press in different parts of the United States, where they had been in active operation, clearly evinced to the printers of Great Britain and Europe, that his invention was well deserving their countenance and encouragement; and, notwithstanding they had presses not only of the Stanhopean manufacture, but also of several others, yet the properties of Mr. Clymer's Columbian press, supported by the above testimonials, were the immediate cause of their introduction into several of the first houses in the metropolis, and many of the others soon followed; they were also introduced into several of the first printing-offices on the continent. This press is composed of the following parts: the feet, staple, ribs, fore-stay, rounce, main lever, elbow-piece, counterpoise lever, links, table, plattin, piston, check or guide pieces, back bar, back-return lever, shoulder piece, bar, connecting rod, eagle, &c. To increase the power, take out the small bolt in the middle of the shoulder piece, and turn the rod to the right-that is, take up the screw: to diminish it, turn the rod to the left, viz. lengthen the rod by unscrewing: the filed part of the eye must always be kept downwards.

Dr. Church's, a native of America, followed the Columbian press: his plan differed from every other; and it may be stated that he failed altogether in producing a press worthy of notice.

After the Stanhopean and Columbian presses, the meed of praise is due to the late R. W. Cope, of London, for his invention of the ALBION, which deserves to be placed in the first rank in the list of presses for power and ease to the workman in every point of view : first, they are much lighter in respect to weight of metal: secondly, the pull is very easy; notwithstanding which, it is equal in power to any of them, not even excepting the Columbian thirdly, it is better adapted for expedition: fourthly, there are so few parts belonging to it, and consequently the machinery is in itself so simple, that there is not the least chance of their being put out of order, or liable to the least accident from wear: fifthly, the works being so simple, are all contained in the hollow of the piston, on which the power is given. This is the first instance of a hollow piston ever having been used for a press. Now manufactured by J. Hopkinson, Finsbury, London.

5.The next that came forward was Mr. Ruthven, a printer, at Edinburgh. He materially differed from all his predecessors: his press was styled the RUTHVEN. They unquestionably possess great power; but we object to these presses on account of the action of the bar, which is forced down by the pressure of the left, or by both hands. A men may sprain his wrist; or should his hand slip off, the rising of the bar would of course injure his arm between the latter and the press: also, from the very confined position of the works, it is almost next to an impossibility to oil or clean them without taking the press to pieces, which is a very troublesome and disagreeable operation.

Mr. Hope, of Jedburgh, in Scotland, was also the inventor of a press.

In 1820, Mr. Daniel Threadwell of the United States of America, came to England and took out a patent for a press, which was manufactured by Mr. Napier. In this press, the power necessary for giving the impression is obtained by means of a lever, or treadle.

The last, though not the least, in our notice of printing-presses manufactured in Ladon, is that called the IMPERIAL PRINTING PRESS, invented and manufacted by Mr. J. Sherwin and J. Cope, and may justly vie with any of its competitors for ease, expedition, and durability.

THE BRITANNIA PRESS, invented and manufactured by R. Porter, of Leeds, in Yorkshire, is highly spoken of by many practical printers, and extensively patronized in the counties of York and Lancaster.

Many persons in different parts of the kingdom have entered the lists as makers of iron presses; but, with very few exceptions, are they known beyond the vicinity where they are manufactured. The late Mr. Stafford, of Bingham, and his son and successor, have made some presses which are well thought of, though light, and consequently not adapted for heavy work. Their portable press is certainly deserving of support.

The invention of machinery, for the purposes of printing, first came into operation in England in the year 1814; and after many efforts, has now arrived at that state of perfection which seems to admit of no further improvement either for newspapers or for bookwork. To the ingenuity of Mr. Konig, a Saxon by birth, with the assistance of Mr. Bensley, Mr. Walters, and other eminent master printers, is the printing-trade indebted for this vast change in their profession. These machines are now principally manufactured by Messrs. Cowper, of London and Manchester; by Mr. Napier, of London; and by a firm at Belper, in Derbyshire.

After all, in the great variety of forms and qualities of work passing through any printing-office, with the exception of newspapers, recourse must still be had to the aid of good manual presses and experienced pressmen. The serious expense of a printingmachine can only be repaid by executing an extraordinary quantity of work in a much less portion of time than that usually occupied for the same work done by ordinary means. As, therefore, the time consumed in laying-on, or making ready a form, must be valuable in proportion to the number of sheets which might be struck off in that time; so, frequent repetition of the previous process for short numbers would counterbalance all gains arising from the speed in working. Machine printing will, therefore, be only applicable to works of extensive sale. But those of which limited numbers are printed; those also requiring a superior description of press-work with fine ink; fine and large paper copies, with alterations of margin; and many other peculiar circumstances which are continually occurring, will always require a judicious choice of men and materials, for the old mode of working, varied as circumstances may at the moment require. Half-sheet work, or jobs printed on one side only, are either impracticable or disadvantageous at a perfecting machine.

OF INKING TABLES.

WITH the removal of the old wooden press, and the invention of rollers, was also exploded the ink-block, for which was substituted frames or tables. These tables are manufactured by Cope, of London, and are composed wholly of iron, with the cylinder turned off to the greatest exactness, under which is a steel edge, that scrapes the ink off the cylinder to the exact quantity required: this is regulated by means of counterpoise levers that pass under the table, on which is hung two weights, to be removed according to the quantity of ink required for the work: one end of these levers are to press against the ductor, or regulator. The ductor and cylinder are fitted so close, that the latter will hold water; consequently there is not the least possibility of more ink escaping than is wanted for the purpose required. The cylinder has an ornamental cover, which is always kept on except when a fresh supply of ink is required; by which means all dirt

and dust is kept both from the ink and cylinder: the latter is moved by a small handle at one end: the table is turned off in a lathe perfectly true, the same as in the presses.-In addition to the above invention, many other descriptions of tables are in use: frames with mounted tops of marble, lead, or hard wood: those of the latter kind are in most general use throughout the kingdom.

MAKING READY A FORM.

A CAREFUL pressman will not omit, before he lays a form on the press, to wipe the table perfectly clean; for if any (though small) hard particle be on it, the letter which stands on that matter will, with pulling, quickly rise, and not only make a stronger impression than the rest of the form, but bear off the adjacent letters. He also carefully examines whether the back side of the form be clean, before he lays it on, which should be as nearly as possible under the centre of the plattin. He then lays the tympan down upon the form, and places the blankets (which he rubs, to soften and equalize the nap) in it; then patting in the inner tympan, he fastens it with the hooks and button for that purpose which prevents it from springing up. He then folds a sheet of the paper he is about to work in quarto, and lays the long crease of it upon the middle of the long cross, and the short crease over the middle of the grooves of the short cross, if it lie in the middle of the form; for in twelves it does not, and then he folds the paper accordingly. Now, wetting his tympan, which is done only for very solid works, he turns it down upon the paper, and pulls the sheet, which, with the wet tympan and the force of the pull, causes it to stick. Turning up the tympan again, he examines if the sheet be laid even if it has not been laid even on the form, it is better to re-lay it, and pull it again; for it is of considerable importance that it should be put on perfectly even. This sheet is called the tympan-sheet, and is placed there as a guide to lay all the other sheets even upon while he works the white paper. Having fastened his tympan-sheet, he next chooses his points: for large paper short-shanked points, for small paper long-shanked ones, and others in proportion to the intermediate sizes of paper; for his points ought to be so placed, that, in working the reiteration, the point-holes may be pricked within the grasp of the hollow between his right hand thumb and fore finger. Nor should he place his points too near the edge of the paper; for, in working the reiteration, he would be forced to carry his furthermost point-hole the further from him, which in a long number loses time. Also, the less distance there is between the off and near point-hole the better, as it saves time; as he must draw his body so much the further back, to place that hole on its point: he, therefore, places the near point further into the paper than the off point, if it befolio, quarto, or octavo, but to twelves equally distant from both edges of the paper. By placing the points according to the above directions, it likewise prevents the workman from turning his heap wrong on its reiteration. Having made choice of properly-spurred points, he places them securely under the point-screws parallel to each other. This done, ext lays the tympans down upon the form, holding the frisket-end of it in his left band, about an inch and a half above the face of the letter, and sinks his body downwards till he can see between the form and tympan, and with the ball of the middle finger of his

right hand presses gently upon the tympan over the point ends of each point successively, to see if they fall in or near the middle of the grooves of the short cross. If they fall in the middle of those groves the form lies exactly between the middle of both the ends; if they fall not exactly in the middle, he moves the form between the ends of the table till they do, and then quoins both ends of the chase. But this latter operation will in a great measure be rendered unnecessary, if the workman uses care in placing the crease of his tympan-sheet in the centre of the short cross. The pressman next proceeds to adjust his frisket, which must be covered with stiff paper, to perform which he fits the match-joints of the frisket into those of the tympan, turns down the frisket and tympan, and pulls an impression. He then takes off the frisket, places it flat on the bank, and with the point of a sharp knife cuts through the frisket about all the sides of each page, allowing to each he thus cuts out about a nonpareil margin on all the sides of the cut pages, and afterwards replaces the frisket again on the tympan. A revise is now pulled and sent to the reader. Before going on with the work, the pressman proceeds to level his impression, which is effected in the following manner: Having pulled a dry sheet of paper, and placed it on the back part of his tympans, he is then enabled to see the imperfections of impression arising from unevenness of blankets, &c.; these he carefully removes, by cutting out the hard parts with his scissors, and covering the low parts with corresponding thicknesses of paper. When he has satisfied himself that the cut-in sheet is perfect, he then removes the inner tympan, places the sheet upon the blanket, and feeling with his fingers that the impression corresponds with the position of the form underneath, he pastes the sheet at the four corners, replaces the inner tympan, and in this manner affixes the overlays to the inner side of the drawer or inner tympan. Should one cut-in sheet be found not sufficient, (which is frequently the case with stereotype work, and with presses having imperfect tables and plattins) it will be necessary to repeat this operation a second or third time. The revise being returned, the working off what is termed "the white paper form" now commences. Having brought our instructions for making ready a form thus far, we shall now direct the attention of the workman to the concluding part of his labours, viz. the laying on of the outer or reiteration form. In this stage of the work, the three points for his consideration will be the production of an even impression, an equal colour with the first side, and accurate register. Presuming that the compositor has paid proper attention to pairing and dressing the chases, the pressman will not have much difficulty in making register. In reiteration, the quoins on the off side, and right hand end of the table, are seldom moved, but lie as guages for every succeeding form; for thrusting the chase close against these quoins, the register is almost, if not quite made. To prove the register, he removes the frisket, and points and pulls a sheet of the work. On raising the tympans, the sheet (released by the absence of the frisket) will be left on the form, with the printed side upwards. The eye will now readily detect any deficiency in the register. Should the latter be out at the sides, it must be remedied by moving the points; if out at the heads, the moving of the quoins on the off or near sides of the table must effect the desired alteration. In the event of these operations failing to produce register, he may add to or diminish the scale board dressing of the chase; but should the inaccuracy arise from imperfect making-up of pages or furniture, he must in no instance meddle with the integral parts of the form, as, in the event of letters slipping, leads riding, &c. the pressman