Penguin Composition Rules

TEXT COMPOSITION
All text composition should be as closely word-spaced as possible.
As a rule, the spacing should be about a middle space or the thick¬
ness of an ‘i’ in the type size used.

Wide spaces should be strictly avoided. Words may be freely
broken whenever necessary to avoid wide spacing, as breaking
words is less harmful to the appearance of the page than too much
space between words.

All major punctuation marks - full point, colon, and semicolon
- should be followed by the same spacing as is used throughout
the rest of the line.

INDENTING OF PARAGRAPHS
The indent of the paragraph should be die em of the fount body.

Omit indents in the first line of the first paragraph of any text
and at the beginning of a new section diat comes under a sub¬
heading. It is not necessary to set the first word in small capitals,
but if this is done for any reason, die word should be letter- spaced
in the same way as the running title.

If a chapter is divided into several parts without headings, these
parts should be divided not only by an additional space, but al¬
ways by one or more asterisks of the fount body. As a rule, one
asterisk is sufficient. Without them it is impossible to see whether
a part ends at the bottom of a page or not. Even when die last line
of such a part ends the page, there will always be space for an
asterisk in the bottom margin.

PUNCTUATION MARKS AND SPELLING
If this can be done on the keyboard, put thin spaces before qucs-
don marks, exclamation marks, colons, and semicolons.

Between initials and names, as in G. B. Shaw and after all
abbreviations where a full point is used, use a smaller (fixed) space
than between the other words in the line.

Instead of em rules without spaces, use en rules preceded and
followed by the word space of the line, as in the third paragraph
above.

Marks of omission should consist of three full points. These
should be set without any spaces, but be preceded and followed
by word spaces.

I

Use full pomts sparingly, and omit after these abbreviations:
Mr, Mrs, Messrs, Dr, St, WC2, 8vo, and others containing the
last letter of die abbreviated word.

Use single quotes for a first quotation and double quotes for
quotations within quotations. If there is still another quotation
widiin die second, return to single quotes. Punctuation belong¬
ing to a quotation comes within die quotes, otherwise outside.

Opening quotes should be followed by a hairspace except before
A and J. Closing quotes should be preceded by a hairspace except
after a comma or a full point. If this cannot be done on the key¬
board, omit these hairspaces, but try to get the necessary attach¬
ment.

When long extracts are set in small type do not use quotes.

Use parendieses ( ) for explanation and interpolations ; brackets
[ ] for notes.

For all odier queries on spelling, consult the Rules for Composi¬
tors and Readers at the University Press, Oxford, or Collins’s Authors’
and Printers’ Dictionary.

CAPITALS, SMALL CAPITALS, AND ITALICS
Words in capitals must always be letter-spaced. The spacing of
the capitals in lines of importance should be very carefully opti¬
cally equalized. The word spaces in lines either of capitals or small
capitals should not exceed an en quad.

All display lines set in the same fount should be given the same
spacing throughout the book.

Use small capitals for running headlines and in contents pages.
They must always be slightly letter-spaced to make words legible.

Running headlines, unless otherwise stated, should consist of
the title of the book on die left-hand page, and the contents of the
chapter on the right.

Italics are to be used for emphasis, for foreign words and phrases,
and for the titles of books, newspapers, and plays which appear in
the text. In such cases the definite article ‘The’ should be printed
in roman, unless it is part of the tide itself.

In bibliographical and related matter, as a rule, authors’ names
should be given in small capitals with capitals, and the tides in
italics.

FIGURES

Do not mix old style text composition with modem face figures.
Either hanging or ranging figures may be used if they are cut in
the fount used for the text.

In text matter, numbers under 100 should be composed in let¬
ters. Use figures when die matter consists of a sequence of stated

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Tschlchold's Penguin Composition Rules, 1947, reduced. Still well worth reading carefully.

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quantities, particulars of age, &c. In dates use the fewest possible
figures, 1946-7, not 1946-1947. Divide by an en rule without
spaces.

REFERENCES AND FOOTNOTES
The reference to afootno te maybe given by an asterisk of the fount
body, if there are only a few foomotes in the book, and not more
than one per page. But if there are two or more foomotes per page,
use superior fraction figures preceded by a thin space.

Do not use modem face fraction figures in any old style fount.
Either hanging or ranging fraction figures may be used provided
that they are in harmony with the face used for the text. For books
composed in any old face letter, we recommend Monotype Su¬
perior Figures F627, to be cast on the size two points below die
size of the face used.

Foomotes should be set two points smaller than the text. Indent
the first line of these with the same number of points as the para¬
graphs in the text matter. Use equal leading between all lines of
foomotes, use the same leading as in the text matter, and put 1-2
point lead underneath the last line in order to get register with
the normal lines.

For the numbering of foomotes use normal figures followed by
a full point and an en quad. These figures may run either through¬
out the chapter, or even through the whole book, according to th e
special instructions given by the typographer.

FOLIOS

These should, as a rule, be set in the same size and face as the text,
and in arabic numerals.

Pagination should begin with the first leaf in die book, but the
first folio actually appearing is that on the verso of the first page
of the text.

When diere is preliminary matter whose extent is unknown at
the time of making up the text into pages, it is necessary to use
lower-case roman numerals, numbered from the first page of the
first sheet. The first actually appearing cannot be definitely stated,
but may be on the acknowledgements page, or at latest on the
second page of the preface. In this case, die first arabic folio to
appear will be ‘2’ on the verso of the first text page.

Folios for any text matter at the end of the book, such as index
&c., should continue the arabic numbering of the text pages.

THE PRINTING OF PLAYS
The same rules should apply to the printing of plays as to the
printing of prose. Names of characters should be set hi capitals

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and small capitals. The text following is indented. Stage directions
should be in italics, enclosed in square brackets. The headline
should include the number of the act and the scene.

THE PRINTING OF POETRY
For printing poetry use type of a smaller size than would be used
for prose. All composition should be leaded and the words evenly
spaced with middle spaces. The titles should be centred on the
measure, not on the first line. The beginning of each poem may
be treated as a chapter opening, with small capitals, &c.

Extra leading, especially between verses of irregular length,
may often be misleading, as it is impossible to see whether the
verse ends at the bottom of the page or not. The safest way of
recognizing the poet’s intention is to indent the first hne of every
new verse, after which leading is not really necessary. Therefore,
the first line of the second and following verses should be indented,
unless the poet has indicated a shape no t alio wing for indentations.

MAKE-UP

Books should, with certain exceptions, be made up in the follow¬
ing order:

I. Preliminary pages: 1, half title; 2, frontispiece; 3, title; 4, Im¬
print or dateofpublication; 5, dedication; 6, acknowledgements ;
7, contents ; 8, list of illustrations ; 9, list of abbreviations ; 10, pre¬
face; II, introduction; 12, errata.

II. The text of the book.

III. Additional matter: I. appendix; 2. author’s notes; 3. gloss¬
ary; 4. bibliography; 5. index.

The above should each begin on a right-hand page, imprint
and frontispiece excepted. As a rule, chapter headings should be
dropped a few lines.

The preliminary pages should be set in the same face and style
as the book itself. Avoid bold faces.

The index should be set in two or more columns and in type
two points smaller dian die text. The first word of each letter of
the alphabet should be set in small capitals widi capitals.

Jan Tscltichold

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