Page:Historic printing types, a lecture read before the Grolier club of New York, January 25, 1885, with additions and new illustrations; by De Vinne, Theodore Low, 1828-1914; Grolier Club.djvu/76

72 Weakness of the Bold-face. Wilson began ae a founder In 1742. Andrew Fou- lis, born 1712, died 1775. Robert Foulis, born 1707, died 1776. Page 370. their evidences of clean presswork. But whether attached to light faces or bold faces, they were not durable ; they gapped or broke off after moderate wear, and made com- paratively new types seem old and badly worn. It took some time for printers to discover that the bold-faces were not durable; that they called for more pressure than the older styles, and that the hair lines were not fairly pro- tected against this overpressure. They began to seek a more durable form, which they found in the letter of Scotch type-founders, who had been neglected for many years. Alexander Wilson, the first type-founder of Scotland, like many of his predecessors, was an amateur, entirely self- taught in the art. More clearly than any of his rivals, he understood the importance of making types that were useful as well as comely. That they were good as well as strong may be inferred from their use by Andrew and Robert Foulis, whose editions of classic authors will compare honor- ably with those of Barbou or Didot. Wilson's sons main- tained the reputation of their father. They in turn set an example to their successors, which has been so strong that the words Scotch type are regarded by all printers as the synonyms of very high mechanical merit. Hansard highly praised them for their refusal to adopt the French flat serif, and for their adherence to the best features of the older forms. But not long after this praise was written, the Scotch founders were making faces as light and hair lines as sharp as those of any French or English founder. The