Incunabula

Posted on by jeff

Early printed books, especially one printed before 1501.

[from Latin incunabula (neuter plural), ‘swaddling clothes, cradle,’ from in- ‘into’ + cunae ‘cradle.’]

Public Domain, Link


By Masherrador – Own work, GFDL, Link

By Morburre – Own work, CC BY-SA 3.0, Link


By Pietro Bernardino – Available in the BEIC digital library and uploaded in partnership with BEIC Foundation., Public Domain, Link

The matrix

Posted on by jeff

Originally type faces were cast in metal from matrices by hand in a two piece mould (Gutenberg’s contribution) and then later by machine. For excellent images see this Website.

two piece mould
two piece mould

Hand composition

punch, matrix, type

Above: A punch, matrix, one mat after the strike, and one finished and ready to go in the mould, and type— the way it comes out of the hand mould before finishing. The process is difficult to describe in words; the mould held in one hand while the molten metal is poured into the mould; at that moment there must be a motion made upward with the hand to force the metal down into the matrix. I am searching (looking through boxes) for a book which has some good images to post for this.

Teh Ludlow and matrix banks
The Ludlow and matrix banks

Here are images of Ludlow mats; two showing the font casting side, in stick; one showing the top side in a box. I’ll make some more pics of the mats in there cases as they are in the banks. The Ludlow is unique in that mats are set by hand in the stick and then cast in the machine which pumps the metal into the mats.

openface mats

ludlow dbl italic

 

matrices

Background

Posted on by jeff

Eusebius Ital slugs 

for a complete resume go here

 

Portland studio/ Press Herald photo

In 1990 Jeff began applying his background in typography to the computer and designing with Quark Xpress on the Macintosh. He designed publications and announcements for galleries and other businesses, and won design and publishing awards for The Maine Chapbook Series with the Maine Arts Commission, and the Maine Writers and Publishers Alliance. Several books of prose and poetry by Maine writers were produced at the Muse Press, some of which were fine handmade limited editions illustrated by Maine artists. These works are part of public and private collections and have been exhibited in New York, and in Maine. In 1997 his work was exhibited in The Art of the Book, a group show at the Portland Museum of Art. Now he designs primarily with InDesign and other Adobe software.

With over 30 years experience, Jeff Haste applies his background to design trade books using the latest software.

Around the Cincinnati press

The Cincinnati

The Cincinnati washington press as it was in room 305 of the Gorgas Library, where several books were printed including Jeff's thesis project, The House on the Moon.