Special paper first, and then, when that fits exactly, to make up
Subjects the vellum from it.
“On the inside of the vellum cover, mark faint lines
about f inch from, and parallel to, the creases of the back,
and further lines about ¿ inch from these. Place your
book in the cover and mark the places where the slips
cross these lines. Make slits in the cover there, and lace
the slips through them (fig. 196), first putting a piece of
Fig. 196.
loose, toned paper inside the cover to prevent any marks
on the book from showing through the vellum. Then
lace pieces of silk ribbon of good quality1 through the
cover and end-papers, leaving the ends long enough
to tie.”
BROADSIDES, WALL INSCRIPTIONS, &C.
Set Inscriptions.—Ordinary inscriptions generally
consist of a given number of words to be set out in
1 A good, rather dark green ribbon looks well—such as that
known as “Church lace,” used for the “tyres” in some of the
Kelmscott books. Very good ribbons may be obtained from a
bookbinder, at 6d. to is. 6d. a yard.
SH
a given space. Careful planning may sometimes be
required to fit in the words suitably, or to adapt the
lettering to the space. But setting-out (p. 222) be¬
comes much simpler after a little practice, and the
good craftsman avoids over-planning.
The Place of the Inscription.—The actual space
for a wall inscription is commonly suggested by an
architectural feature—a stone, a panel, or a niche
—of the wall ; but in choosing a suitable space for
a given inscription, or suitable lettering for a given
space, we must take into account—
1. The office of the inscription.
2. How it is to be read—
(a) “ At a glance f or
(b) by close inspection.
3. The distance from the reader.
4. The lighting of the space.
5. The character of the surroundings.
6. Any special features.
The Size of the Letters.—The all-important ques¬
tion of readableness may be settled thus : the inscrip¬
tion having been planned suitably to fill the space,
one or two words are written or painted (the exact
size) on paper—smoked or otherwise coloured if
necessary to resemble the background. This is stuck
upon the chosen part of the wall, and then viewed
from the ordinary position of a reader. When the
inscription is high up, the thin parts—especially the
horizontals of the letters—must be made extra thick
to be seen properly from below.
Margins.—Wide margins are only required for
comparatively small lettering which demands the close
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Special
Subjects