of; because the pressman is sure to have the points centrical; he
perceives whether all the furniture be put in right or wrong, even
to a single scale-board: in leaded matter, which should be line upon
line, he ascertains whether the form be locked up evenly or not,
and whether the leads be all put in right; also, whether the pages
that begin chapters, or other divisions of the work, have the proper
whites; he can likewise discover if any of the pages be made up too
long, or too short: any of these errors, that may have occurred,
must be amended in the white paper form, otherwise the reiteration
will have the same faults, in order to make register. On fine work, I
make ready the white paper form of a sheet in the same manner as I do
a half sheet, on purpose to discover those errors, by which process
I gain more time in making ready the reiteration than I lost in the
white paper form.
“For fine work, use the finest cloth that can be procured, and not
thick flannel blanket: if the form be light, one thin cloth blanket
will be sufficient; and if it be very light, that is to say open
leaded matter, sheets of paper are preferable to either flannel or
cloth in the tympans. Be sure to have one sheet of stout paper,
which will cover all the parchment, in the inside of the outer
tympan. Pull a dry even sheet of paper; look carefully on the back
of the impression; if it be not equally even, the light parts must
be overlaid with tissue paper, or India paper; if some parts be very
heavy, cut or tear out the heavy parts. The overlays should be pasted
only slightly on the impression sheet, in case any of them should
have to be taken off; paste the four corners of this sheet upon the
thick sheet; let the overlays be uppermost, that you may see them;
then pull another impression sheet, with the first in the tympans,
and if the impression still be not even, overlay the first impression
sheet again; and continue pulling impression sheets, and overlaying
the first impression sheet, until you have an even and regular
impression on all parts.
“As you go on with the form, if any of the overlays require to be
taken off, do so; if bits are required to be taken out, or rubbed
off, the tympan sheet, it must be done. In some works the outer
tympan cannot be too dry, but the pressman must be the judge of this,
according to the work he has to do.
“Having a good black ink well brayed on the surface of the ink
block, he takes a small quantity on the balls, and distributes it
well; he takes time to beat the form well and carefully, and then
pulls a sheet of the right paper, dwells on the pull, or keeps down
the bar a short time by means of a catch or hook, in order to make
the paper take the ink clean off the types, and look a clear black
upon the paper. The impression must not be too deep, as nothing must
appear but the shape of the face of good types. If the impression be
too deep, or too much ink on the form, more than the real shape will
appear, and the work will not be fine; but if the work be fine, he
goes on gently and regularly until the white paper be off. He then
lays on the reiteration form; and having the overlays ready that he
made before, he has very little trouble in making it ready: he makes
such good register, that line falls upon line. After the reiteration
is off, if he does not go on with the same work, or work of a similar
size and imposition, he carefully puts by the tympan blankets,
cloths, or tympan paper, and overlays, till they are again wanted
for the same work. All other works must have their own overlays made
purposely for them.
“After the first overlays are made for their respective works, there
is not so much trouble in making ready the future sheets of the same
work as they are put to press; indeed, if the pressman carefully
preserves his overlays, tympan paper, or cloths, he seldom has
occasion to do more than alter a few of the overlays, as the paper
sometimes varies in thickness, which may want a few overlays on the
tympan sheet. India paper is the best for this, as it is of a soft
and pliable nature, and as it lies on the tympan sheet the pressman
can easily perceive if one part of it has a deeper impression than
another.
“It is to be observed, that fine work cannot be made upon bad paper,
or with old worn types.
“Fine work must not be hurried, as some do when they are paid for
it as piecework, and spoil it, in order to make a large bill. How a
master stares at this, when the same men could not earn nearly so
much on scale work. These are the very men who have despised the
establishment, because they could earn more money by attending fewer
hours, but not on scale work. How miserable and discontented I have
seen them when on scale work, although at the same time they had
as much work as they could do. This has been the cause of masters
reducing the price of works not paid by the scale. A few shillings
per week additional ought to satisfy a man for his extra abilities on
fine work.”
MAKING REGISTER.
The act of making the pages and lines fall exactly on the back of
each other at press, when any work is perfected. _See_ REGISTER.
MAKE UP.
After a compositor has been setting at random, and commences
arranging his matter into pages, it is termed _making up_. In large
pages and letter, in a work where good register is required, I would
recommend the compositor to mark on a gauge accurately every line
of the page, so that he may regulate his whites in such a manner
that line may fall upon line without causing much trouble to the
pressman, or to himself; for if it be much out, and the pressmen are
on piecework, he will be called on to rectify the errors, and this is
better avoided in the making up, as it is attended with but little
trouble then, and his work will appear to more advantage in the first
instance.
_To give the making-up._ When a compositor in a companionship has
composed his copy to within the quantity of a page of the work, he
gives the overplus of the copy, after having completed his own last
page, to him who is composing the copy that follows his matter; and
he ought to mark on it with a pencil where he has himself concluded,
as well as the folio that should follow that of his own last page.
This is called _giving the making-up_.
MALABARIC. _See_ TAMOULIC.
MALAY.
The Malay is the principal vernacular tongue used by the people
who inhabit that vast region and chain of islands comprehended
between ninety-three and one hundred and thirty-five degrees of East
longitude, a space of about two thousand two hundred and twenty
miles; and extending from fourteen degrees North to eleven degrees of
South latitude, comprehending twenty-five degrees, about one thousand
seven hundred and forty miles. This vast extent of country over which
the language is spoken includes the peninsula of Malacca, the islands
of Sumatra, Java, Borneo, Maccasser, Balee, Cumbava, Sallayer,
Bootoon, Booro, Ceram, Pulo Pinang, the Moluccas, and innumerable
others.
The Malays have not any proper national character, except that which
has been introduced by the Mohammedan priests, who have from time to
time settled in the peninsula of Malacca and the adjacent islands;
therefore it resembles the Arabic Nishki alphabet, excepting some
slight alteration to express a sound which the Arabians had no
character to delineate. In conformity then with the principal of the
Eastern nations, Arabians, Turks, Persians, &c. they read from the
right hand to the left.
The acute accent (´) is always used to mark a very long sound of the
vowel over which it is placed; but when inserted after a consonant,
it shows that the syllable ends with it.
[Illustration: The Malay Alphabet]
_The Malay Alphabet._
+-------+-----------------------------------+--------------------+
| | Form. | |
| +-----------------+-----------------+ |
| | Finals. | Medials and | |
| | | Initials. | |
| +--------+--------+--------+--------+ |
| Name. | IV. | III. | II. | I. | Power. |
| | Con- | Uncon- | Con- | Uncon- | |
| | nected.| nected.| nected.| nected.| |
+-------+--------+--------+--------+--------+--------------------+
| Aulif | ـا | ا | ـا | ا | A in _all_, _wall_.|
| Bé | ـب | ب | ـبـ | بـ | B |
| Pé | ـپ | ﭖ | ـﭙـ | ﭘـ | P |
| Té | ـت | ت | ـتـ | تـ | T |
| Jeem | ـج | ج | ـجـ | جـ | J in _jar_. |
| Hhé | ـح | ح | ـحـ | حـ | Hh strong aspirate.|
| Khé | ـخ | خ | ـخـ | خـ | Kh guttural. |
| Dal | ـد | د | ـد | د | D |
| Ré | ـر | ر | ـر | ر | R |
| Zé | ـز | ز | ـز | ز | Z |
| Sin | ـس | س | ـسـ | سـ | S |
| Shin | ـش | ش | ـشـ | شـ | Sh |
| Oain | ـع | ع | ـعـ | عـ | A very slender. |
| Fé | ـف | ف | ـفـ | فـ | F |
| Kiaf | ـک | ک | ـكـ | كـ | C or K softer |
| | | | | | than ق. |
| Kof | ـق | ق | ـقـ | قـ | K |
| Gaf | ـڭ | ڭ | ـڭـ | ڭـ | G |
| Laum | ـل | ل | ـلـ | لـ | L |
| Mim | ـم | م | ـمـ | مـ | M |
| Nun | ـن | ن | ـنـ | نـ | N |
| Vau | ـو | و | ـو | و | Oo, o |
| Hé | ـه | [#] ه |[#] ـهـ | هـ | H slight aspirate. |
| Yé | ـي | ي | ـيـ | يـ | Y |
| Ché | ـچ | چ | ـچـ | چـ | C in _cherry_. |
| Ngé | ـغ | غ | ـغـ | غـ | Ng in _hang_. |
| Laum- | ـلا | لا | ـلا | لا | La |
| aulif| | | | | |
+-------+--------+--------+--------+--------+--------------------+
In the above alphabetical arrangement, the second and fourth columns
from the right hand are used only when they are connected with a
preceding letter; as, _banyak_ بنيق, many. Every letter should be
connected with that which follows it, except these five: ا aulif,
د dal, ر ré, ز zé, and و vau; neither of which can possibly
be joined to the following letter.
MALLET.
A wooden hammer, with which to drive the quoins in locking up and
unlocking forms, to plane down forms, and for other similar purposes.
The general size of the head is 5 inches by 4¼, and 3 inches thick:
the hole in the head for the reception of the handle should be
bevelled each way from the centre on two sides, so that the handle
fitting into the lower part, and being tightly wedged at the upper
end, the head can neither fly off, nor can the handle be driven up,
when a quoin is struck down with it, or when the planer is struck
with the end of it, both which ways of using the mallet are frequent.
It is commonly made of beech; but mallets are more durable when the
head is made of a piece of tough ash. The head was formerly made
round.
MARGIN.
Making margin is the apportioning of the proper distances between the
pages of a sheet or form.
This is a most material object in book work; for, if it be not
properly done, the appearance of the book, when bound, will be
injured; as the binder will be obliged either to reduce the size of
the book, in order to make the edges smooth, or else he will have to
leave many raw edges of paper.
The spaces between the pages should be such, that, when the book is
bound and cut, the page of printing should be very nearly in the
middle of the page of paper.
Convenience and custom have familiarised us to the printed page being
a little higher than the middle of the leaf, and to its having a
little more margin at the fore edge than in the back.
The first of these circumstances may be accounted for, by the head,
in all sizes except folio, being at the fold of the paper, which
admits of the bookbinder cutting it smooth by taking off a very
narrow shaving, so as to reduce the size but a mere trifle; while
the bottom of the page lying towards the raw edge of the paper,
which is irregular, and which often varies considerably from being
cater-cornered--machine-made paper also varies greatly in the
size of the sheets, being cut up irregularly; and paper made at
different times, and by different makers, which is often used in
the same volume, and which likewise varies in size--all combined,
render it necessary to allow a little more margin at the foot of
the page and at the fore edge than at the head and in the back; for
these variations in the paper equally affect the fore edge and the
foot: but the head, the back, and the gutter, being folded, remain
uniformly the same, however much the paper may vary.
It is always presumed that the backing of the book in binding, takes
up as much of the margin as is cut off the fore edge, so as to make
them both equal.
Having premised these explanatory observations, I shall proceed
to describe, in as clear and distinct a manner as I am able, the
manner of ascertaining the proper spaces between the pages, for the
different sizes of books, in the simplest way that is known, and as
it is now generally practised; for the division of the margin by
compasses is obsolete.
To facilitate the operation, it will be necessary to keep in mind the
observation I made in the article IMPOSING, that, “when we arrive at
a great number of pages in a sheet, they resolve themselves into the
same order as quartos, octavos, and duodecimos,” as a recollection of
this will tend to simplify the process, and, if the person who has to
perform it be not well experienced, it may prevent him from getting
confused, by keeping him to a small part of the form, instead of
leaving him to attempt doing all at once.
After the pages have been laid upon the imposing stone, and the
chases put over them, the first thing to be done is to get a sheet
of the proper paper of the work, wet, and to fold it as exactly as
possible to the size in which the work is intended to be printed.
If the paper for the work has not been sent in, then a sheet of the
same size may be taken from the paper of some other work that is in
progress, which will be found to be sufficiently near, inasmuch as a
scaleboard or two in the backs and heads, more or less, will make it
right; or the first sheet may be imposed temporarily with furniture
out of the drawer.
I must here caution the compositor, or the person who has this
business to perform, never to cut his furniture till he is certain of
the proper distance required between the pages.
To ascertain this distance, take short pieces of furniture out of the
drawer, or quotations, or both, and quadrats or reglets to fill up
the interspace, between two pages; then push the pages close up to
them, and when you have got the right distance between the pages, you
can ascertain what furniture will be of the exact width, by trying
the ends of different pieces, always measuring from the edges of the
types themselves, and not within the page cords.
We will now proceed with making margin, commencing with folio, and
proceeding through the various sizes, at least through so many as may
be necessary to elucidate the subject.
FOLIO.--Having folded a sheet of the intended paper exactly in the
middle, place the edge of the paper even upon the outer edge of the
first page, and move the adjoining page to it till the fold in the
paper will lie about half an inch upon it, when the folded sheet is
laid upon the face of the first page; the space between the pages
on either side of the cross is then to be filled up with furniture,
using one piece only on each side where it is practicable, and where
there is no reason to the contrary, in order to prevent mistakes in
re-imposing. This space, with the addition of one or two scaleboards
on each side of the cross, which are to assist in making register at
press, will be sufficiently near for a demy folio, where the page
is of a fair dimension; but if the page be very large, or if it be
a smaller sized paper than demy, I would not allow the back fold of
the paper to lie quite so much over the adjoining page, but would
lessen it in proportion to the size of the page or paper; if it be
very large paper and a corresponding margin, I would allow a little
more proportionably; for it is to be observed, that the more the fold
of the paper lies over the edge of the adjoining page, the more fore
edge is given at the margin than in the back.
The margin for the head of a folio is arranged at press.
After the scaleboards have been put in, the page cords taken off, and
the pages pushed up close to the furniture, you should try it again,
to see that it is correct. It is a good plan to take a slip of paper,
and cut it to a length equal to the width of the back, then to fold
it even in the middle so as to make a distinct crease, to open it
again and lay it in the back, so that the crease shall be exactly in
the middle of the back; then to open out the sheet of paper, and lay
it upon the form, with the crease in its middle upon the crease in
the slip of paper; the margin in the back may then be compared with
the margin in the fore edge as well as if the sheet were printed, and
it may be altered if thought necessary by a scaleboard more or less.
If two jobs, that are to be cut up, are worked together, it is usual
to impose them so that the margin shall be equal on both sides; to
effect this, fold the paper exactly in the middle, and laying it
folded upon the left hand page with the edge of the paper even with
the edge of the page of types, bring the other page to it till the
left hand side fairly touches the fold of the paper; this is termed
being out and out; and when the paper is cut evenly in two, after
having been printed, the side margins will be found to be equal.
QUARTO.--Fold a sheet of paper exactly into quarto; then lay it,
thus folded, upon the first page, the fore edge of the paper being
even with the left hand edge of the types; bring the adjoining page
towards the first page till the fold in the paper lies upon the left
hand side of it about as much as a Double Pica body; this will make
the back about right: then place the lower edge of the paper even
with the foot of the page, and bring the heads of the pages which
adjoin at that part towards each other till the fold in the paper
covers the head line, and barely the first line of matter; this will
make the head right. Then fit the furniture into the spaces; add a
scaleboard or two, as the case will admit; and, after cutting and
folding slips of paper and laying them in the back and head, open out
the sheet of paper, laying the folds in the paper exactly over the
folds in the slips, and it will be perceived how the margin is to be
for all the pages.
Before I proceed to octavo, it will be necessary to observe, that
in all sizes except folio and quarto, if there be not enough in the
backs, the raw edge of the paper in the front margin will project
beyond the folded margin, and this in proportion to the deficiency in
the back; the same will take place in the length in duodecimo, and in
smaller sizes where there are offcuts, if there be not enough at the
foot of the pages whence the offcut is taken: the effect produced by
these deficiencies is, that the binder is obliged to reduce the size
of the book both in length and width, when cutting, in order to make
the edges smooth.
The French allow the raw edge of the paper in the front to extend
considerably beyond the folded edge; and also at the foot in
duodecimos: in England we endeavour to give the book the fullest size
that the paper will permit, and suffer the raw edge of the front
margin to project but a very little beyond the folded edge, to allow
for any discrepancy in the size or shape of the paper.
OCTAVO.--Fold a sheet of paper into octavo, and lay it, thus folded,
upon the first page, the fore edge of the paper even with the outer
edge of the types: then bring the adjoining page towards it till the
other side of the octavo paper lies over the left hand side of this
page about a Pica; this will give the width of the gutter: then open
the paper out a fold, into quarto, and laying it upon the two pages,
bring the third page on the right hand sufficiently near for the
right hand side of the paper to lie upon the left hand side of the
page about a Long Primer body; this will give the width of the back:
then fold the paper up again, and laying it upon the first page, with
the foot of the paper even with the direction line, bring the head
of the page above it so near that the top of the octavo paper will
cover the head line and barely also the first line of matter; this
will give the space at the head: then put into all the spaces on one
side of the long cross, and into the head, small pieces of furniture
from the drawer, or quotations, which are generally used where they
will fit, or quadrats, making both the gutters alike, and push the
pages up close; cut the slips of paper as before, and fold them; lay
them in the gutters, head and back, and open the sheet of paper to
its full size; lay it with the crease of the middle fold exactly upon
the crease of the slip of paper in the back, and if the margin be
right the creases between the other pages will fall exactly upon the
creases in the slips of paper laid in the gutters; if they do not,
the space in the back must be increased or diminished till they do,
when the margin will be right; the furniture may then be cut, and a
scaleboard inserted next the crosses at the backs and heads in all
the quarters.
DUODECIMO.--After folding a sheet of paper exactly into 12mo.,
proceed as in octavo for the gutter, but let the fold lie rather less
over the edge of the adjoining page than a Pica; proceed in the same
manner for the back, but that the paper lie on the third page barely
a Long Primer body will be sufficient; the fold in the head will just
cover the top line of matter in the adjoining page above it, as in
octavo, but the pieces of furniture put in there are called bolts.
The offcut is now to be considered--this is always imposed on the
outside of the short cross, and the back and gutters are the same as
those in the other part of the sheet; for the head of the offcut, the
space between the running title, or, where there is no running title,
the headline, and the middle of the groove in the short cross, must
be exactly half the width of the bolts; for as register is made at
this part, and the points fall into the groove and there make point
holes, the binder folds to these holes, and takes off the offcut
in accordance: thus when the sheet is folded, the offcut inserted,
and knocked-up, the head lines of the offcut ought to range with the
head lines of the other pages, and this should always be kept in view
by the printer; the space between the bottom of the other pages and
the middle of the groove in the short cross, should be within a Pica
of the outer margin at the feet of the pages, which will allow for
any little variation in the size of the paper, and not affect the
size of the book in cutting the edges: when these distances are thus
arranged, put short bits of furniture, quotations, &c., as before
directed, between the pages, in the gutters and back in one row,
and in the head and both sides of the short cross in another row
lengthways, and push the pages of both these rows close up: cut the
slips of paper and fold them for the gutters and the back, as also
for the bolts: then open out the sheet of paper, and lay the middle
crease in it exactly upon the crease in the slip of paper laid in the
back; and if the side margin is right, the creases in the sheet of
paper between the other pages will fall upon the creases in the slips
of paper laid in the gutters; if they do not, the space in the back
must be altered till they do: then try it the other way, by laying
the crease in the sheet of paper upon the crease in the slip laid in
the bolt, and if the crease of the offcut falls exactly in the middle
of the groove in the short cross, it is right; if it does not, the
space at the feet of the pages next the cross must be altered till
it does: it being presumed that the gutters and bolts are right, the
only places at which to alter are the back, and the space at the feet
of the pages adjoining the offcut; a scaleboard or two, as may be
required, must be put into all the quarters next the crosses.