Cowie's Printer's Pocket-Book and Manual/Plan of a Press-Book
PLAN OF A PRESS-BOOK.
| When given out to wet. | Names of Works. | No. | Sig. | Date and hour when laid on. | No. of Press. |
| Nov. 3. | The Talisman. | 3500 | e | Nov. 5, 11 | 6th |
| 4. | e 2 | 6. ½p 9 | 2nd | ||
After the overseer has entered into this book the account of the paper intended to be wet, he sets down the same articles with the numbers and date, in a book called the wetting book: from this book the warehouseman receives his instructions for giving out the paper. It frequently happens in works of a large number, that one sheet is laid on by two presses; when this is done, it is entered as the Talisman in the annexed plan, viz.—signature e, the outer form was laid on November 5, by the sixth press, at eleven o'clock in the morning; the inner form, e 2, was laid on November 6, by the second press, at half-past nine in the morning. It may appear to some, trifling and unnecessary to specify in this book the hour of the day the pressmen lay on a form; but we would observe, that it is of importance to the overseer, in his arrangements to provide for the presses, to be able to ascertain, by referring to the book, when they are likely to be off.
This book also informs him of the quantity of wet paper, and the length of time it has been wetted; this is of importance when authors sometimes detain proofs so long, that the paper allotted for those sheets will mildew, if it be not hung up to dry.