Page:Cowie's Printer's pocket-book and manual.djvu/36

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The compositor, whose matter is in the first part of the proof, lays up the forms on the imposing stone, and corrects. He then hands the proof to the person who has the following matter. The compositor who corrects the last part of the sheet locks up the forms.

The compositor having matter in the first and last part, but not the middle of the sheet, only lays up the form and corrects his matter; the locking up is left to the person who corrects last in the sheet.

A compositor having the first page only of the sheet, is required to lay up one form; also to lock up one form if he has only the last page.

If from carelessness in locking up the form—viz. the furniture binding, the quoins badly fitted, &c.—any letters, or even a page, should fall out, the person who has thus locked up the form must immediately repair the damage. But if from bad justification, or in leaded matter, the letters ride upon the ends of the leads, the loss attending any accident from this circumstance must fall upon the person to whom the matter belongs.

It is the business of the person who locks up the form, to ascertain whether all the pages are of an equal length; and though a defect in this respect is highly reprehensible in the person to whom it attaches, (whose duty it is to rectify it), yet if not previously discovered by the locker-up, and an accident happen, he must make good the defect.

The compositor who imposes a sheet must correct the chargeable proof of that sheet, which is also generally at the same time corrected for press, and take it to the ready place. He must also rectify any defect in the register, arising from the want of accuracy in the furniture.

Forms will sometimes remain a considerable length of time before they are put to press. When this happens, and