Cowie's Printer's Pocket-Book and Manual/Rules and Regulations to be observed in a Printing Office
RULES AND REGULATIONS TO BE OBSERVED IN A PRINTING OFFICE.
Compositors.
1. Compositors to receive their cases from the overseer, or other person appointed by him, free from all pie, or other heterogeneous matter, with clean quadrat and space boxes to both Roman and Italic, which they are to return to him in the same state, or forfeit six-pence for each pair of cases.
2. When a compositor receives letter, furniture, &c. from the overseer, he is to return what he does not use, in the same state he received it, the same day, under the forfeiture of threepence.
3. Compositors to impose their matter when desired by the employer or overseer, or forfeit twopence for every hour's delay. The same for proofs that are desired to be corrected, unless in either case it shall appear that all the stones were engaged.
4. When the compositor imposes from furniture in chase, he is directly to tie up the pages of loose matter, or forfeit one penny for every neglected page, besides being obliged to clear away the pie thereby occasioned.
5. Forms, immediately after they are imposed, to be carried to the proof press, and the proofs when pulled to be given to the reader, or carried into the reading closet, with, if a first proof, the copy, and, if a second, the foul proof under the forfeiture of one penny for every quarter of an hour's delay.
6. Every compositor who shall leave a foul stone, either of letter, furniture, &c. shall forfeit one penny for every such offence.
7. Should a compositor detain an imposing-stone longer than the nature of the business may require, he is to be fined twopence for every hour's unnecessary delay.
8. When any cases are taken out of the racks, the compositor is to return them into their proper place immediately after he has done with the same, under the forfeiture of one penny for each case.
9. No cases to be placed over others, or under the frames, under the penalty of one penny for each case.
10. Gallies with head lines, or other useful materials during the course of a piece of work, to be cleared the day after the work is all completely at press, or the compositor to forfeit threepence for each day's neglect.
11. When a work is completely finished, the compositor or compositors concerned shall, before he or they begin another work, unless prevented by the employer or overseer, clear away the forms, taking from them the head lines, white lines, leads, and reglets; which, with the furniture of each sheet, and the matter properly tied up for papering, are to be given to the overseer, or any person he may appoint.
12. Sweepings of frames to be cleared away before ten o'clock every morning, under the forfeiture of twopence for each neglect. Matter broken by accident to be cleared away on the same day under the like penalty.
13. A compositor mixing any two separate founts, without an express order from the overseer, to be fined one shilling.
14. When a compositor carries his form down for press, he is not to put two forms together without a partition between, on forfeiture of twopence; and in case, through neglect of such partition, a form should be battered, the compositor guilty of such neglect shall forfeit sixpence.
15. The saw, saw-block, bowl, sponge, letter-brush, shears, bellows, &c. to be returned to their respective places as soon as done with, under a forfeiture of one penny.
16. Any person taking a candlestick, bodkin, snuffers, composing-stick, &c. not his own, without permission of the owner, shall be fined threepence.
17. Any person misplacing cases in the rack, or taking an upper without the lower case, (vice versá,) shall be fined twopence.
18. That pie of any sort, on boards, windows, frames, &c. shall be cleared after five minutes' notice, under the penalty of sixpence.
19. That any person detected taking sorts from the frames or cases of another, without leave, be fined one shilling. Should any person be detected in hoarding useful sorts, not wanting or likely to want them, he shall be fined sixpence.
20. Any person in the house, (except the master or overseer,) who shall call off the errand boy while he is sweeping his rooms, to be fined threepence.
21. That the master, or overseer, forfeit one shilling, and compositor sixpence, for every candle left without proper charge:—The boundaries of the office to be considered the open air.
22. Jobs to be cleared away immediately after notice being given by the overseer, under the penalty of twopence for every hour's delay.
23. All fines to be paid on Monday, before 12 o'clock, under the penalty of sixpence. The overseer to make application for the fines before that time, or be fined six-pence.
24. These regulations, in cases of extreme hurry of business, may be suspended, by permission from the master, or overseer; but, when that has ceased, to be immediately resumed under the same forfeitures.
Pressmen.
1. All proofs to be pulled within five minutes after notice, or the pressmen who are in proofs to fine one penny for each form.
2. Immediately after pulling a proof, the pressmen to rub over the forms and chases with a lie-brush, and place them against the compositor's frame to whom they belong, where they are to leave the proof, or forfeit one penny for every neglect.
3. As soon as a form is wrought off, the pressman to carry it to the lie-trough, and there completely rub it over with lie, rinse it with water, and then carry it to the wrought off place, or to the end of the compositor's frame it belongs to. Threepence for each neglected form.
4. Leaving the lie-jar uncovered, a fine of one penny.
