New-York tribune., 1878-07-05
FAST PRINTING.
THE STEREOTYPE PROCESS.

In describing the recent improvements III news
paper printing machines a few weeks ago, we re-
marked that the present extraordinary development
of the fast press intimately connected with the
discovery of the process by which stereotype plates
can be made from the type forms in few minutes.
The invention was first used in America by The
TRIBUNE IN 1861. Originally the main object was
only to duplicate the FORMS that two, three, or If
necessary still greater number of presses could be
run simultaneously in working OFF the immense
editions called for by the exciting events OF the war
But still more important application of the inven-
tiOn was soon fouBd in the Improvement which 1t
made possible in the rotary press. As soon as PRINT
ers found out how to cast metal plates from paper
matrx it occurred to press builders that the plates
could be cast on any desired curve by simply bend
ing the paper mould. and so the forms Of a news
paper could be placed around the surface of small
revolving cylinder. That was the change which
cleared the way for the rotary web press. We have
been requested by a great many correspondents to
complete our account of the fast printing press by
description Of this process of siereOtyping.
The art of storeotypng in transferring the
impression of ordinary movable types TO soft
mould or matrx, and using this, after 1t has hard
ened 10 take a casting in melted metal. The solid
plate thus obtained is employed in printing, and the
types are released for further use. As applied TO
books the process has been known for 80 years.
The mould for book pages is taken in plaster, then
baked in an oven at very high temperature, and
finally enclosed in covered iron box which IS
plunred into the melted metal. The metal runs
into an aperture in the box and forms plate on the
surface OF the plaster mould. For convenience OF
storage the plates are made only about OnesiXth OF
an inch thick; in printing they are fastened to
wooden blocks, and when not in use they are taken
off the blocks and packed away in boxes. The
plaster process of stereOtypng takes several hours
and. therefore, cannot be applied to newspapers.
At the beginning Of the war of the rebellion The
TRIBUNE was using Hoes mammoth lightning
presses which then printed directly from the type
1t is true that the type was arranged on revolving
cylinder, but it was a cylinder OF great dl-
ameter, aud the pages occupied only frac-
ton of its periphery, so that there was no
difficulty in securing the columns to their places
Only one form. of type, however, could be used ana
the speed of production was consequently limited to
the capacity of a single press. Evidently tins was
not enough. The London Times used to
get over the difficulty by putting the whole
paper in type twice, that it had dupli-
cate FORMS This plan involved a great waste
of valuable time and also great expense since it
reouired double force Of cOmpOsitOrs, proOfreadors
and other hands 1t would not DO here. Foreseeing
the great demand which was soon to be made upon
the resources of a large newspaper establishment
Mr. Thomas n. Rocker, foreman of The TRIBUNE
compOsingrOOm, invited ali the bOoksereOtypeTs OF
the city to devise some modification sof their art
that would make it available for newspapers. After
considerable delay the problem was solved by MT
Charles Craske, Of New-YOrk. The TRIBUNE I'M
mediately made a contract with him, and the pro-
cess which he contIived was soon adopted by almost
every largo newspaper in the United States,
and is still in use In order to explain
it, we invite our readers to follow the
course of newspaper article-this article for IN
stance-from the manuscript to the printed page.
"MAKING-UP.7
The editor or sub-editor, having marked at the
head of the article the size of the type in which 1t Is
to be set sends it to the cOmpOsng-rOOm. This, for
instance is in miniOn type, spaced ont all through
with "leads" or thin strips of metal between the
lines and the copy is consequently marked " min
lead ALL" In the cOmposing-rOom the person ap-
pointed to give out copy divides the manuscnptlnto
0takcs, numbers the pieces, and distributes them
amone the cOmp0sltOrs. Each composltoI, when he
has finished setting his take places the type in its
proper order on a long and narrow brass tray with
raised rims. which is known a galley.
galley holds about a column OF type
and as soon as it is full the type is secured
in place by wedges proof is taken small proof
press errors are corrected and then the corrected
galley is put on one side, ready to be made up"
The making-up of the forms is the business OF the
foreman and his assistants acting under the dTec-
tons of the sub-editOT. There are ten or twelve
stout tables on wheels; they have a heavy and per-
fectly smooth iron top, little larger than page OF
THE TRIBUNE, and on each lies strong IRON frame
within whtA the page of type is to be placed. one
of these tables is wheeled alongside the counter on
which lie tie corrected galeys, and the foreman
proceeds to transfer the type from the gaeys tothe
III &c rTYn
this without the type falling apart The
letters are made TO cohere by wettDg them freely
with q spoupe and with the aid of strip OF metal
called the makeup rule a careful man can lift
thirtv-fve or forty lines of wet type between his
thumbs and fingers and transfer them safely to their
,,Ioce IN the mage When q column has thus been
lifted in column rule " is put at the side Of it,
and the foreman goes on to the next column. The
page being full, assistant goes over 1t with
block of wood about the size OF brick,
known rs the "planer," which is beaten
down upon the face of the type with NAL
lot in order to drive home any letters or spaces
which may project above the surface, and the form
Is then "locked up" by means Of wedges and
screws The whole page could now be taken
ND without much danger of the type dropping
ont: bnt in TIE TRIBUNE Office the necessity of
lifting the forms by hand has been entirely done
away with.
THE STEREOTYPE ROOM.
The composing room, where the pages are made
nm ia on the top floor Of THE TRIBUNE building;
the stereotype room is in the sub-basement or press
vault eleven stories below. AS soon as page is
ready, the table containing it is wheeled to the
hoist-way, Of the of the composnR-room, where
hangs shallow iron box just big enough to hold the
form. The box being tilted forward on piyots,
meets with mathematical exactness the top edge OF
the table; the form is pushed into it; square OF
blanket is laid on the face of the type to
protect it; the cover is closed and fastened;
and the box, tipped back to vertical