PRI
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PRI
ttefidethe feveral kinds of Letters and Characters above- mentioned, ufed in Printing; they have likewife Rules for blank Lines, Borders, and Head and Tail-Pieces, accom- modated to the fcveral kinds of Letters.
The Rules for blank Lines are of Brafs, and made ex- actly the height of the Letter 5 other wife they will either binder the neighbouring Letters from printing, or will themfelves be hindred by 'em. Thefe the Compofitor oc- cafionally curs into proper Lengths, as his Work requires.
The Borders are a kind of Ornaments in form of long Bars, ferving for the Divifions of Books, Chapters, £5?c. Their Depth is proportion 'd to the Letter, and their Length adjufted to the Page; for being compofed of feveral move- able Pieces, 'tis eafy lengthening or Ihortening 'em.
The Bead and Tail Pieces, cut either in Wood or Pewter, are Compartiments ufed at the beginnings and endings of Books.
The initial Letters are fometimes cut in Wood, and fi- gured ; fometimes caft like the other Characters.
For the Conveniency of the Binding, the 'Printers had early recourfe to Signatures, i. e. Letters of the Alphabet placed at the bottom of the Sheet, which fliew the Order they are to be bound in ; as well as whether the Quires be compleat.
The Catch-Words ferve nearly the fame purpofe 5 thefe are the firft Words of each Page, which are repeated at the bottom of the preceding Pages. The Numbers of the Pages are equally ferviceable to the Reader and the Binder, to guide to References, and to warrant the Book duly bound and collated : Some, Printers formerly put 'em at the bottoms of the Pages, but Cuflom has carried it for the Tops.
In the Infancy of 'Printing, they had likewife a Regi- ftrttm Chartarum, for the Convenience of the Binders : To draw this, at the end of each Volume, they collected the Signatures, and the firft Words of the four firft Sheets of each Alphabet. To abridge it, they afterwards contented themfelves to exprefs the Signatures, and how oft each Letter was repeated. But the Regifirum has been long difufed.
As to the Faults which efcape the Corrector, and Com- pofitor ; they are ufually noted in what they call Errata. The antient Editions had no Errata ; but in lieu thereof they corrected the Faults in each printed Copy with a Pen ; which was eafy enough in thofe days, tho impracticable now. In effect, we have antiently had (Printers who did not need an Errata of above five Articles in a Volume of five hundred Sheets: How different from fome of the prcfent Set, who might moke an Errata of five hundred Articles in a Book of five Sheets ?
The Chinese-Printing.
There are three Opinions as to the Antiquity of the Chinefc-Printing ; one fixing it 300 Years before Chrift ; another 900 iears after him ; and a third carrying it ft ill farther back, and making it co-eval with that mighty Em- pire : tho 1 it mull be allow'd the laft is much the leaft probable of the three.
Their Manner of Printing, we have already hinted to be very, different from that which now obtains among the Europeans: 'Tis true, it has fome Advantages over ours in Correctnefs, and the Beauty of the Character ; but in other Refpects it comes far ihort : The fingle Advantage of moveable Characters making more than amends for all that is urged againil us by fome zealous Advocates for this Oriental Printing- hooks are printed in China from wooden Planks, or Blocks, cut like thofe ufed in printing ofCallico, Paper, Cards, &c. among us. See Card, &c.
Thefe Blocks are of a fmooth, firm, clofe Wood, and the Size of the Leaf required. On the Face-fide they glue a Paper, upon which fome able Cbinefe Writer draws out the feveral Letters and Characters, with a Cfoinefe FerijV/hich is a kind of Pencil. This is the principal part of the Work, and that whereon the Succefs of the reft depends.
When finiftTd, the Block is put into the Hands of a Sculptor, or Cutter in Wood ; who, following the feveral Strokes of the Writer with his Gravers, and other ftiarp little Inflruments, makes 'em all appear in Relievo on the Wood. See Cutting in Wood.
When the Engraving is finifii'd, they moiften what re- mains of the Paper, and rub ir gently off.
The Ink they ufe in printing is the fame with the com- mon Chinefe Ink ; wherewith they alfo write ; and is made of Lamp-black, mixed up with Oil.
Their Prefs refembles our Rolling-Prefs, much more than the Letter- Prefs. See RoixiNG-Fr^/r.
As to their Paper, it is inferior to ours : It is made of the inner Bark or Rind of a kind of Rufhes, beat up with Water into a Pulp or Pafte, and form'd in Moulds, much like eurs. See Paper,
The Advantages df the CHnefe^Printing confift fa this that they are not obliged to take off the whole Edition ar once ; but print their Books as they need em : That the Blocks are eafily retouch'd, and made to ferve a-freJh - and that there needs no Corrector of the Prefs.
Its Difadvantages are, that a large Room will fcarcehold all the Blocks of a moderate Volume ; that the Colour of the Ink eafily fades ; and that the Paper is apt to tear, and is fubject to Worms : whence it is that we fee fo few antient Books in China.
Rolling-YR ess-Printing. s
Rolling- c Prefs~ c Printing, is employ'd in taking off Prints, or Impreffions from Copper-Plates engraven, or etch'd. See Engraving and Etching.
It differs, as we have before ob ferv'd, from Letter-printing ; in that the Marks and Characters, whofe Impreffions are to be taken, in the former Cafe, are indented, or cut inwards ; and in the latter, are in Relievo, or ftand our.
Origin and Trogrefs of Rolling-Prefs-YRiKriaa.
This Art is faid to be as antient as the Tear 1460 ; and to owe its Origin to Finiguerra, a Florentine Goldfmith, who calling a piece of engraven Plate in melted Brimftone, found the exact Print of the Engraving left in the cold Brimftone, matk'd with Black licked out of the Strokes by the liquid Sulphur.
Upon this he attempted to do the fame on filver Plates with wet Paper, by rolling it fmoothly with a Roller ; and this fucceeded.
This Novelty tempted Saccio Baldini, a Goldfmith of the fame City, to attempt the fame ; which he did with Succefs 5 ingraving feveral Plates of Sandro Boticello's De- fign, and printing them off this new way : in which he was follow'd By Andre w Mantegna, then at Rome.
This knowledge getting into Flanders, Martin of Ant- werp, a famous Painter, graved abundance of Plates of his own Invention, and fent feveral Prints into Italy, marked thus, MX.
After him Albert IDwer appear'd, and gave the World a vaft number of Prints, both in Wood and Copper.
About this time one Hugo de Carpi, an Italian Painter, found out a way, by means of feveral Plates of Wood, to make Prints refemble Defigns of Claro Obfcuro ; and fome Years after, the Invention of Etching was difcover'd, which was foon made ufe of by Parmeggiano.
The Art was not ufed in England till the Time of King Jamesl. when it was brought trom Antwerp by Speed.
The Structure of the Rolling-? 'refs, and the Compofi- tion of the Ink ufed therein ; with the Manner of applying both in taking off Prints, are as follow,
Strtitlnre of the Rolling-Prefs.
This Machine, like the common Prefs, may be divided into two parts ; the Body and Carriage, analogous to thofe in the other.
The Body confifts of two Cheeks of different Dj'menfions 5 ordinarily about 4 £■ foot high, a foot thick, and 2 # apart ; join'd a top and bottom by Crofs-pieces. The Cheeks are placed perpendicularly on a wooden Stand, or Foot, hori- zontally placed, and fuftaining the whole Prefs.
From the Foot likewife rife four other perpendicular pieces, join'd by other crofs or horizontal ones ; which may be confider'd a* the Carriage of the Prefs, as ferving to fuftain a fmooth, even 'Plank ; which is about 4 f foot long, 2 \ foot broad, and an inch | thick : upon which the en- graven Plate is to be placed.
Into the Cheeks go two wooden Cylinders, or Rollers^ about fix Inches in diameter, bore up at each end by the Cheeks; thofe Ends, which are leflen'd to about 2 Inches diameter, and call'd Trunnions, turn in the Cheeks be- tween two pieces of Wood, in form of Half Moons, and lined with polifhed Iron, to facilitate the Motion.
The Space in the half Moons, left vacant by the Trun- nion, is fill'd with Paper, Paftboard, &c. that they may be rais'd and lower'd at difcretion ; fo as only to leave the fpace between them, neceffary for the paffage of the Plank, charg'd with the Plate, Paper, and Blankets.
Laftly, to one of the Trunnions of the upper Roller, Is faften'd a Crofs, confifting of two Levers, or Pieces of Wood, traverfing each other. The Arms of this Crofs ferve, in lieu of the Handle of the common Prefs; giving a Motion to the upper Roller, and thaf to the under; by which means the Rlank is protruded, or pafs'd between them.
'Preparation of the Ink.
The Ink ufed in Rolling-Prefs-Printing, is a Compofitfon of Black, and Oil mix'd and boil'd together in a due Pro-
portion.
The
