Design in Typography.
XLIX.
The Banner Borders.

At first sight, the Banner design of the Caslon Foundry might not appear to have any connexion with the Ribbon and Scroll combinations by which it was preceded. To any one who has watched the rapid evolution of typographic design during the past few years, however, it was evident, even had the founders themselves not in effect stated that it was in a measure suggested by these simpler but striking rule-combinations. It was in 1875, in No. 1 of Caslon's Circular, that this design first appeared. Beautifully printed, from a two-color font, and with the banner brought out in a rich tint, it took an immediate hold of the fancy of the trade, and had an extensive sale.

In the article drawing attention to the design, the founders said: « We have been encouraged to contrive and successfully complete the Banner Border after repeated failures and much disappointment.… The pieces are few in number, on square body; and most simple in justification. » In the second issue, it was stated that the border, although consisting of but ten punches in each size, thirty in all, « took the best portion of eighteen months to complete, as almost every punch had to be re-engraved, and some a third time altered, before perfect accuracy was secured. » As we once before had occasion to remark, this must have been an exceptional case, as the prolific foreign foundries certainly could not produce their elaborate and minutely-adjusted combinations under such conditions. The illustrative banner in this page is from the medium-sized or great-primer font, the others being to two-line pica and pica respectively. The following is the synopsis of characters, set from the smallest size, and showing also the appropriate rule for the head, engraved in metal, and cut systematically to lengths, a quantity of which was furnished with each font. We show twelve characters; but the smaller pair of end-pieces do not occur in the other sizes, and it will be noted that they are only the larger ones shortened. Six of the characters shown are also dissected for two-color work, giving for the full font a total of 72 characters, besides three small assortments of metal-rule and one of thin brass-rule. We have shown a very simple form of banner, but by means of the horizontal and oblique characters, with the addition of brass-rule, a great variety of fringes may be formed, and gonfalons and pointed or swallow-tailed banners may be constructed. The success of the design encouraged the proprietors afterwards to cut it in wood, in large size and bold style, for posters. The beauty of the punch-cutting—the work, we believe, of a Frenchman—is so evident as to need no comment. In actual use, as in the case of all other designs of a special character, appropriateness must be first considered. One limitation in use is caused by the large amount of page 2space required. In our illustrative example, which is fairly proportioned, only about one-fourth of the space is available for the text. A weakness in the design (in the absence of a ground-tint) is the thin rule at the sides, especially in a long banner. The rule, as cut by the founder, allowed no space between the tassel and brass-rule; but this is a matter which could be easily altered. The chief defect, however, characterizing the design in all sizes, metal and wood, is—that the rule does not match the type, and therefore joins badly. Every compositor who has set the border regards this shade-rule in metal as a mistake. Brass-rule (as in the Scroll design) or cast types of suitable length, would have been better. The fringe-pieces are cast on a deeper body than necessary; if kerned top and bottom, in the American fashion, they would have been more convenient. A mistake, which would not be made now, was casting the intermediate size to justify with great-primer and bourgeois, necessitating four sets of quads and justifiers. Had 3-line nonpareil been taken as the standard, pica and nonpareil quads would have justified the whole series. A defect, so far as the peaked or swallow-tailed designs are concerned, is, that if an odd number of fringe-pieces are used, a horizontal piece must be introduced in the centre. This might have been avoided in two ways—either by casting the oblique fringe-pieces in halves, or by adding two special characters for the centre.

In noting this design, the Printers' Register (6 II 76) fell into a curious error. It described the Banner as « a combination of type and brass-rule, designed by Mr T. W. Smith, who, it will be recollected, was the designer of the Ribbon and Scroll type now so extensively used. » Mr Smith promptly corrected the mistake. In the next issue he wrote: « Though I can lay claim to being the originator of the Banner Border, it is only fair to state that for the ingenious and elegant Ribbon and Scroll designs we are indebted wholly and solely to Mr E. Pechey, the present London agent of Messrs Stephenson, Blake, & Co. » This is one of the first instances in recent years where the name of the actual designer of a type-novelty has appeared. The editor added this note: « We gladly insert this letter, because we know that a great many beside ourselves believed that Mr Smith was the designer of the Ribbon and Scroll type. Palmam qui meruit ferat. »

In 1876 Messrs Schelter & Giesecke, of Leipzig, who had not then gained the world-wide renown they have since obtained, issued the first number of their Typographische Mittheilung, in which appeared a Banner of 13 characters (Series 54) evidently modelled on Caslon's. On our first page is an example, and also a synopsis of pieces. Two characters, omitted from the latter, may be seen in the banner itself. The rule at the sides is left to the discretion of the compositor. In place of the suspender, the ornamental centre-piece may be used, with or without the pair of side-ornaments; or, as in any other banner, ornament at the head may be entirely dispensed with; though in this case the flat top leaves the design with a somewhat unfinished appearance. In one respect the original model is improved upon: the special rule (brass) for the roller corresponds in face and body with the design. The faults are, that the cords are somewhat stiff and heavy, and the short lengths are « fiddling » in justification. So are the little triangular pieces for extending the oblique cord; but this arrangement is not without its advantages. The fine line on the right of each section of fringe is not only unnecessary, but a disadvantage. Instead of one centre-piece, there should have been two, corresponding with the rising and falling curves respectively. The character provided does not properly correspond with either, and in the example b does not even join. This Banner is noticeable as the first of the grand series of modern borders, many of them inter-combining, which have during the past fourteen years gained Messrs Schelter & Giesecke both fame and fortune.