Chapter XIV: Section C: shows a plain letter of modern cut known erroneously as (3)

EXAMPLES 150 AND 151.—The printer in the main must be his own artist, and he can best serve himself and his customers on such occasions by providing pure typographical effects. This is difficult. The printer must have studied good typography—he must know typography not only as a worker at the trade but as a student of the art. He must be thoroly acquainted with type-faces. His type equipment usually shows his knowledge in this regard; if it consists of odds and ends of type-faces aimlessly selected, he is not in a position to give his customer the proper service, but if his equipment mainly consists of those type-faces that have been approved by the leading typographers and type designers of the country, he will not only render good service to his customer but will confer a benefit on every one who receives a copy of the printed matter. The public learns to like whatever is served to it most frequently, and if it is provided with good printing and especially good typography, the tone of printing generally will be elevated and further dignity given to the business. The examples under consideration are from a nationally known printing office which confines its type equipment to three series and at one time practically used but one series on all its work. The leaflet was made to fit a business envelop. The stock was Japan vellum and there was no decoration—only a standard approved type-face of a readable size (fourteen-point). Such a leaflet attracts attention above most advertising matter because of its simplicity. It is good more because of what is left off than for what is put on.

EXAMPLE 161

Admirable treatment for a small amount of reading matter. Both pages
by Edward Everett Winchell, New York
]

EXAMPLES 152, 153 AND 154.—These are the cover-page and first and second text pages of a booklet which is purely a typographical product. There was also a title-page similarly treated. The first two words of the title, “Getting into Print,” were on each of the four pages set in italic lower-case, and the word “Print” was in roman capitals. Scotch Roman was used, and Mr. Sherbow has produced other effective booklets with this type-face. He has a preference for the eleven- and twelve-point sizes and frequently separates his lines with a two-point lead. The result, especially in the narrow measure made necessary by the smallness of the booklet, is a page that one likes to read. There is a freshness, an individuality, about his type arrangement, which quality is probably due to the fact that he never was a practical printer. He began as an advertising writer and studied typography and its use for advertising purposes unrestrained by the traditions of the craft as handed down from compositor to apprentice. His work, however, is influenced by the study he has made of the work of typographers and calligraphers of the past five or six centuries. By this study he has obtained a knowledge that most printers lack because of their reluctance to explore the past. The borders surrounding these pages are made from typefounders’ brass rule, and otherwise the only ornamentation is a floret on the cover and a smaller one on the first text page. Perhaps no new note is struck in the arrangement of the cover-page, but the treatment of the upper part of the first text page is different from that which would be given by the average good compositor.

EXAMPLE 162

A good way to arrange a page when the photograph is of proportions
different from those of the booklet page. Note treatment of caption
]

EXAMPLE 163
]

EXAMPLE 164

Two booklet pages in which typography was the chief dependence in
securing artistic results. The borders were made with brass rule and
the illustration was tipped on. By Taylor & Taylor, San Francisco,
Cal.
]

EXAMPLES 155 AND 156.—These are from an eight-page leaflet, and, like the previous examples, they give evidence of an understanding of typography that comes from study of the subject. Mr. Baker in these pages provides practically no margins outside or inside the rule border. This border is merely a one-point rule which serves a good purpose without forcing itself upon the attention. The type-face is Old-Style Antique, which as the years go by does not seem to lose its “flavor.” It is a readable type-face and one that is at its best when used on antique-finished paper, as in this case. The leaflet was printed in black ink on a greenish cream-tinted paper. Mr. Baker’s personal device adds decorative value to the title-page. It will be noticed that the headings are set in a larger size of the body type and lined at the left. There is no indention excepting for the reprinted letters, which are set in a small size of the same type. These letters treated in this manner are only incidentally made a part of the advertising argument.

EXAMPLES 157, 158 AND 159.—Caslon Oldstyle and Caslon Text are factors in the effectiveness of the booklet of which these three pages are representative. These three examples are additional evidence that type alone when properly used is almost as effective from an advertising point of view as if supported by the best decoration and illustration. It might be said that good typography is to be preferred at all times to poor art work, altho really good art work properly subordinated will undoubtedly add attractiveness and interest to a booklet otherwise well treated typographically. The border of contrasted heavy and light rule adds typographic value to the booklet under consideration, and the use of the light rule in other ways on the title-page and under the headings in Examples 158 and 159 also has an influence for good. A two-line initial in color at the beginning of each paragraph and the setting off of one paragraph from another by blank space are distinctive features in the make-up of the pages. Ornaments are used in the running headings, and they are the same design as that used on the title-page. The size of this booklet was 3½ × 5½ inches. It should be noticed that Mr. Lewis in these pages places no more space between sentences than between the various words of the line, altho Mr. Sherbow and Mr. Baker on the preceding examples use more. There is difference of opinion among good printers as to the amount of space between sentences. Some of them prefer the em-quad, which has been used by the average printer for a great many years. Others believe with the ancient printers that the period and the capital are sufficient indication of the beginning of a new sentence without the insertion of a square of white space that affects the tone of the page. It should be noted in Mr. Lewis’s pages that while he has allowed fair margins around the outside of the rule border, he has arranged for very little margin inside, and to this is due a certain compactness that is agreeable.

EXAMPLE 160.—This is the cover of a small book of information. The cover stock was deep red in color and the title was printed on Japan vellum stock and pasted as a label on the cover. The label design is by Thomas Maitland Cleland, whose carefully formed lettering offers suggestions to good printers who know the value of dignity in lettering and decoration. A title label, especially when dark cover stock is used, makes it possible to include a typographic effect on the cover, thus insuring harmony consistent with the type-face that may be used on the inside of a booklet. The title-page that was a part of this small book was shown as Example 138 of the chapter on books.

EXAMPLE 165
]

EXAMPLE 166

Attractive rear and front cover designs of an unconventional booklet.
The arrowheads in the original were in emerald-green ink. By E. G.
Jacobson, New York
]

EXAMPLE 167

One of the eight pages of a prospectus for “The American Printer.” The
initial “A” was in color. By Will Bradley
]

EXAMPLES 161 AND 162.—Two facing pages from a booklet designed by Edward Everett Winchell and presenting the attractive features of a large New York hotel. There is but a small amount of descriptive matter, confined mostly to two pages in the front of the book, yet the treatment is such that more words would have spoiled it. The plain rule border gives uniform shape to the pages and pleasingly contrasts with the liberal white space inside. In Example 161 the descriptive matter is grouped at the head of the page in Avil, an interesting old-style roman type-face. The fading of the vignetted edges of the halftone into the surrounding white space is effective. Example 162 demonstrates how an illustration which is out of proportion to the page may be placed to get good results. The caption, set in capital letters slightly spaced, is in keeping with the squared style of the page. Compositors should study the position of this caption. Many would be inclined to center it directly under the illustration; this would cause the lower part of the page to seem empty and unfinished. By moving the caption down, so as to break into the white space and divide it, the sense of vacancy is not experienced.

EXAMPLES 163 AND 164.—These are two pages from a booklet in which typography was the chief dependence of the printer in securing artistic effects. The border is made of brass rules and four small ornaments; a decorative initial is introduced at frequent intervals thruout the booklet; otherwise, the effect is due to care in the details of typesetting. The space between sentences is the same as that between the words of a line, and widely spaced lines are not to be found. It should be kept in mind that the best typography is that in which the spacing between words is not excessive. Carelessness in typesetting and in the operation of composing machines is responsible for unpleasant effects produced by wide spacing and by “rivers” running thru the page. In Example 164 the illustration was tipped on. The paper used in this book was a buff antique, the tipped-on prints being on dull-coated stock. The dark-brown ink used for the text pages was also used for the prints, making a pleasing color harmony.

EXAMPLE 168
]

EXAMPLE 169

Two pages from a booklet in which no decoration was used, the
decorative quality of the type-face impressed on hand-made paper
having been depended on to provide a dignified beauty. By the Oswald
Press, New York
]

EXAMPLES 165 AND 166.—These are rear and front booklet covers, the design of which is striking because of the disregard for conventionality. No capital letters are used, an idea that should be adopted with reluctance by printers unless their customers approve of the innovation. Most buyers of printing are slaves to conventionality and hesitate to accept typography or especially drawn work which is bizarre or in any way a departure from the usual methods of treating printed work. The activity of German, Austrian and French artists in this country, however, has caused some business and advertising men to be more tolerant in these things, as the bright coloring, dashing decoration and the newness of it all seem to get attention where conventional effects fail. It might be said in reference to the lettering on these examples that the designer has not produced anything really new so far as the use of the so-called lower-case letters instead of capitals is concerned. There was a period in the development of the modern alphabet when its characters were neither “capitals” nor “lower-case” as we know them—a period in which the minuscules were being evolved from the ancient Roman capitals or majuscules. Altho modernized, the lettering here used can be traced historically to the uncial lettering of the days of manuscript books. The arrowheads were in emerald green.

EXAMPLE 170

A hand-lettered cover-page. By the Blanchard Press, New York
]

EXAMPLE 167.—This page, designed for the prospectus of the twenty-fifth anniversary number of _The American Printer_, in my opinion is among the best things that Will Bradley has done. There were eight pages and on all the decorative headings were similar, altho each had sufficient change in the treatment to give special interest to the page. The fine line decorative borders were in pleasing contrast to the dark-toned illustrations and the liberal apportionment of blank space. Fourteen-point Caslon Oldstyle, the kind with the long descenders, was used for the text matter. The large Caslon initial added another interesting spot of black. The decoration and type matter were printed in black ink on buff-tinted dull-coated paper, and the large drawn initial on each page was in sepia brown. The original size of this pamphlet was 6¾ × 9½ inches.

EXAMPLES 168 AND 169.—No decoration of any kind was used in this booklet, unless the period groups may be counted as such. The purpose was to produce artistic printing in good taste by depending upon the type-face and the paper for results. Decorative interest (usually welcome in a mild way) was supplied by the swash capitals of the italic and by letterspacing capitals and small capitals wherever they appeared. The chapter headings of all the pages in this book were aligned with one another and not “sunk” as is sometimes done. The pages are made interesting by the varied use of italic lower-case and roman capitals. The size of this booklet in the original was five by eight inches, and the margins were made to conform to those used on good book composition, each margin increasing in this order: Head, inner side, outer side, foot.

EXAMPLE 171

Page from a typographically treated commemoration book
]

EXAMPLE 172

Unconventional arrangement of a booklet page. By Corday & Gross,
Cleveland, O.
]

EXAMPLE 170.—Lettering, as has been pointed out, has an important place in booklet designing along with decoration, illustration and typography, and from well-lettered designs the printer can obtain valuable suggestions. This example was printed on hand-made paper, and the deckle edges and rough surface of the paper blended with the freehand drawing of letters and border. There was a further blend of the hand-lettering and the Caslon type-face used on the inside pages. The lettering was based upon the same model as the Caslon, which is standard for old-style effects. Here is a hint for printers: Distinction will be added to booklets otherwise printed from Caslon or similar type-faces if the cover and the display headings are hand-lettered. This may be done with fair results by setting them first in Caslon type. After the type has been arranged satisfactorily, take a print in blue tint on paper suitable for drawing with ink. The letters may then be traced freehand with black india ink over the blue print and any desired ruggedness or variation introduced. As light-blue ink will not reproduce when a zinc etching is made, the blue proof need not be carefully adhered to. Italic and small capitals should be introduced in such lettered designs.

EXAMPLE 171.—This is a page from a souvenir booklet containing an account of the exercises held in commemoration of the fiftieth anniversary of the New York Typothetæ. Almost the entire book was set in fourteen-point Cloister Oldstyle and Italic and printed in black and orange ink on a white antique-finished paper of good quality. The cover was a domestic vellum-like paper which contained the words, “Golden Anniversary of the Typothetæ,” set in Cloister Italic with swash initials, the two lines being deeply stamped into the paper on gold leaf. In this manner strict typographic harmony was maintained thruout the booklet. Large decorative initials were introduced in several instances and two-line initials of Cloister capitals were used in a minor way. This page should offer suggestions to printers who are called upon to print souvenir volumes; in fact, much work of this kind can be created by the printer suggesting the publishing of such volumes after historic or memorial meetings are held in his city.

EXAMPLE 172.—This is the first inside page of a booklet, the stock of which consisted of a thin straw-colored Japanese paper, printed on one side only. The cover, a heavy, rough dark-green paper, contained only the wastebasket illustration printed on both front and rear in gold ink set into the stock by a heavy impression. The simplicity of the typography accords with the treatment as a whole.

* * * * *

Printers will accomplish the most in booklet printing, as in other branches of the craft, if they live in an artistic atmosphere. Sir Joshua Reynolds, the great English painter, said: “The more extensive your acquaintance is with the works of those who have excelled, the more extensive will be your powers of invention.” That is the reason painters haunt Italy and other art centers where the works of the old masters are accessible. The printer should take journals such as _The American Printer_, devoted to the art of typography; for these journals bring to the great army of craftsmen specimens of the work of famous printers and of those who are contributing their mite to the cause of good typography.

The helpful atmosphere of the trade papers can be supplemented by specimen booklets for study purposes. These booklets can be obtained by writing to the printers producing them, or to the advertiser; and many can be had from retail houses selling the articles advertised in the booklets.

The printer must learn more than he now knows about art or he will become only a caddie in the game of booklet printing, with the artist and ad.-writer making all the puts. The printer is depending too much upon the artist and too little upon himself. The possibilities of type arrangement have not been exhausted and never will be, yet many workers at the printing trade act upon the assumption that good printing is impossible without the artist’s initiative and co-operation. Many a good job of printing has been spoiled by inferior lettering or decoration, the work of a poor artist.

Withal, there is nothing more ideal than a good printer and a good artist working together to produce perfect printing.

EXAMPLE 175

Page from an automobile catalog designed by Thomas Maitland Cleland.
The caption is grouped in spaced capitals of Bodoni Book. The
illustration is from a pen-and-ink drawing
]

EXAMPLE 176

Unusual treatment of a specifications page. Words in capitals are
letterspaced. Rules are used to add character to the page. These
reproductions are one-half the size of the originals
]

CATALOGS

Ruskin, enumerating three branches of architectural virtue, requires of a building (1) that it act well, and do the things it was intended to do, in the best way; (2) that it speak well, and say the things it was intended to say, in the best words; (3) that it look well, and please us by its presence, whatever it has to do or say.

These three requirements, like many others that are important in the eyes of the architect, can be applied to the illustrated catalog, which most printers at one time or another are called upon to produce:

(1) The catalog should act well; it should be constructed in a manner fitting the purpose for which it is issued. If, say, it contains a list of plumbers’ supplies, it should be bound in strong stock of a color that will not easily soil. If it contains a list of jewelry and is for retail purposes, it could be bound delicately in light stock.

(2) The catalog should speak well; the illustrations should be faithful presentations of the articles to be sold, and the descriptive matter should be well written, accurate and informative.

(3) The catalog should look well; the type-faces, paper, ink, binding and other elements should be harmonious; the illustrations and descriptive matter should be arranged with regard to balance and proportion, and the treatment as a whole should be pleasing and interesting.

There was a time when catalogs were printed without attention to these things, or if the first two requirements were complied with the third was ignored. It will necessitate no effort for the reader to recall the days when merchants had no orderly plans for displaying their wares—when the average storeroom and window looked like a curiosity shop. Those were the days when the catalog was a heterogeneous collection of woodcuts and type-faces, packed on the pages to the very edge of the paper.

Now many show windows and salesrooms are delights to the eye, and similar care and taste are shown in the printing of the catalog.

EXAMPLE 177

Architectural title treatment by Will Dwiggins. The lettering contains
typographical suggestions
]

The catalog is a portable showcase and from it the customer makes selection, often without seeing the article itself. These facts make it essential that goods be displayed invitingly and in good taste. An article well displayed requires few words to sell it.

Place a girl of plain features, but handsomely dressed, in the midst of beautiful colors and lights, and a dozen millionaires will want to marry her—an extreme illustration of the power of attractive display, emphasizing the necessity of “playing up” the ordinary to create the desire of possession. It is possible, also, to accomplish this purpose by different methods. It is told of Josephine that, wishing to gain the admiration of Napoleon, she appeared at a reception in a gown of pure white, without ornament. The contrast of her simple dress with the elaborate costumes of the other women and with the elegant furnishings of the room was such as to draw compliments from the emperor. It should be remembered, however, especially by the typographer, that mere plainness of dress did not win Josephine her triumph, but that artistic simplicity did. A block of marble rough-hewn from the quarry is plain, but, carved into statuary by a Rodin, is far more than that.

This point is worthy of meditation by all who wish to produce the effective and attractive catalog.

Efforts have been made to standardize the dimensions of catalogs; it would be well for printers and others to assist in accomplishing this purpose. A committee of the American Society of Mechanical Engineers, after investigating the sizes of catalogs in common use, recommended that the standard size of catalogs be six by nine inches. The recommendation was also made that the size of bulletins and large catalogs be eight and a half by eleven inches.

Other suggestions by the committee were: Paper-covered catalogs intended to be permanently filed should be trimmed to exact size, cover and all, barring deckle edges. Overlapping covers are favored only when the covers are stiff enough to support the catalog’s weight when standing on edge. Titles should be printed on the exposed backs of the catalogs, reading from top downward. The date of publication should appear on the title-page. An index card of standard size (three by five inches), containing the title and character of the contents, should be inclosed in every catalog.

EXAMPLE 178
]

EXAMPLE 179

Facing pages that show effective results obtained in a simple way. The
plain, legible typography ably supports the strong illustration and
attractive border treatment. By the Matthews-Northrup Works,
Buffalo, N. Y.
]

Before proceeding with the composition of a catalog the printer should insist that the copy be legible, orderly prepared, and all points settled as to type-face, headings and position of illustrations. A dummy page should be planned and set up, and it should be studied and discussed by customer and printer before work is begun on the catalog as a whole.

If the catalog is to be elaborately treated, all drawings should be approved and plates made before the type work is commenced. If the printer is assisting in the general preparation of the catalog, he should keep before the customer the fact that decoration is merely supplemental, and should urge first attention to the type matter and illustrations.

EXAMPLE 175.—This catalog is one of those productions which in style so closely express the personality of an individual that they are not a direct help in teaching typography or catalog planning to others. Most typographers must proceed according to defined requirements and plan their work with regard to set styles. Mr. Cleland and a few other typographic artists in this country carry out their ideas without the assistance of an advisory board. The average typographer or artist, on the other hand, must not only incorporate the suggestions of half a dozen persons, but must submit to the deletion of most of the little things that to his way of thinking give his work character and make it worth while—the penalty of being merely an average typographer. Mr. Cleland is a student of the best printing of past centuries, and his refined taste and wonderful skill with the pen enable him to produce effects that would be envied by the master printers of old.

On this page he has used Bodoni Book, slightly spacing the capital letters and grouping the matter so that it dominates the blank space in the lower portion of the page.

The cartouche, or panel, as here used for the car name was in favor in Bodoni’s day, a hundred or more years ago. The horizontal position of the illustration adds to the pleasure in examining the catalog, for when an illustration runs the long way of such a page the necessary turning of the book is an annoyance.

EXAMPLE 176.—Brass rules are seldom well applied in typographic work, but when they are, as in this instance, the results are pleasing. This page, because of its tabular nature, was doubtlessly difficult to arrange, and every compositor, appreciating that fact, will admire what Mr. Cleland has accomplished. It should be noticed that words of roman capitals have in every instance been letterspaced, while those in lower-case have not. This treatment gives effects that are unusual and well liked by persons of good taste.

EXAMPLE 177.—This shows the cover of a catalog of plays. Will Dwiggins in his usual clever manner has made a design full of character, human in the absence of the mechanical. The lettering contains suggestions for effects that could be approximated with some well-designed type-face. It will probably be well to warn against the careless use of typographic ornaments in any attempts that may be made to imitate the effect of this decorative border. Architectural designs formed with the average printshop material seldom look well. Simple rule effects would be better.

EXAMPLE 180
]

EXAMPLE 181

Inside page and cover of a publication catalog designed by D. B.
Updike. The typographic treatment of these two pages is suitable and
pleasing. The cover stock was green-gray of a rough antique finish
]

EXAMPLES 178 AND 179.—In many catalogs a page illustration is faced with a page of reading matter describing it. In this instance the descriptive matter is small in amount and for that reason presented a problem in typography. The printer, however, solved the difficulty by using a type-face fairly large in size, but of good design, and placing the group in the upper part of the page aligned with the top of the illustration. It is well to keep in mind that in booklets, catalogs and similar work good results are frequently obtained by aligning all pages at the head. The effectiveness of these two pages is helped also by the fact that a red border surrounds each page and the halftone has a dark background.

EXAMPLE 180.—There is evidence in this specimen that it is possible to obtain variety and interest by simple means. The italic, especially with the decorative quality found in swash letters, is a factor, and the rule at the head, with bits of decoration at the ends, also helps. It will be noticed that no leaders have been used; their omission is sometimes advisable, at other times not. An antique-finished white paper is best for old-style effects such as this.

EXAMPLE 181.—This cover-page has been built on the small illustration. From the old fireplace the view of the room fades into the paper stock. After the border line is extended from the drawing, there remains a large amount of blank space, on which the title, in a well-balanced position, is arranged in type. The address neatly fitted in the space at the foot finishes the design at that point.

EXAMPLE 182

German poster type on a grocery catalog with characteristic block
grouping
]

EXAMPLE 183
]

EXAMPLE 184

Typographic arrangement of the title-page and one of the inside pages
of a museum catalog. The proportions of this type-face blend
harmoniously with the dimensions of the page. Example 184 shows some
details of catalog composition
]

EXAMPLE 185

Rules add a decorative quality to this book catalog. By J. H. Nash
]

EXAMPLE 182.—Modern German typographical ideas have found expression in this grocery-catalog page. The lettering is type, the black tone and decorative form of which were probably inspired by strong lettering designed for poster purposes. Rules seem to have a place in the building of modern German art effects, as will be seen by this design. Bold type as used here is possibly unnecessarily forceful, but when color is to be shown in its true values it is desirable. Color never shows to advantage in thin lines, while broad lines bring out the color qualities of the ink. This is why colored inks printed from light-faced types seem to lack the brilliancy of the prints from flat-surfaced plates in ink-makers’ sample books.

EXAMPLES 183 AND 184.—Every printer at some time is called on to produce catalogs in which books or other published articles are listed and priced, and on such occasions wishes to see what “the other fellow” has done in this line. For this reason the two pages are of interest. They show a title-page and a representative inside page from a catalog issued by the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York. The type-face is of the class usually designated as French Oldstyle, and its proportions blend harmoniously with the dimensions of the page. The distribution of blank space on the title is pleasing; the type lines are so grouped as to secure value from the background of white. In Example 184 the heads and subheads are pleasingly contrasted by the use of capitals in some cases and small capitals in others. Each item is grouped, and the technical details are kept orderly by being placed in a line with the price. No period is used after the item number.

EXAMPLE 186

An automobile catalog page in which the type matter was prominently
treated. The original page (about twice this size) was printed in
dark-gray and orange inks on white antique paper. By the Robert L.
Stillson Company, New York
]

EXAMPLE 187

Unusual treatment of an automobile catalog page. The original was more
than twice this size. The matter is liberally supplied with
headings, the arrangement in the panel at the left taking care of
most of them. By the Cadillac Printing Company, Detroit, Mich.
]

EXAMPLE 188

Page in reduced size from a wine list designed by T. M. Cleland for
the Oswald Press. Interesting use of rules in tabular style
]

EXAMPLE 185.—Scotch Roman type is used to excellent advantage in this book-catalog page. The title in each case is in large capitals, the sub-title and the name of the author are in smaller capitals, the explanatory matter in roman lower-case and the technical details in small italic. It will be seen that the advertising points have been carefully considered. A rule border and two ornaments add decorative quality. The closeness of the border to the type matter merges it with the page in an attractive manner. As in this case, decorative treatment should be a part of the general design and not something separate.

EXAMPLE 186.—On automobile catalogs typography seldom receives the attention it deserves. Illustration and decoration are given great attention, and what type matter is used seems to be like a guest invited at the eleventh hour. However, this example is from a catalog in which type acts an important part. In its original form this page was about twice the size of the reproduction and was printed in dark gray and orange on white antique paper. It will be seen that beginning with a colored initial the reader can without effort or eyestrain read the descriptive matter, which is followed by technical details in smaller type and a line illustration of the car. Scotch Roman was used, and it was not found necessary to introduce italic.

EXAMPLE 187.—The treatment of this page is uncommon for catalog purposes. A Goudy type-face was printed in dark brown (border rules in light brown) on an Italian hand-made paper. The size was more than twice that shown here. Sub-headings have all been grouped in the panel at the left, each so placed as to be opposite the paragraph to which it belongs. The effect was one of richness and suggestive of quality. Illustrations of the cars were of page size printed by the gravure process.

EXAMPLE 188.—Few printers would use rules in tabular form for a high-class wine list; tabular work is supposed to offer no opportunity for art expression. We know of the stone rejected by the builder which became the headstone of the corner. We have also heard of Michelangelo carving a masterpiece from an ill-shaped block of stone that had been discarded by other sculptors. Mr. Cleland did an equally interesting thing when he selected rules to give decorative quality to this wine list, supplementing characteristically drawn head- and tail-pieces. Caslon Oldstyle was used and the paper was hand-made. A pleasing effect was obtained by letterspacing the capitals in the headings.

EXAMPLE 189

German treatment of a wine list, showing neat typography and
attractive decoration
]

EXAMPLE 189.—We usually expect strong, masculine effects from German typographers and decorators, and when we come across a wine list as dainty as this one we are surprised and pleased. There is remarkable harmony of type-face, decoration and illustration. The type-face is uncommonly legible for so ornamental a letter, and the light decorative lines of the illustration and border reflect the qualities of the type-face. In the original there was an additional border around the one here shown, and it was printed in a very light gray-brown tint. The tint also appeared in parts of the illustration.

EXAMPLE 190
]

EXAMPLE 191

Title-page of a catalog of exhibits, and a page showing the use of
capitals and italic for the descriptions. By D. B. Updike
]

EXAMPLES 190 AND 191.—These pages are from an exhibition catalog. D. B. Updike is responsible for the typography, hence the pages afford an interesting study. The catalog is printed in four sizes of type, altho a cursory view of the pages would lead to the impression that a less number is used. There are three sizes of capitals and one size of italic. A fact that makes the catalog unique is the absence of roman lower-case. It is difficult to visualize an eighty-two-page book without roman lower-case, but here is one. The title-page (Example 190) is composed in three closely related sizes of capitals, corresponding to the sizes used on the inner pages. The important words, “Catalogue,” “Memorial Exhibition” and “Augustus Saint-Gaudens,” are set a size larger than the minor words “of a” and “of the works of,” altho the difference is but a point. The small woodcut is an appropriate accompaniment of the classic style of the type composition, and the harmony is further enhanced by printing in a clear black ink on thin white antique paper. Example 191 shows a page from the body of the catalog, the features of which are worth noting. All lines excepting the exhibit number are set flush at the left, and the paragraphs or groups are separated by space. The title of the exhibit is set in the larger capitals, the descriptive matter in italic lower-case, and quoted words in the smaller capitals. Punctuation at the ends of lines is sometimes omitted and sometimes used. The rule adopted by modern typographers—to omit punctuation points at the ends of display lines—leads to nice distinctions when a page such as this one is to be treated. As a help in deciding on proper marginal distribution on work of this sort, it is well to mention that the size of the leaf of this catalog was 4¾ × 7¾ inches, the type pages measuring 2⅝ × 5½ inches or less, the type pages not being of regular length. The margin at the head was ⅝ inch; at the binding edge, ⅞ inch; at the outer edge, 1¼ inches; at the foot, 1⅝ inches or more.

EXAMPLE 192

Interesting page from a sewing-machine catalog. By Matthews-Northrup
Works, Buffalo, N. Y.
]

EXAMPLE 192.—This shows a page from a catalog of sewing machines and sewing-machine parts. The workings of the machine were pictured in such a realistic manner that the effect was almost equivalent to a demonstration on the machine itself. The border did not force itself on the attention, yet furnished the decorative element to the page. The type matter, in Caslon roman, was stylishly arranged in harmony with illustration and border, and was notable because it was probably given as much consideration as the designing and plate-making.

EXAMPLE 193

Neat typography on an attractive background. Glove catalog by the
Hall-Taylor Company, Milwaukee, Wis.
]

EXAMPLE 195

Clever treatment of tabular matter in a catalog page. By the
Chasmar-Winchell Press
]

EXAMPLE 194

An artistic treatment of a commercial catalog showing what is possible
in typography. By Taylor & Taylor, San Francisco, Cal.
]

EXAMPLE 193.—This firm has gloves to sell and in a particularly pleasing and artistic manner catalogs them for the information of the buying public. By means of the four-color process the gloves are shown in their natural colors, and placed in the “spotlight,” as it were, by the gradual fading away of the dark background about them. A general talk on the subject of gloves is carried from page to page, while the number and description are placed in smaller type directly beneath the articles.

EXAMPLE 194.—In commercial catalog work the illustration of the article to be sold is of the same importance as the article on the counter in the salesroom. The usual method of selling is to show the customer the article and then by giving information about it and telling of its good qualities to persuade the customer to buy. The illustration, then, is important, and by looking on Example 194, we can see how one printer recognized this fact. The roll of yarn is prominent in the page and the name of the yarn is second in seeking attention. The goods are displayed attractively in surroundings that are interesting. The decorative border (made of rule) has merged with it the name of the manufacturer.

EXAMPLE 195.—It requires the skill of a typographer and the talent of an artist to make a good-looking page from tabular matter. Where this combination is lacking the result is commonplace and unsatisfactory. It was not lacking on this example, for one seldom sees a tabular page so attractively arranged.

EXAMPLE 200

Program cover page in ecclesiastical style
]

PROGRAMS

“Let all things be done decently and in order.” These words of Paul, while possible of wide application, have peculiar significance applied to the program. The program exists because of recognition of the necessity of orderly procedure “where two or three are gathered together.” Historically, the program has come to us from the early times, when all knowledge was transmitted by word of mouth. Church services are the result of evolution from ancient ceremonies, and other exercises for which programs are used originated in the far past.

Programs familiar to printers could be divided into four classes: Programs of sacred services, dance programs, banquet programs, and programs for various entertainments. In this order they will be considered.

EXAMPLE 201

Excellent arrangement for economizing space on a program containing
numerous small titles
]

The historical side of the program of sacred services should not be overlooked. It is a mistake for printers to produce church programs in the same style of typography employed on secular forms. Church programs, more than any other line of printing, offer opportunity for artistic treatment, and their production is pleasure to the artist-printer who believes significance is an important element in good typography.

EXAMPLE 202

An almost perfect specimen of church-program printing, showing the
missal style
]

The key to the proper treatment of ecclesiastical printing lies in the old manuscript books written in the monasteries. Black ink was commonly used for the main portion of books, and vermilion, a red earth (_rubrica_), for titles and important parts of the text. In the writing of Missals (containing services of the celebration of mass), of Psalters (containing the psalms), and of Books of Hours (containing prayers and offices for the several hours of the day), maltese crosses and uncial capitals were written in vermilion. Uncial capitals are now made by several type foundries as Missal initials, Caxton initials, Sylph initials, etc., and maltese crosses are easily procured. As black text letters were also used on these missals and psalters, the type-faces now known as Caslon Text, Cloister Black, Flemish Black, etc., being copies of these early text letters, are appropriate faces for display portions of church programs. Text letters were long ago discontinued for body purposes in English printing, hence they have become unfamiliar to the general reader and it is not desirable to use them for such purposes. A roman letter such as Caslon is the best companion for these black text letters.

EXAMPLE 203

Classic treatment of church-program page. By D. B. Updike, Boston,
Mass.
]

The Church of England, the American branch of which is known as the Protestant Episcopal Church, deserves much credit for the modern development of an ecclesiastical style of printing. Because of the custom of using red ink in forms of service, for the parts giving direction as to the conduct of the services, these parts have become known as “rubrics.” It is necessary to mention to printers generally that when colors are used on programs or books of service the “rubrics” should be in red. This treatment is illustrated in the page from the marriage service shown as Example 146 in the chapter on “Books” which also shows an uncial initial. When only black is used it is customary to set the rubrics in italic.

EXAMPLE 205

Generous margins on a church program are pleasing
]

EXAMPLE 200 (Insert).—This title-page presents a modern interpretation of the historic ecclesiastical treatment. The black type-face is Caslon Text, and is a copy of one of the early manuscript letters, as before mentioned. As pointed Gothic is usually accepted as the style of church architecture, so pointed Gothic type-faces have been adopted for church printing by typographers who know. Uncial rubricated initials as used on this title-page are known commercially as Caxton initials. The red lines which are a prominent part of the page have historic significance. Now grown to possess decorative value, they originated thru the necessities of writers of manuscript books, and were originally guide lines for writing. They designated the position of the page and the lines of letters. With the ancient churchmen the maltese cross was the symbol of Christ, and today also these crosses have that significance, altho to a great extent they are now considered merely as ecclesiastical decoration. The square device in the center is in the Celtic style of ornament. The significance of the design lies in the decorative cross and the letters I. H. S. (_Iesus Hominum Salvator_, Latin, meaning “Jesus Saviour of Men”). It may be well to suggest that treatment of church printing should be varied sometimes with the denomination for which the work is done. The majority of clergymen will be pleased with printing treated in the accepted ecclesiastical style, yet there are some, prejudiced against “high church” liturgies and emblems, and others with individual ideas of what is appropriate, who must be considered. The writer recalls an instance in which the customer, an Episcopal clergyman, objected to what he called a “Latin” cross, used as an ornament on a title-page, and was satisfied when a maltese cross was substituted for the purpose. Many church programs which now appear commonplace would take on a churchly aspect if rubricated, even tho that be possible only on the title-page.

The example under consideration (No. 200), it will be noticed, is constructed on squared lines, a shape dictated by the large decorative device. While the page as arranged is interesting and fairly harmonious, the pointed letters in the type lines would blend better with a device of the pointed Gothic kind; or, again, the squared device would be in closer harmony with a squared type effect such as could be obtained with roman capitals.

EXAMPLE 204

Program cover-page in semi-missal style. By Lee Crittenden, New York
]

EXAMPLE 201.—This page presents an excellent suggestion for the arrangement of a program in which numerous small titles appear. If each title were set in a measure the full width of the type page, as is frequently done, the matter would not come into one page. The arrangement as shown not only economizes space but gives symmetry and tone, which otherwise would not be had. The portions in red are well selected for printing in that color. There is artistic value in the shape formed by the vertical dividing rule and the page heading.

EXAMPLE 206

A dance card by Edward W. Stutes, Spokane, Wash.
]

EXAMPLE 208

Unconventional treatment of a dance program
]

EXAMPLE 202.—This page has not the compactness of the preceding one, yet esthetically it is more pleasing. It is an almost perfect specimen of church-program printing. As already mentioned, the horizontal red lines and the black text letter used for titles have an ecclesiastical motive. Careful disposition of blank space has given a pleasing tone to the page, which is also helped by the position of the second stanza of the hymn at the foot. The type-faces are harmonious, the use of black text, old-style roman and italic affording a pleasing variety. By including in the color the initial letters and the title “Holy Communion,” all parts of the page are blended and related.

EXAMPLE 203.—The printer may be naturally curious to know how a typographer such as D. B. Updike, who is known to specialize on ecclesiastical typography, treats church programs. Here is an Updike page, from a program of Lenten services, arranged in the simple, classic style of typographic treatment that he always renders so well. As will be noticed, the main portion of the type page is aligned at the left. The manner of using capitals, small capitals, lower-case and italic is an interesting study. While examining the page it is enlightening to note that A.M. and P.M. are in small capitals, and that no space other than furnished by the period is placed between these abbreviations or the degrees D.D., Ph.D., etc.

EXAMPLE 207

Page from a booklet program. By C. R. Beran, Denver, Colo.
]

EXAMPLE 204.—This is the title-page of a small program which was in booklet form, a page being devoted to each event on the program. The title-page is in missal style, with cross rules and uncial initials. The spaced Pabst capitals at the foot are not sufficiently strong in tone to balance the upper part of the page. Perhaps the effect would be better had the missal style of treatment been extended to the lower portion of the page.

EXAMPLE 205.—This is the second page of a small program used at the laying of the corner-stone of a new church building. It would have been possible to get all the type matter on one page, but crowding into small space is often done at the sacrifice of beauty, and this program profits by the liberal margins. The rule lines at the head were used to obtain uniformity of page width and hight. The outline type ornament gives ecclesiastic dignity to the program. The two-line initial at the beginning of each hymn adds style and finish to the typography.

* * * * *

The dance program is a far step from the church program. The contrast between the subdued and reverent atmosphere of the house of worship and the gayety and frivolity of the brilliantly lighted ball-room emphasizes the necessity of printers using their best powers of discrimination in treating the various programs that come to their shops.

The dance program should be dainty. White seems to be more acceptable than colored stock on which to print the order of dancing. The type and ink treatment should be neat and delicate. If a bold type-face be used, it should be printed in a light tint of ink, such as gray, pale blue, pale green, and the like. It is possible for printers to produce attractive dance programs with the material generally found in the shop, yet stock folders may save wear of the thought machinery and probably be more satisfactory to the customer. Young people are imitative and may be suspicious of a dance program which does not resemble those they have seen before; it has got to “look like a dance program.” For fifty years or more dance programs have consisted of folded cardboard with tassel and pencil dangling therefrom. The stock folder is to be had in a variety of designs printed or embossed on the first page, appropriate for many occasions. However, there are shown three typographic dance programs.

EXAMPLE 209

The decorative border on a banquet program. By Edward Everett
Winchell, New York
]

EXAMPLE 211

Page from a booklet program. By Will Bradley
]

EXAMPLE 212

The banquet program in the form of a checkbook
]

EXAMPLE 206.—An Indian border was used around this dance card, but its strong lines were softened by printing in gray and red. White stock was used. In the headline, instead of the customary periods, dots are centered decoratively. Artists often place a dot or small ornament between words of a lettered design for the purpose of benefiting the tone. More often practically no space at all is placed between words if in lower-case beginning with capital letters.

EXAMPLE 207.—A part of an outing program, this page carries the style of all the other pages as regards border and head panel. It illustrates the effectiveness and economy of uniform border treatment on a program. There are very few programs that would not be benefited by decorative borders in color. But one border need be set in type, duplicates being obtained by electrotyping. If there are to be only a few hundred programs, two borders may be set in type and printed on all the sheets, running only two pages on. If desired, a hand-drawn decorative border could be engraved and afterward duplicated by electrotyping.

EXAMPLE 208.—There is nothing conventional in the design of this dance program. It is different from most others. The rule lines extend to the border, and the heading “Dances” sets slightly to the right of center, supported underneath by the graceful flower ornament. Punctuation is omitted. This page is recommended for dance cards, when the printer desires to have the job exclusively typographic.

* * * * *

EXAMPLE 210

A halftone decorative background on a program. Design by
Griffith-Stillings Press, Boston, Mass.
]

EXAMPLE 213

Humorous treatment of titles and odd menu arrangement. Design by the
Griffith-Stillings Press, Boston, Mass.
]

The banquet program not so many years ago here in America and in England was commonly called a bill of fare. Now only the cross-roads hotel and the cheap city eating house have bills of fare. The polite title is now “menu,” pronounced men-yu or meh-noo. Some writers claim the word came to us from “Manu,” a mythical sage said to have sprung from the god Brahma. Yet the dictionary would seem to indicate that the word is French, meaning small, and was derived from the Latin _minutus_, little. It is possible that the small portions now served in many restaurants suggested the use of “menu” because of the contrast with the generous “helpings” of the old-fashioned meal. In 1512 a “shore dinner” for an individual consisted of “a quart of beer, a quart of wine, salt fish, red herring, white herrings and a dish of sprats.”

EXAMPLE 214

Suggestion for a menu page, introducing a bit of fun
]

EXAMPLE 215

A classic menu page. Designed by D. B. Updike, Boston, Mass.
]

In the banquet program the printer has great opportunity to make use of his inventive faculties. No other kind of program allows of such varied treatment. There is no limit to the shapes, the type arrangements and the color treatments that are suitable for banquet programs. An association of leather merchants holds a dinner and the members may find beside their plates a program bound in a miniature hide, the sheets of the program attached by a leather thong.

Bankers meet and the program may be in the form of a checkbook.

For an athletic association an oval-shaped program suggesting a football will “score.”

Newspaper publishers will appreciate the menu list presented as a papier-mache matrix of the type form.

Commercial travelers would be pleased were their banquet programs designed in imitation of a mileage book.

A literary society dinner would be appropriately graced were the program printed on parchment and wound around a wooden or ivory rod, as “books” were bound in ancient times.

EXAMPLE 217