Cowie's Printer's Pocket-Book and Manual/Situation and Arrangement of a Printing Office
COWIE'S
PRINTERS' POCKET-BOOK.
SITUATION AND ARRANGEMENT OF A PRINTING OFFICE.
It is desirable that every department of a printing office should be on one floor, but indispensable that the press-room be separate from the composing-room.
If it is necessary to have many floors, the presses should be on the basement, and the composing-rooms above.
The sink or wetting-room ought to be close to the press-room; there should be cisterns to collect the rain water, as it is much better for wetting paper than river water, which is commonly murky, or the hard and fetid water of wells and pumps; though the last is well enough, and perhaps better for rinsing the forms.
In arranging the presses it is requisite to economise space, and yet have as much light as can be obtained; they ought to be placed in a line, and, without inconveniencing the men, occupy the least possible room. Each press should have a window sufficiently large to cast the light direct upon the whole, viz., the tympan, the form, the paper, and the ink-table.
The floor of the press-room ought to be boarded, and not bricked or tiled, because the wear of bricks produces a subtile dust, which mixes with the ink and sticks to the paper, and soils every part of the machinery.
If the press-room be used as a drying-room, the polling ought to be raised sufficiently high to prevent the sheets from obstructing the light, and the wind of the frisket from blowing them down.
The hanging-up, gathering, folding, &c. are generally carried on in upper rooms.
All the frames should be numbered[1] and placed in rows: each ought to be in a good light, coming from the west, thus avoiding the sunbeams, and securing the last of the evening light.
The imposing-stones cannot have too much light; there ought to be room enough to go freely round them, and to lift off a large form without interruption from the adjacent frames. In winter the composing-room should be well lighted and comfortably warmed.
There should always be a press kept exclusively to pull proofs: it is generally placed in the composing-room.
As to the readers, they ought to be in a quiet place, far from noise and every thing likely to distract their attention, in a room well lighted; in short, in a library, if that be possible. They ought to be furnished with all such books as they may stand in need of for reference and verification of quotations; and ought on no account to be troubled with intruders.
The overseer's room ought to be handy to the whole of the establishment, and in the centre of the building. The hands should, if possible, have a separate entrance to the premises.
- ↑ In France, and in some houses in London, particularly The Times newspaper office, the frames are numbered; the copy is registered in the overseer's book as composed by No, 10, No. 11, &c.: thus it is known at once who set any particular article, or piece of copy.