Typecase layout

If I were you, I would not lay type in a 6 X 12 pattern, because it flies in the face of the vast majority of cap case layouts, which are 7 X 7. If you learn 6 X 12, and you want to go to the standard 7 X 7, you will have to learn all over again.

If you want to use the 6 X 12 cases, I would use the first 7 of the 12 across, and then go the 6 down, giving you 7 X 6 or 42 compartments. That should be good enough for most cap fonts. If you need to, you can put a few things in the last 5 at the right, which will be empty.

Thank you Geoffrey for you response, I greatly appreciate your input & value your wisdom in this matter. I wonder if anyone has a typecase like mine & if so how it has been laid? When I acquired this cabinet, the type was laid very strangely with type running from right to left in a manor I have not come across anywhere. I want to follow a recognised scheme if possible.

Hello Caxton59 and Geoffrey,

I’m having the same problem. I also have a I’m a little confused Geoffrey what order the type should be laid. Caxton59, what was your solution? The Hamilton Lay (http://www.alembicpress.co.uk/Alembicprs/HJUCASE.HTM) gives you 49 with a 7 by 7 lay… but again, what’s the best letter in boxes set up (excuse my lack of technical language.

Many thanks

Olu

I tried to make a diagram but it wouldn’t upload correctly.

Here’s what I would do, with reference to the Hamilton Job Case whose link is above:

You have to get rid of one row, since the Hamilton case has 7 rows and you only have 6 rows. So, referring to the first row in the Hamilton case, with numbers 1 - 7 in it, delete that whole row.

For the first row in your case, leave the first two compartments open, then put $, Pound sign, AE, OE, and ? in the next 5 compartments.

Second row . , ; : ’ - !

Third row: A,B,C,D,E,F,G

Fourthrow: H,I,K,L,M,N,O

Fifth row: P,Q,R,S,T,V,W

Sixth row: X,Y,Z,J,U,&,spaces

This takes care of everything but the numbers. For those, I would use the 11th and 12th columns on the right side of your case. Put numbers 1,2,3,4,5 vertically in the 11th column and 6,7,8,9,0 vertically in the 12th column.

That should do it!

With a tiny amount of logic, a tiny amount of learning, (the Authors) and the current Variety of sizes and configurations of the *Lay* of the cases offered, would it not make sense, to Alter, Modify, even D.I.Y. (build) a cabinet of 4/5/6, up to 10 drawers, with compartments more in keeping, and desireable, to match in minature form, the well established and traditional style from way back.?? Lower case *e*s and lower case *z*s are about 50-1 ratio,?? ……. it aint Rocket Science, not even back in the Mid 50,s.

Most of the currently available, cabinets/drawers (with the compartments, all the same size) are less than useful, i.e. the most commonly used letters, a,e,n,o,r,s,t, need far, far, more capacity than x,z,q,fi, ff, fl, etc etc.

If all else fails and circumstances prohibit D.I.Y. … the very least, is to subdivide some compartments, to incorporate as above, 2/3 only of x,z,q, £, $, fi,ff. fl,(,),?, /,-, !, and more,? to free up, several compartments for double sided a.e.n.o, as far as possible,! even figures can be, and have been reduced to, 2 per compartment, with perhaps the exception of, 2 and 0, left as *stand alone* for this *Millenium* laugh maybe, but think about it in the process.

One exception to the double up of figures, did fall flat when Printing, For example tiny Breast Pocket Rule Books, etc.

>Bread and Butter,< for Table-tops, and Small Treadles, 4 pages at a time, involved a lot of figures, for lots of rules, plus lots of telephone numbers for the Officers, Committee, etc etc.

The syndrome could well hold good today!! … even recently on B.P.cries for help, involving 2 only A,s .. E,s available, for a job that needs 3 off, Double passes for overprinting, just one letter, CAN be done, HAVE been done, but it aint easy, and frustrating.

Thank you, Mick on Monotype and Geoffrey. Lots of things to think about and definitely to do! I’m still working on the best lay, but lots of food for thought…

There is no standard layout , I contacted Caslon, everyone does what they want,there was a thread recently about using r/h side as in numbers caps as in combined case………that seemed intelligent.I did not do that as previous donations of Adana cabinets seemed alphabetically sorted.
Most Adana users seem to squash in l/c and u/c in same compartment, recently I spent 3 weeks sorting out a donation (for which I am grateful)with cases containing mixtures of Gill sans in two or three pt sizes, 12 Spartan in 1 and 3, 4 sizes , 6pt - in 1, 2,4 …please Adana users, buy enough cases!!!!!!!

Cases I have come across do have upper and lower in separate rows, but with q and u, j after the other letters, then punct. after everything, in what order you wish better to well separate out , and .

; and ;

jonathanjeclipse, Mick on Monotype, Geoffrey and caxton59 - thanks. I suspected that a specific case lay for my cases may be a myth. I have been working on a case lay for a couple of days now in an attempt to find the best lay out. It’s an adaptation on an adaptation of the English double case lay, with a bit of common sense thrown in and Briar Press advice. I wanted to avoid doubling up but it can’t be avoid, I too have spent many, many weeks sorting through type pies due to very small Adana boxes! The idea behind the layout is that eventually I may acquire a type cabinet with cases and I want to be comfortable in moving round a roughly traditional case lay. I’ve attached what I’ve come up with so far… nothing has been sorted, yet.

Screen Shot 2016-09-06 at 16.07.40.png

I have finally made a diy layout for this 72 compartment case. Not much to help me other than experience, tradition and a little intuition & trial & error. There are so many possibilities, so I configured my own & tried to make it simple. It can be found on the Adana webpages of Facebook together with an explanation of my logic.
I felt it was no point slavishly trying to adhere to the 7 row system & anyway the lower case does not conform to any such thing. Basically it’s as follows:

123456789 ligatures sorts
abcdefABCDEF
ghiklmGHIKLM
noprstNOPRST
uvwy xz jq UVWY XZ JQ
.,:; empty empty empty - j()[] !?/ £$&

Note the empty boxes could be used for small word spaces i.e. Thick, mid & thin. I prefer to keep larger spaces separate.
Numbers could be in shared boxes if more places are needed.

Take a look at the Facebook page.

I hope this helps someone else with the same dilemma.

Thanks for all your kind suggestions