often called "upper case," and small letters are always known as "lower case" (abbreviated "l. c."), because the capital letters are in the upper of the two type cases and the small letters in the lower one.
The amount of type set is measured by the number of "ems" (from the letter "M"). An "em" is a square of a given size of type; i.e., an em in 8-point type is eight seventy-seconds of an inch square. The standard unit of measure for type matter is usually the 12-point, or pica, em. A column of a newspaper that is thirteen ems wide, therefore, is thirteen 12-point ems, or thirteen picas, in width; i.e., it is one hundred and fifty-six seventy-seconds of an inch, or two and one sixth inches wide. Advertising space is measured by the so-called "agate line," on the basis of fourteen agate lines to one inch.
In setting type by hand, the compositor has a small metal tray, or "stick," inclosed on three sides and adjusted to the width of a column or a line, into which he places the type, letter by letter, as he picks it out of the case before him. As a stick holds about two inches of type, a "stickful" has come to be a common expression for about two or two and one half inches of printed matter. A news story is spoken of by editors and compositors as being two or three "stickfuls" long, and an editor often tells a reporter to "write a stickful or two" on a particular story, or directs a copy-reader to "cut it down to a stickful."
Type is "leaded" when thin strips of lead or brass are placed between the lines, these "leads" being two points in thickness. When two of these 2-point leads are placed between the lines, the type is "double-leaded." If no leads are used, the type is said to be "solid." The first paragraphs of news stories are often leaded, and very important news, particularly short
