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    Printers' Tales
    Printers' Tales
    Printers' Tales
    Ebook102 pages1 hour

    Printers' Tales

    By David Hughes

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    About this ebook

    Printers Tales is a compilation of over 30 stories, from various authors, about the printing industry in the pre-digital age.
    Before computers became common-place in the late 1970s, to produce a printed page required the skill and expertise of a multitude of time-served craftsmen.
    Compositors worked with lead type to create words letter by letter. Paper was pressed on to inked letters to reproduce words and sentences. Many of these skills have long-since been forgotten.
    This compilation brings together memories of the printing and newspaper industries from that era.
    A lot of the stories involve the Linotype machine, a mechanical typesetting machine, that was used to produce newspapers, and other publications, from the 1880s until the computer revolution of the 1970s/80s.
    There are stories, poems and limericks from authors from the USA, Canada, UK, Australia and New Zealand, all of whom share a common workplace experience.
    From tales from American "tramp printers" who were able to travel the length and breadth of the United States working on various newspapers on the way, to the unique language and terminology used by compositors on a London Fleet Street "companionship" and lots of stories in between.

    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherDavid Hughes
    Release dateSep 15, 2012
    ISBN9781301963027
    Printers' Tales
    Author

    David Hughes

    David Hughes trained as a letterpress typesetter in the 1970s, gaining a (now obsolete) City and Guilds qualification at Kitson College of Technology in Leeds, UK. He worked on the Evening Press in York and the South London Press as a Linotype operator. After retraining on the computerised "new technology" he hung up his apron in the early 90s, mainly due to boredom! He keeps in touch with the letterpress scene through his printers' nostalgia website "Metal Type" and keeps up with the practical side of things producing letterpress business cards at Metal Type Printing.

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      Book preview

      Printers' Tales - David Hughes

      Printers' Tales

      by David Hughes

      This compilation copyright © 2012 David Hughes

      Smashwords Edition

      Table of Contents

      Introduction

      A Glossary of Printing Trade Terms

      The Linecaster

      Canadian Typeset

      Local Newspaper Memories

      Hot Metal in Australia

      Fleet Street Piecework

      Sunday Telegraph Grass Ship

      Advance Memories

      New Zealand Novice

      The Linotype Mechanic

      It Was One of Those Days

      The Machine

      E for Exasperation!

      The Green Card

      Pennsylvania Pre-Press

      Salt Lake Deadline

      A Measured Approach

      Dying Days

      Bridlington Chronicle

      Letterpress Limericks

      My Last Hurrah

      The Bumpy Road

      Taken on at Spicers

      The Proofreader's Nighrmare

      The New Apprentice in 1904

      Elrod Memories

      A World of Type

      Casting Ingots

      The Apprentice's Printer's Pie

      Wayzgoose – The Event of the Year

      Australian Linotype Mechanic

      The Glass Door

      Credits

      Dedication

      Introduction

      PRINTERS TALES is a compilation of over 30 stories, from various authors, about the printing industry in the pre-digital age.

      Before computers became common-place in the late 1970s, to produce a printed page required the skill and expertise of a multitude of time-served craftsmen.

      Compositors worked with lead type to create words letter by letter. Paper was pressed on to inked letters to reproduce words and sentences.

      Many of these skills have long-since been forgotten.

      This compilation brings together memories of the printing and newspaper industries from that era.

      Many stories involve the Linotype machine, a mechanical typesetting machine, that was used to produce newspapers, and other publications, from the 1880s until the computer revolution of the 1970s/80s.

      There are stories, poems and limericks from authors from the USA, Canada, UK, South Africa, Australia and New Zealand, all of whom share a common workplace experience.

      From tales of American tramp printers who were able to travel the length and breadth of the United States working on various newspapers on the way, to the unique language and terminology used by compositors on a London Fleet Street companionship and lots of stories in between.

      A Glossary of Printing Trade Terms by George Clark

      FLEET STREET compositors spoke in a language that was almost incomprehensible to outsiders. Here's an insight:

      A Chapel.-A meeting of compositors is called a chapel, and the members of the chapel form a companionship (shortened to 'ship) pledged to watch over the interests of the London Society of Compositors (L.S.C.) and its members in the chapel.

      A Wrong Fount.-A wrong fount is a letter of a different fount found among the correct fount. A shady kind of fellow is also referred to as a wrong fount.

      An Out.-When a compositor accidentally omits a word or a phrase it is termed an out, and if several words are missing the reader writes in the margin of the proof Out-See copy, and pins the copy to the proof for return to the compositor for correction.

      Bridging.-A compositor is said to have bridged if he fails to appear at the appointed time to put the line on, and forwards no reason for his absence.

      Chopper.-A companion is choppery when he is surly and unapproachable and therefore looks hatchet faced: hence having a chopper on.

      Clerk of the Chapel.-A member elected to act as secretary at meetings, take and read minutes, collect subscriptions and dues, prepare Chapel sheets, pay Chapel money into the Society, and give each quarter a proper account of Chapel events. The Father and the Clerk are the only responsible officials recognised by the Society on the Chapel's behalf.

      Cocking a Deaf 'Un.-Pretending not to hear something particularly addressed to oneself.

      Cutting the Line.-When a mealtime break is due, the Father of the Chapel calls, Cut the line, gentlemen, and each compositor stops work, resuming when the Father calls Line on, gentlemen. All piece hands must have an equal chance of the work provided, and in this manner it is ensured. The copy provided by the Printer is lifted according to the Chapel rota. When the last page is sent into the foundry the Father cuts the line, and announces the number of men required to stop for the next edition; the others go home.

      Earwigging.-Listening to conversation that is intended to be private.

      Fat.-Work easy of performance at adequate rates.

      Father of the Chapel.-A compositor elected by his fellows to see that the customs of the trade, scales, conditions of work, etc., are strictly followed, and disputes avoided. No other member of the Chapel is allowed to interview the Printer or management unless accompanied by the Father.

      Front Pages, Back Pages, and Side Pages.-Where two compositors are working side by side they are known as side pages; where three are working, the one in the middle refers to his companions as my right-hand side page and my left-hand side page; if the men are working back to back they are known as back pages; if frames or machines are-set facing each other, the men are front pages.

      G.H.-Is an expression which means that the one who uses it is indicating to another that the one treating of a subject under discussion should go home and teach his grandmother to suck eggs. When a piece of stale news is related the cry goes round, G.H.!

      K.D.-The meaning of K.D. is to keep anything dark; that is, not to relate it outside the present company.

      Knowing Your Boxes.-Being aware of what you are doing or talking about. One of the first things an apprentice compositor is taught is the layout of the upper and lower cases, which means the geography of the types contained in them.

      Machine Compositor.-Is a compositor with the added knowledge of the Linotype, Intertype, Monotype, Ludlow, etc. He is usually called an Operator.

      Miles's Boy.-Miles was a printer in the old days, whose apprentice was knowing and artful: to whom all sorts of news came. Hence According to Miles's Boy.

      Nailing.-To nail is to talk derogatively (usually in a quiet fashion) of another compositor.

      The Nailbox.- is a traditionally mythical box full of' nails, long and short, which are said to be driven into a person who is absent.

      N.F.-A fish rises to a fly as bait: a companion who hears or observes something intended for him and ignores it is said to be no fly.

      No, You Don't!-This means that information given, or relation of'action taken, is not believed by the others present; and heads are shaken as the words go forth: No, You Don't !

      On the Coach.-In stage-coach travelling times, if one person wished to avoid

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