Type Standards.

The advantage of a systematic sequence of sizes of type bodies being admitted, two important points remain to be settled—the standard to which all measurements have to be referred, and the system by which that standard is to be divided. On the first point we have already expressed our opinion that no private standard should be accepted. Each of the five great English foundries has a different long primer—all developed by imperceptible variations from the original Caslon body. A comparison of Austin Wood's table (p. 43) with that of Savage (p. 44) is instructive as showing how great a variation has taken place in the English bodies in less than fifty years. In Germany, the « System Didot » of different houses will be found to vary. All else is measured by the national scale—the building itself—the fittings—the chases, the machine tables, the paper on which the form is printed—and the national scale is the only one affording a perpetual standard for reference and correction. We are therefore glad that Messrs Caslon—the only English founders who have as yet introduced the aliquot system—have not followed the bad example of the Americans; but have taken the English inch as the basis of their scheme. The standard being fixed, there are two systems of division—by geometric and arithmetical progression. The first is the most scientific in theory—the latter immeasurably the best in practice. The geometrical system gives an exact proportional relationship between successive sizes of type throughout the scale—a result which no system of arithmetical progression could give. But it has the fatal objection of introducing incommeasurable fractions; and so far as we know is adopted by only one foundry in the world—Bruce's of New York. In the point system, where nonpareil equals 6, minion 7, and brevier 8, the beautiful geometric proportion is not secured; but the great practical advantage is gained that a lead one unit thick will adjust each of these bodies accurately to the next above it, and the same lead equals ⅙ of nonpareil, 1/7 of minion, and ⅛ of brevier. The series differ by a variable proportion, but a fixed unit. In Bruce's system, where the size of the body doubles regularly at each seventh step, each size is larger than the preceding by 12·2462+ per cent, and to adapt nonpareil to minion would require a lead ?0103 + inch thick; minion to brevier, 0115+ inch, and so on. While we cannot but admire the theoretic beauty—in fact perfection—of the system, we believe it is almost as irritating and unpractical in actual use as no system at all. Further, it will not range with any other system in use. The pica is 71·271+ ems to the foot. The aliquot parts of the foot are found only in the series agate, small pica, and meridian, which run 160, 80, 40, and 20 lines respectively. These differ from other standards, the small pica of the point system equaling 78·8609 ems to the foot instead of 80. Messrs Bruce say their system « differs but little in the principal bodies from the various systems used by other foundries. » This is true; but it is precisely these small differences which give the printer trouble. In our own office we have about a dozen sizes of pica and about the same number of two-line emerald. Many of the pica quads may be mixed with no very serious inconvenience; but those belonging to border founts require to be kept carefully apart. Let any one space a line of Stephenson & Blake's pica or two-line pica with Figgins's quads, and observe the result when the form is locked up, and they will realize what these little differences amount to in practice. The geometric system gives a certain facility in computation in casting-off matter; it would also be found useful in composing various-sized editions of the same work to correspond page for page. This latter result, how-ever, has been attained under the ordinary system; and to carry it out thoroughly, the sizes of the standard pages should also increase in regular proportion by geometric progression. Such, however, is not the case at present.