AN            HISTORICAL                                       SKETCH
Everyone who is acquainted with the method of preparing and bringing out
new type faces, knows that some time elapses between the cutting of the first
size of a series, and the final fitting and finishing of the matrices of the last size,
especially in a job series where the range of bodies is wide. It was not, therefore,
until the Summer of 1894 that we finally showed in "The Tppe Founder," three
of the four series, viz: West Lining Gothic, consisting of eight sizes; Elzevir
Title series, complete from    6 to 60-point, eleven sizes, and Roman No. 30 series,
six sizes.  At the same time "The Tppe Founder" made the following reference
to those faces:
"West Lining Gothic is a new face that will meet the wants of many. It is cast on the point
system both ways, and is somewhat lighter than our regular Lining Gothic. Lines accurately at the
bottom.
"Elzevir Title is one of those neat condensed faces that very quickly find their way into
magazine and newspaper advertising pages, as well as in job work. It is cast on the point system
both ways, and lines at the bottom with the use of leads. Seventy-two point in preparation.
"We present in this number of The Tppe Founder, our new series of body type, Roman
No. 30. Much has been claimed by certain parties for so-called self-spacing type. It has been
lauded to the skies by the manufacturers, and many printers pronounce it, to some extent, an advan-
tage over the regular type, in justification, proof corrections, rule and table work. Our new series is
not made on the self-spacing system but on the point-set system, which has great advantages over the
so-called self-spacing scheme, in that the spaces and quads are made regularly on points in conformity
with the point system now in vogue; that is, the en, em, 2 and 3-em quads are cast the same as they
always have been, while in so-called self-spacing this does not hold good. In most bodies of the
so-called self-spacing type the em quad is not an em quad at all, as it is not square, and the same
disproportions apply to the other quads, leaders, etc. For instance: the width of a 3-er quad or
leader is not three times its thickness, as in our system. The so-called self-spacing system is arbitrary.
Take any body you please as an example: if a founder has four faces of brevier, and one runs wider
or narrower to the alphabet than another (which is always the case as the face is larger or smaller),
the spaces and quads would have to be cast to conform with the unit on which each face is cast, and
they will not justify with each other. It would be a "jay" office that would introduce two or three
widths of quads, leaders, etc., of the same body in this age of printing."
"While the point-set necessitates no change in quads, leaders, figures, etc., we have at the same time
reduced the number of widths of letters to the minimum. The lower-case, caps, small caps, points
and figures of 6-point No. 30, are cast on six widths: the 7-point on seven; the 8-point on seven; the
9-point on eight; the 10-point on eight; the 11-point on eight. The lower-case of 6-point has four
widths; 7-point, four; 8-point, five; 9-point, five; 10-point, six, and 11-point, six. We have succeeded
in confining the alphabet to the few widths mentioned without injuring the symmetrical appearance
of the various letters. While the expense is somewhat more in manufacturing type on this system
than in the regular way, at the same time we have determined to put it on the market at regular
prices for the time being. If it is found that it ca he afforded, the price will remain the same,
otherwise it will be advanced a small percentage. Finally, if the point-set type proves advantageous,
after a fair trial, and printers demand it, other faces will be made on this system."
Very soon after this issue of" The Tppe Founder," the fourth series referred
to, West Old Style No. 70, was shown with the Roman No. 30 (both body-type
faces), in a booklet entitled "Point-Set." We quote from this monograph, in
which the foundation principles of Point-Set were explained:
"From the date when printing with movable type was invented to the closing years of the
nineteenth century, the space justification of lines remained an unsolved problem. It is only neces-
sary to mention this fact, to revive in the minds of all who have held a composing stick, the weary
hours spent looking for the missing space that would bring the justification of the lines to the ideal
that every conscientious "typo" sought to attain. A stumble in the direction of solving this intri-
cate problem was made by the suggestion of a unit as a base, but unfortunately the units did not

xiii