edinburghcityofprint
Compositor's setting stick
The compositors job was to set or compose or arrange type in order for printing. In his left hand he would hold a composing stick such as the one shown above.
The composing / setting stick is a device which holds the collected type at the required width of the line. This is defined by adjusting the metal screw shown on the right of this image.
In his right hand the compositor collects the type from the galley racks and places it in the composing stick. A good compositor would pick up between two and three thousand types an hour. To undertake this job took a great deal of skill and manual dexterity. The type must be placed in the composing stick in the right order and the correct way up to ensure an error free printing.
This setting stick has the letters M & R imprinted on the left hand side. This indicates that it was made by Miller & Richard; a well known Edinburgh type founders.
Edinburgh City of Print is a joint project between City of Edinburgh Museums and the Scottish Archive of Print and Publishing History Records (SAPPHIRE). The project aims to catalogue and make accessible the wealth of printing collections held by City of Edinburgh Museums. For more information about the project please visit www.edinburghcityofprint.org
Compositor's setting stick
The compositors job was to set or compose or arrange type in order for printing. In his left hand he would hold a composing stick such as the one shown above.
The composing / setting stick is a device which holds the collected type at the required width of the line. This is defined by adjusting the metal screw shown on the right of this image.
In his right hand the compositor collects the type from the galley racks and places it in the composing stick. A good compositor would pick up between two and three thousand types an hour. To undertake this job took a great deal of skill and manual dexterity. The type must be placed in the composing stick in the right order and the correct way up to ensure an error free printing.
This setting stick has the letters M & R imprinted on the left hand side. This indicates that it was made by Miller & Richard; a well known Edinburgh type founders.
Edinburgh City of Print is a joint project between City of Edinburgh Museums and the Scottish Archive of Print and Publishing History Records (SAPPHIRE). The project aims to catalogue and make accessible the wealth of printing collections held by City of Edinburgh Museums. For more information about the project please visit www.edinburghcityofprint.org