Glossaryimage: Glossary

Our new glossary is a blank slate, and an experiment. You can help grow the glossary by adding letterpress or typography-related terms and definitions. Or, improve a definition posted by somebody else.

164 terms
    Out of Truth

    When a book is not cut square. [cite: American Dictionary of Printing and Bookmaking (1894)]

    Outsides

    The top or bottom sheets of a ream, often damaged and called retree. Prob. from the French retirée, or withdrawn; the...

    Pacchettista

    (Ital.) A compositor who makes up type into pages. [cite: American Dictionary of Printing and Bookmaking (1894)]

    Página

    (Ital and Sp.) A page. In Italian, however, there is no accent. [cite: American Dictionary of Printing and Bookmaking...

    Paginieren

    (Ger.) To number pages. To number leaves is called Foliiren.

    Palimpsest

    also: Codex Rescriptus. – The name given to a parchment or other piece of writing materialfrom which, after it had...

    Palmear

    (Sp.) To plane (a form). [cite: American Dictionary of Printing and Bookmaking (1894)]

    Patrize

    (Ger.) Punch

    Pearl

    Type on a 5-point body. [cite: Type specimens : ornaments, borders, corners, brass rules, emblems, body type /...

    Perfecting

    The act of printing the second side or reiteration of a sheet. [cite: American Dictionary of Printing and Bookmaking...

    Pergament

    (Ger.) Parchment.

    Pica

    Type on a 12-point body. [cite: Type specimens : ornaments, borders, corners, brass rules, emblems, body type /...

    Pie

    Type broken or indiscriminately mixed. This spelling is used to some extent, but American authority is clear that...

    Platine

    (Fr.) Platen

    poinçon, le

    (Fr.) The punch [cite: Typographical Printing Surfaces (1916)]

    Pony Font

    A small font used for limited proofing or a collector’s sample. [cite: Practical Typecasting, Rehak, 1993]

    Prägepresse

    (Ger.) Embossing press

    Presse, la

    (French) Printing press

    Proefpers

    (Dutch) Proof press

    Proof

    n. Printed text, images, figures, etc. used to check for errors and other issues prior to production printing.
    ...

    Rähmchen

    (Ger.) - The Frisket [Cite: American Dictionary of Printing and Bookmaking (1894)]

    Rahme

    (Ger.) The Chase [Cite: American Dictionary of Printing and Bookmaking (1894)]

    Rajesh

    frames art studio

    rechte seite, die

    (Ger.) Recto [cite: Typographical Printing Surfaces (1916)]

    Recto

    The right side of a leaf, having an odd-numbered page or folio.

    Reglette

    (Ger.) Lead, reglet or space line

    Satzregal

    (Ger.) Cabinet

    Schliessplatte

    (Ger.) Imposing stone

    Schrift

    (Ger.) Type

    Schrift fehlt

    (Ger.) Out of sorts (sorts wanted) [cite: Typographical Printing Surfaces (1916)]

    Schriftgarnitur

    (Ger.) Fount

    Schriftgießerei

    (Ger.) Type Foundry

    Schriftguss

    (Ger.) Type casting

    Schrifthöhe

    (Ger.) Height to paper or type height

    Schriftmusterbuch

    (Ger.) Type specimen

    Schriftprobe

    (Ger.) Type specimen

    Schriftschnitt

    (Ger.) Typeface

    Semi-Brevier

    Type on a 4-point body. [cite: Type specimens : ornaments, borders, corners, brass rules, emblems, body type /...

    Setzschiff

    (Ger.) Galley

    Signatur

    (Ger.) Nick

    Small Pica

    Type on an 11-point body. [cite: Type specimens : ornaments, borders, corners, brass rules, emblems, body type /...

    sortes manquent

    (Fr.) Out of sorts (sorts wanted) [cite: Typographical Printing Surfaces (1916)]

    spaties

    spaces

    Steinschrift

    (Ger.) Sans- serif, grotesque or gothic

    Stempel, der

    (Ger.) The punch [cite: Typographical Printing Surfaces (1916)]

    Tigel

    (Ger.) Platen press

    Trapdegelpers

    Treadle platen press

    Tympan

    On a hand press, the rectangular frame, hinged on the bed of the press, which when closed holds the paper in place and...

    Type Height

    The most important dimenson in letterpress printing.
    0.918”
    Everything printed by the letterpress...

    Type-high

    The height of type:
    0.918 inch. [cite: Typographical Printing Surfaces (1916)]

    Typografie

    (Ger.) Typography

    Typographie, la

    (French) Typography AND letterpress. A polysemy which often give rise to a lot of...

    Überschrift

    (Ger.) Head-line

    Vantaggio

    (Ital.) A galley [cite: American Dictionary of Printing and Bookmaking (1894)]

    Verso

    The left side of a leaf, having an even-numbered page or folio.

    Winkelhaken

    (Ger.) composing stick

    Xilografía

    (Span.) woodcut

    Xylography

    Woodcut, sometimes wood engraving.

    Yesterday

    Date a printing order is usually required: very urgent

    Zeilenmass

    (Ger.) Type gauge

    Zetbok

    Cabinet

    Zetbok

    (Dutch) Cabinet

    Zethaak

    Composing stick

    Œil (masc.)

    (French) Typeface. But you could also speak of “caractères gros-œil” or “petit-œil”...