Typefounding Company's System.—20-to-Pica Points.

The standard taken by the Patent Typefounding Company is the pica type, which is divided into twenty points, and to each body is assigned a certain number of these points, as will be seen from the last column of the following table. On this system any body with pica spaces and quadrats, or with leads cast to the pica body, will work with any other body in table-work without justification, and with most of them the relations are of a very simple character. The scale of the old foundries is from Savage's Dictionary of Printing.

To give some idea of how completely this is effected, we subjoin a table of the relations, from five to one line of pica to the other bodies. Before this can be clearly understood, it will necessary to show the sizes of leads on this system, and how, by the addition of one extra space-line or brass to the ordinary leads, any definite decimal portion of the pica, that is, any number of points, can be obtained. The leads are as follow:

No. 1 2 to pica = ½ pica = 10 points (nonpareil clump).

" 2 4 " = ¼ " = 5 "

" 3 5 " = ⅕ " = 4 "

" 4 8 " = ⅛ " = 2½ "

" 5 10 " = 1/10 " = 2 "

" 6 (Brass) 20 " = 1/20 " = 1 "

We will now show the different methods of forming any number of points from one to ten to render the system of practical application on table work, marginal notes, &c.

From the two following tables it will be seen that any body may be used with pica in table-work, or as marginal notes without justification, or what is equivalent, pica quads may be used in an emergency for the blanks and margin of any body without justification, using leads only.

To take an illustration:

• 4 picas equal to 4 small picas and 8 points, which may be made by 8 brass space-lines, or 4 1/10-pica leads, or 2 ⅕-pica leads.
• 4 picas equal to 5 long primer without leads.
• 4 picas equal to 6 breviers and 2 points, which may be either 2 1/20 brass space-lines, or 1 1/10-pica lead.
• 4 picas equal to 8 nonpareil, without leads.
• 4 picas equal to 10 pearl, without leads.
• 4 picas equal to 11 diamond and 3 points, which may be either 3 l/20-pica brass space-lines, or 1 1/10-pica lead and 1 1/20-pica brass space-line.

The following table shows the relation of from one-to five-line pica to the other bodies, in lines and points. Thus the first item reads: 5-line pica = 5 lines small pica+ 10 points.