Mr. Stower observes, that marking turned letters tries a corrector's skill in knowing the true formation of them ; without which it would be better to mark them in the same manner as they do wrong letters, which is done by dashing out the wrong letter, and writing the right one in the margin, unless they are very sure that they can distinguish b, d, n, o, p, q, s, u, x, z, when they are turned, from the same letters with their nick the right way. Where a space rises up between two words, it is noticed by a cross ± in the margin. When any thing is transpos-; ed, it is noted thus : 1 4 3 2 You merit mistake for You mistake your merit ; and in the margin is added tr. for transposition,— Where a new paragraph is required, a line, in the shape of a crotchet, [ is made, and the same mark placed in the also where a paragraph ought not to have been made, a line is drawn from the bro ken-off matter to the next paragraph ; and in the margin is written No break. If Italic letters are to be changed for Roman, or vice versa, a line is drawn, thus —, under the letters, and Rom. or hal. is written in the margin. Where words have been struck out that are afterwards approved of, dots are marked under such words, and in the margin is written the word std. Where the punctuation is re quired to be altered, the semicolon, colon, and period, are encircled in the margin. The comma and other points are marked as letters and words, viz. with a long ob. I ique line immediately before them ; which line is intended to separate the different corrections from each other, that occur in the same line. When letters of a differ ent fount or size are improperly introduc ed into the page, they are noticed by a small dash drawn through them, and the letters ry f in the margin. There are some other marks used in correcting ; such as „/ for superior ; where it is neces sary to insert the apostrophe, the star, or other reference marks, and superior let ters ; Cap. for capital, L. C. for lower case, &c.
After a proof sheet has been read, and the errata thus noticed by the corrector, or, as he is more usually called, the read er, it is again put into the hands of the compositor, who proceeds to correct in the metal what has been marked for cor rection in the proof He then unlocks the form on the imposing stone, by loos ening the quoins or wedges which bound the letters together. He then casts his eye over one page of the proof, noticing what letters, &c. are required. Having gathered as many corrections, from the cases, between the thumb and fore finger of his left hand, as he can conveni ently hold, and an assortment of spaces, piece of paper, or in a small square box with partitions in it, he takes a sharp pointed steel bodkin in his right hand.— Placing the point of the bodkin at one end of the line, and the fore finger of his left hand against the other, he raises the whole line sufficiently high to afford him a clear view of the spacing. He then changes the faulty letters or words, and alters his spaces before he drops the line.
The first proof being corrected, another is pulled, to be again put into the hands of the reader, or sent to the author for examination. This proof being read and corrected as before, a revise is pulled, to see whether all the errors marked in the last proof are properly corrected. When
the sheet is supposed to be correct, the forms are given to the pressman, whose business it is to work them off when they are so prepared and corrected ; in doing which four things are required: paper, ink, balls, and a press. The paper is pre pared for use by being dipped, a few sheets at a ale, in water, and afterwards laid in a heap over each other ; to make the water penetrate equally into every sheet, a thick deal board is laid upon the heap, on which is placed heavy weights, according to the size of the heap. The reason why the paper is to be wetted be fore it is in a fit state to be printed upon, is, that it may be made sufficiently soft to adhere closely to the surti.ce of the letter, and take up a proper quantity of ink, that it may receive a fiur and clear impression. It is also necessary to wet the paper, lest its stiff and harsh nature, when dry, should injure the face of the letters.
The ink used by printers has already been treated ot; in the article INK, which see. The manufacture of good common ink seems to be as yet but very imperfect ly understood. That used in fine printing has been more attended to, and many of our best printers are now able to produce impressions in a great degree free from that offensive brown cast, which is to be observed in many books printed with what is called common ink.
The balls used in laying the ink on the forms, are a kind of wooden funnels, with handles, the cavities of which are stufled with wool or hair, and covered over with a pelt, prepared for the purpose. One skin generally makes two proper sized balls. When the skin has been sufficient ly soaked in urine, which will take about fourteen or fifteen hours, it is taken out and curried, by putting it round an iron, called a currying iron, or round some up right post ; the pressman taking hold of each end of it, and drawing it with as much force as possible backwards and forwards, till it is rendered soft and plia ble. He then cuts the skin exactly in two, puts them under his feet, and con tinues to tread them till they are so dry as to stick to the foot in treading. The skin is then laid on a board or flat stone, and stretched as much as possible by rubbing the ball-stock upon it It is then nailed upon the ball-stock in plaits, about an inch wide, thrusting in as much wool as the cavity of the stock and the skin will conveniently hold. If, however, too much wool were to be put in, it would render the balls hard and difficult to work with. If too little wool is in the balls, they soon flap and wrap over into wrinkles, so as to prevent an equal distribution of the ink on their surface. When the balls are thus knocked up, as it is termed, they are dip. ped in urine, and scraped with a blunt knife, until they are perfectly clean ; they are then dried with a clean sheet of stout paper, and patted with the hand until no moisture remains on the surface. The balls, when they are completed, have much the shape and appearance of a very large mallet, used by stone masons, ex cept that their surface is much broader and rounder.