Basic Equipment used in Letterpress Printing

A rectangular metal frame called a chase was the basis of printing for many years. The type was placed on a flat surface called a stone and clamped into postition.

This photograph shows the bottom right hand corner of a chase into which type - in this case lines of type (sometimes called slugs) - spaced with various pieces of "furniture" has been clamped.

Furniture was normally wood but sometimes strips of metal were used. Quoins (pronounced "coins") were used to secure the whole assembly. Sometimes two wedges were set against each other to tighten the forme and to keep the furniture parallel to the side of the chase.

In the picture spring loaded quoins are being used. When a quoin spanner is turned in the threaded part of the quoin (the circle with the square recess) the two sections spread to apply pressure to the furniture to keep the whole assembly firm and secure. Turning the quoin spanner in the opposite direction slackens the pressure off and releases the furniture and type.

Once the type was arranged in its final printing position, the level was checked and all quoins were tightened up. The whole chase, complete with its contents, was then transferred to the printing press. In this form the chase and contents were called a "forme".

It is interesting to note that the expression "cut to the chase" is derives from this situation. If paper used for printing from the forme was cut too small and did'nt overlap the chase siginifically for quality printing it was siad to be cut too close or "cut to the chase".

Linotypes at "The Dominion"

The next stage in letterpress printing was the introduction of "line of type" machines. These were the mainstay of the newspaper publishing business in New Zealand for many years.

This bank of Linotypes was at "The Dominion" in 1926. (Another, similar kind of linecasting machine was called Intertype.) The woman operating the second Linotype was an American who somehow had broken into the printers' union. It would have been very difficult for her, as printing was a man's world, and the union's brotherhood was very strong long before 1926 and for many years after.

A next stage in letterpress printing was the introduction of "line of type" machines. These were the mainstay of the newspaper publishing business in New Zealand for many years.

This Bank of Linotypes was at "The Dominion" in 1926. The other kind of "line of type" machines were called Intertypes. the women working the second linotype was an American who somehow had broken through the strong brotherhood shown by the printers union for many years, both before 1926 and again for many year after.

Another Old-timer - the "Albion" Press