
know his book, the title of which is, “Mechanick Exercises: or, the
Doctrine of Handy-works. Applied to the Art of Printing. By Joseph
Moxon, Member of the Royal Society, and Hydrographer to the King’s
Most Excellent Majesty.” 2 vols. 4to. 1677, and which has served as
the foundation of subsequent works on printing.
“M. le Breton, printer to the King of France, is the next author
on this subject. He wrote the article on Printing in the French
Encyclopédie, of which the method of making printing ink forms a
part. He is continually quoted by succeeding writers, yet his ink
would not rank higher than Moxon’s in a printing office.
“J. B. Papillon, a celebrated French engraver on wood, published a
treatise on that subject, in which he gave a detailed account of
making printing ink, which would not be in greater estimation than
Moxon’s and Breton’s.
“Lewis, in his Philosophical Commerce of Arts, relates the results of
many experiments on boiling oil, which are of little practical use,
and gives the process of making ink from Breton.
“Nicholson, in his Dictionary of Chemistry, gives some passages which
purport nothing, and then proceeds to a loose description of the
process from Lewis.
“The Messrs. Aikin, in their Dictionary of Chemistry, give a short
vague article on the subject, quoting Lewis as their authority.
“Rees’s Cyclopædia contains an article on the subject from Lewis.
“The Printer’s Manual, a French work, published in 1817, gives an
account of the process, founded on Breton’s formula.
“The Encyclopædia Britannica is the only work to my knowledge which
has broken through the trammels of obsolete authorities, and given a
receipt by which a printing ink might be made that could be used; but
the editor candidly acknowledges that the article produced would be
of an inferior quality.--It is, however, the only real approximation
to the knowledge of making an ink that could be worked with; and
yet it is deficient in specifying the qualities of the different
materials, and also of their due proportions, so that it would not
produce a clean working ink, nor an ink of a good colour.
“The information given in the book is not theoretical, but deduced
from my own practice; and there is not an article mentioned in the
whole treatise but what I have repeatedly employed, nor a receipt
given but what has undergone the strictest ordeal--that of being
used in the regular way of business. The fine black ink has been
pronounced by some of our first printers unrivalled; and the ink for
general purposes has been allowed, by the most competent judges, to
be fully equal to the high priced inks of the principal manufacturers.
“I have used them myself, and also superintended their use by others
to the extent of thousands of impressions printed consecutively,
without having found occasion to wash or clean the form or engraving,
and this in producing fine work. I am, through this experience,
enabled to assert, that I do not think it possible that inks could
be produced that would work cleaner or more freely, produce finer
impressions, and retain their freshness of colour without imparting
stain to the paper, than the inks, both black and coloured, the
receipts of which I have published in this work.
“The Society for the Encouragement of Arts showed their sense of my
success in this pursuit, by awarding to me their large medal, and a
sum of money, for my imitation of drawings printed from engravings on
wood with inks of my own preparing; and by an invitation to furnish
them with a paper on the preparation of printing ink.
“Knowledge of such a subject as this on which I am treating, must,
to possess any value, be practical, not theoretical: without being
so, there would not exist a possibility of accurately knowing the
imperfections existing in the inks, of estimating the errors and
deficiencies, and, least of all, of providing a remedy. Thirty-six
years practice in the metropolis, with some previous ones in the
country, spent in executing the most common as well as the most
splendid works, may perhaps entitle me to feel competency to my
undertaking, and encourage the belief of it in others.
“To printers generally, I feel that this work will be of great
service, judging from the absolute want of information on the
subject, a want that I have experienced in a very high degree during
my practice. It will enable every printer to prepare a good ink
himself, and to have it always of an uniform quality;--it will enable
him to prepare the finest ink without any risk or danger;--it will
enable him to prepare coloured ink of any hue at half an hour’s
notice, that will work as clean as black ink, when any fancy work is
required;--it will enable him to print bankers’ cheques, &c. with a
changeable ink, to prevent fraudulent alterations:--it is in fact
opening a door to the extension of the powers of the printing press
which has hitherto been closed and sealed.”
This was written in 1832, and contains as faithful an account of
the state of knowledge as could be acquired at that time on this
subject; for the few manufacturers of the article then existing most
scrupulously guarded the secret of its preparation, and no really
fine ink could be purchased. The publication of my work on Decorative
Printing, and of this work on Printing Ink, has effected a great
revolution in the art; for previously it was impossible, even in the
metropolis, to have any thing printed in a superior way except with
black ink, whereas now, there is hardly a printer who would not feel
ashamed to avow that he could not execute work in any colour whatever
in the same style of workmanship as with black ink. For the method of
preparing the different inks, both black and of every colour, with
the ingredients and their proportions, I must refer the reader to the
book itself.
For the qualities requisite in the best printing ink, _see_
ENGRAVINGS ON WOOD, and also FINE PRESSWORK.
By the Act 6 G. 4. c. 111., the Customs Duty on the importation of
ink for printers is 1_l._ 1_s._ the cwt.
INK BLOCK.
The block on which the ink is spread to supply the balls; in wooden
presses, it is nailed to the upper near hind rail, and is supported
at the bottom by a stay fastened to the lower rail.
It was generally made of a piece of elm wood, between two and three
inches thick, with a ledge of fir wood at the back, at one end, and
also at part of the front. A quantity of ink was kept in the farther
corner, which was rubbed out on the bottom with the brayer, from
which it was taken with a ball, and then distributed.
In fine printing that required strong ink, it being found very
difficult, in cold weather, to distribute the ink properly, some
offices adopted a small table having an iron plate for the top, with
a shelf under it for a lamp, which warmed the ink and caused it to
work more freely.
The introduction of rollers has superseded the use of the ink block,
for which has been substituted an inking apparatus, which see.
INKING APPARATUS.
The substitution of rollers for balls required a different apparatus
for the taking of ink.
Mr. Edward Cowper, of the late firm of Applegath and Cowper, claims
the invention of the first apparatus, for which the firm took out
a patent. Mr. Cowper kindly favoured me with drawings, and the
following description, in the year 1818.
“The apparatus consists of an inking roller, a distributing table,
and an ink trough.
“The inking roller is made of wood covered with the elastic
composition, [treacle and glue,] it is about three inches diameter
and eighteen or twenty inches long, according to the length of the
form; it is furnished with two handles which are fixed to the spindle
on which the roller turns; the spindle passes through the roller so
that when one handle is moved the other is moved also; the handles
stand over the roller at right angles to it, this position being
from practice found most convenient; a small leg projects from one
of the handles, which prevents them from falling on the table and
becoming soiled.
“The distributing table is of wood covered with a sheet of lead as
level as possible; and the frame on which it stands is of cast iron.
“The ink trough is fixed at one edge of the table, and is composed
of a metal roller, turned true, and a thin plate of steel, the edge
of the plate presses against the metal roller by means of levers and
weights, the ink is placed between the steel plate and the metal
roller.
“When the metal roller is turned round it becomes covered with
a film of ink, the inking roller is then dabbed against it, and
rolled backwards and forwards on the distributing table in different
directions; it is then passed two or three times over the form.
“The advantages of this mode of inking are considerable; it is much
easier to use than the balls, produces better work, and saves in
balls and ink not less than five shillings per week. Its peculiar
recommendation is the great regularity of colour which may be
obtained, and the delicate manner in which the letter is touched,
advantages which render it applicable to the finest specimens of
typography.”
[Illustration: Inking apparatus]
The following account is extracted from Hansard’s “Typographia.”
“A more simple and cheap apparatus for this purpose was immediately
got up by Mr. Foster, the inventor of the composition balls. It is a
stand having its two legs and feet of cast-iron; and its top, upon
which the ink is distributed, instead of lead, as in the former
apparatus just described, is mahogany. Behind this, elevated about
two inches, is the stage for taking the ink on to the roller. At
either end of the stage is a recess for receiving the contrivance
which contains the ink. This is similar in shape to the brayer
formerly used; but turned hollow, with the handle and top to screw
on; at the bottom are holes, and when the ink is wanted on the
stage, the workman, taking hold of this bottle-brayer, moves it
from one recess to the other, drawing it slowly along the stage. In
this movement the ink, by its own gravity, will issue out from the
holes at the bottom, and leave a portion on the stage, more or less,
according to the rapidity or frequency of its transit. [_See figure_,
p. 421.]
“Mr. Arding soon improved upon Foster’s apparatus, by making the
ink-stage of cast-iron, with circular recesses; and the whole table
more of a solid form; both makers now adopt the same pattern: but the
bottle-brayer has not been found to answer, as the ink soon clogs up
the holes, and the wood is liable to be split by the screw at the
top; and an old servant of the press-room, the common brayer, has
again been found the most effective for this purpose.
[Illustration: Inking apparatus]
“I have had several of these inking tables at work, and find a
decided preference due to the last described. The mahogany surface
seems more congenial to the temperament of the ink and roller, than
either the lead or iron. The ink is taken better, and distributes
better. A line of colour is taken as perfectly from the stage as
from a cylinder, since the roller, being cylindrical, can only touch
the ink in a line, and it is only giving the roller a portion of a
revolution on the stage to make it take a greater quantity of colour
if necessary. More of the flue and dirt, inseparable from the working
of paper, is held by the wood than by the lead; and consequently, the
roller keeps cleaner, and the forme works better. The table is easily
washed by the lye-brush, and no further waste of ink is occasioned.
“This apparatus has been further improved by substituting a box and
cylinder for the stage and brayer. The advantage of which will be,
that the quantity of ink on the cylinder to come in contact with the
roller, is regulated by a pressure at the top, out of the body of the
ink, instead of at the bottom against which the ink must rest.
[Illustration: Inking apparatus]
“The cylinder is of mahogany, and, as here shown, moves in a box
or trough which contains the ink; and which has a lid moving on
hinges coming nearly over the top of the cylinder. To the under
edge of this top is nailed a slip of thick butt or sole leather.
This, by its naturally elastic quality, will always press upon the
cylinder according as the lid is more or less tightly screwed down
by thumb-screws. This leather will also intercept in its way any
filth which may arise from the depôt of ink before it can reach the
cylinder: and which, when accumulated, may, by unscrewing the lid and
throwing it open, as in the figure, be instantly scraped away with
one stroke of the knife; and no further waste of the ink incurred. No
part of the ink in this apparatus is exposed when the lid is down:
and only a very small portion of the cylinder at the time of working.”
A wooden table after the pattern of Foster’s apparatus is now
generally used, the top is covered with lead on which the ink is
distributed on the rollers; the stage on which the ink is taken is
not raised more than about a quarter of an inch, and at the two back
corners are two recesses, one for the supply of ink, and the other
for the brayer, when not in use. _See_ ROLLERS.
INNER FORM.
The form that has the second page in it; it is always worked before
the outer form, except there be some particular reason to the
contrary. _See_ LAY ON.
INNER TYMPAN.
A frame covered with parchment, which fits into the outer tympan;
two flat points slip under the head-band of the outer tympan, which
secure that end in its place; and the sides are kept down by two
hooks on each side of the outer tympan which turn into eyes screwed
into the sides of the inner tympan; in iron presses the hooks turn
round studs, under the heads.
IN PAGE. _See_ OUT PAGE.
INSERTION.
If the compositor have left out words or lines, the corrector inserts
it, and makes this mark ‸ where it is left out, which is called the
mark for insertion.--_M._ This is now called an “Out;” an insertion
is when the author makes any addition in the proof sent to him.
INSET.
The same as offcut: with printers it is called an offcut; when the
work comes into the hands of the bookbinder, and the sheets are
folded, it then becomes an inset, being inserted in the middle of the
sheet, to complete the regular succession of pages.
INSIDE QUIRES.
The regular and perfect quires of paper, of twenty-four good sheets
each; they are thus designated to distinguish them from the outside
or corded quires.
INTERROGATION. _See_ PUNCTUATION.
INSOLVENT DEBTORS.
1 & 2 Vict. c. 110. “An Act for abolishing Arrest on Mesne
Process in Civil Actions, except in certain Cases; for extending
any Remedies of Creditors against the Property of Debtors; and
for amending the Laws for the Relief of Insolvent Debtors in
_England_.”
s. 115. “And be it enacted, That the Sum of Three Shillings,
and no more, shall be paid to any Printer or Proprietor of any
Newspaper for the Insertion of any Advertisement by this Act
directed to be inserted in any Newspaper; and all Printers and
Proprietors of Newspapers are hereby required to insert the same,
on Payment of the said Sum of Three Shillings for the Insertion
thereof, in such Form as the said Court or any Commissioner
thereof shall from Time to Time direct.
s. 116. “And be it enacted, That no Letter of Attorney,
Affidavit, Certificate, or other Proceeding, Instrument, or
Writing whatsoever, before or under any Order of any Commissioner
thereof, or before any Justice or Justices of the Peace acting
in the Execution of this Act, nor any Copy thereof, nor any
Advertisement inserted in any Newspaper by the Direction of the
said Court, relating to Matters within the Jurisdiction of the
said Court, shall be liable to or chargeable or charged with the
Payment of any Stamp or other Duty whatsoever; and that no Sale
of any Real or Personal Estate of any such Prisoner as aforesaid
for the Benefit of his or her Creditors, under this Act, shall be
liable to any Auction Duty.”
Upon a representation made in the House of Commons, that s. 115.
bore hard on the proprietors of newspapers, it was modified by
the Act of 2 & 3 Vict. c. 39. intituled, “An Act to amend an Act
passed in the last Session of Parliament, for abolishing Arrest
on Mesne Process in Civil Actions except in certain Cases, for
extending the Remedies of Creditors against the Property of
Debtors, and for amending the Laws for the Relief of Insolvent
Debtors in _England_.
s. 1. “Whereas by an Act passed in the last Session of
Parliament, intituled, ‘An Act for abolishing Arrest on Mesne
Process in Civil Actions except in certain Cases, for extending
the Remedies of Creditors against the Property of Debtors, and
for amending the Laws for the Relief of Insolvent Debtors in
_England_,’ it was amongst other things enacted, that the Sum
of Three Shilling and no more shall be paid to any Printer or
Proprietor of a Newspaper for the Insertion of any Advertisement
by that Act directed to be inserted in any Newspaper, and all
Printers and Proprietors of Newspapers were thereby required to
insert the same, on Payment of the said Sum of Three Shillings
for the Insertion thereof, in such Form as the Court for the
Relief of Insolvent Debtors, or any Commissioner thereof, should
from Time to Time direct: And whereas it is just and expedient
that the said Act should be altered and amended as herein-after
mentioned: Be it therefore enacted by the Queen’s most Excellent
Majesty, by and with the Advice and Consent of the Lords
Spiritual and Temporal, and Commons, in this present Parliament
assembled, and by the Authority of the same, That so much of the
said Act as is herein-before recited shall be and the same is
hereby repealed; and that from and after the passing of this Act,
all Printers and Proprietors of Newspapers shall and are hereby
required to insert any Advertisement or Advertisements by the
said recited Act directed to be inserted in any Newspaper, on
Payment of a reasonable Compensation for the Insertion thereof,
in such Form as the said Court, or any Commissioner thereof,
shall from Time to Time direct.”
_Insolvent Debtors, Ireland._ 3 & 4 Vict. c. 107. “An Act to
continue and amend the Laws for the Relief of Insolvent Debtors
in _Ireland_.
s. 101. “And be it enacted, That all Printers and Proprietors
of Newspapers shall and they are hereby required to insert
any Advertisement or Advertisements by this Act directed to
be inserted in any Newspaper, on Payment of such reasonable
Compensation for the Insertion thereof, and in such Form, as the
said Court, or any Commissioner thereof, shall from Time to Time
direct.
s. 102. “And be it enacted, That no Letter of Attorney,
Affidavit, Certificate, or other Proceeding, Instrument, or
Writing whatsoever, before or under any Order of the said Court,
or before or under any Order of any Commissioner thereof, nor
any Copy thereof, nor an Advertisement inserted in any Newspaper
by the Direction of the said Court or a Commissioner thereof,
or the Chief Clerk of the said Court, relating to Matters
within the Jurisdiction of the said Court, shall be liable to
or chargeable or charged with the Payment of any Stamp or other
Duty whatsoever; and that no Sale of any Real or Personal Estate
of any such Prisoner as aforesaid for the Benefit of his or her
Creditors, under this Act, shall be liable to any Auction Duty.”
IRISH.
“Mr. Innes, in his Essay on the Antiquities of Scotland and Ireland,
delivers it as his opinion, that the _Beth Louis Nion_, or alphabet
of the Irish, was nothing but an invention of the Irish Seanachies,
who, since they received the use of Letters, put the Latin alphabet
into a new arbitrary order, and assigned to each letter a name of
some _Tree_; and that this was not a genuine alphabet of the Irish in
ancient times, or peculiar to them; but was a bare inversion of the
Latin alphabet.
“Colonel Vallancey, (in his Irish Grammar,) gives three different
alphabets of the Irish language, which vary from each other in
name, order, and number; the first consists of twenty-five letters,
the second of twenty-six, and the last of seventeen. As for the
Irish letters being different in power from those of other nations,
it must be observed, that the powers of letters differ in every
language, and the mode of pronouncing the same letters is various in
different countries: the Irish characters are said to be of Asiatic
original--granted.--But they appear to have been transmitted to the
inhabitants of that country from those who had adopted the Roman
letters.
“It is singular, but it is no less true, that the Norman characters
were generally used in England from the coming of William the First,
and that the Saxon characters were intirely disused in the very
beginning of the twelfth century; but the Irish and Scots preserved
the ancient forms of their characters till the end of the sixteenth
century.”--_Astle._