Mechanic Arts, 397 



gow. About the year 1789 M.DiDOT, of France, 

 seems to have invented, a third time, thisvahiable 

 art, and to have contrived several important im- 

 provements, which render his mode much more 

 convenient and useiul than tliat of any of his pre- 

 decessors." The Stereotype plan of printing is most 

 happily calculated to secure accuracy in numeri- 

 cal tables, and in books of a similar kind. Indeed, 

 for publishing all works of classical character, ex- 

 tensive sale, and permanent demand, it is an in- 

 valuable acquisition. The beautiful editions of 

 several Greek and Roman classics, w^hich have 

 been executed in this manner, by the French artist 

 above mentioned, are well known to be favourable 

 specimens of this far-famed improvement. 



In a considerable degree resembling the Stereo-- 

 ti/pe, is the Logographic mode of printing, an in- 

 vention announced in 1783, by Mr. H. Johnson, 

 of Great-Britain. In this invention the types for 

 printing, instead of answering to single letters, are 

 made to correspond to ivJiole zcords; a circum- 

 stance wdiich points out the etymology of the 

 name. The advantages of this new mode are said 

 to be these: That the compositor has less charged 

 upon his memory than in the common way; that 

 he is much less liable to error; that he saves time, 

 inasmuch as the type of each word is as easily 

 and as readily set as tliat of a single letter; that 

 ttie distribution afterwards is more simple, easy 

 and expeditious; and that no extraordinary ex- 



n The Stereotype mode of printing adopted by Didot is as follovvj. The 

 page is first set up in moveable types ; a mould or impression is then taken 

 cfF the page with any suitable plastic material; and afterwards as many 

 tolid pages are cast fiom the mould as may be wanted. The plan adopted 

 by Geo and others seems to have been different. After setting up the 

 page with moveable types, they soldered them together, and thus formed 

 a permanent page, from which as many copies might be stricken as were 

 desired. The comparative merits of these dijfferent plans will readily pre- 

 sent themselves to the intelligent reader. 



