Sunbury American. [volume] (Sunbury, Pa.) 1848-1879, 1857-02-21
Aarts ann gtitutrs.
HOW PRINTING TYPE ARE MADE.

In the manufacture Of printing type, vari-
Gus processes are gone through, all requiring
very great accuracy and care. Many i'm
provements have been made, nor is it i'm
probable that more will be effected. We
shall give q brief, and we hope clear, de-
scriptiou of the modern manufacture Of type,
as we have observed it in large establish
ment of this city. Each establishment has
peculiarities Of its own, but the general
principles are the same.
The letters, ETC., are first cut upon steel
punch. This requires great skill. The char
acters are oftentimes extremely minute, and
every pains is taken to procure not only
Individual beauty, but general uniformity.
Nor only letters, but figures, signs, and orna-
ments in endless varieties, are thus cut.
There are, also, spaces used to separate
words. Quadrats, which are larger than
spaces, separate sentences, and in general
occupy the position among type that is rep.
resented by the imprinted parts, both spaces
and quadrats being shorter than type. In a
full font of type there are about 800 different
characters. The cost of the separate pun.
ches varies from two to fifty dollars After
the punch has been cut, it is indented to q
certain depth into block of copper this is
called the matrix Eectrotyplng has of late
years been used for the purpose Of obtaining
matrices from the type itself, 10y which means
type founders are enabled to avail themselves
Of each others labor Business morality is
of most elastic quality, and it would be a
useless expenditure OF time to question the
propriety of the practice.
An apparatus denomnated the mold, is
used for forming the body of the type, and
| to This mold, which answers for all the types
of font, the different matrices are adjusted
as required who adjusts the matrices to
the mold is called a justitier, or more on
monty filter. All the types of a font are
of the same length and depth, though the
| letters upon them vary in their dimensions
The mold is SO constructed as TO admit OF
the width being altered to suit the letters 10
be cast thus the letter !, which is very
narrow, is upon the body Of type, the per-
pendicular face of which is precisely the
same as that of the letter w, several times
as wide. 1t is necessary that the bodies OF
types should also have all their lines at exact
right angles without this they would not
stand in lne and would consequently be
useess.-lf the types varied in height. they
would not give perfect impression, in ell
deavoring to obtain which, some would be
subjected to an injurious pressure.-A few
types have portion of the face OF the lettei
this projection is called the kern, and in com
bnation with other letters the projecting par
generally extends over the next letter, as il
fe. IN these combinations, wherein the kerr
would come in contact with another letter
compound types are cast, as in the case
fl. ii, n, iii, I'll. Some years since these com
binations were much more numerous, bu
many have been dispensed with by altering
the form of the letter.
The next operation is that of casting
The old method, which is even TO the presen
time generally used in England, may be thu
described. The matrix having been adjuste'
TO the mold, is taken by the caster in his lei
hand. At his right, upon furnace, is po
of molten metal This metal he dips out il
suitable quantities with small ladle, an,
pours into the mold, at the same time givini
quick upward jerk, for the purpose Of for
cling the metal well into the mairix, TO Civ
the type good face. A spring which hold
the matrx in its proper position, Is lhr
moved; the matrix is pred out from of tn
type, the mold opened, and the type throw
out. BY this method an average OF abou
1000 types per day can be east by one mai
An important improvement was made i
1914, by Archibald Binsey, Of Philadelphia
whereby, with one motion of the hand, Oh
matrix was thrown out and the mold opened
The invention increased the rapidty wit
4 which types were cast at least fifty per cen
Type casters acquired great expertness, an
. with the hand molds were enabled TO ca
's with extraordinary rapidity. but only for
" short time.
In 1923 the casting machine was patents
By William u. johnson, sn ingenious e'ns'