Glossary

Acid etching Dissolving either the surface of a metal plate or cutting through the plate with acid. Letterforms can be produced right-reading to be read from the plate or wrong-reading to be printed from the plate.

Appliqué Decorative work that involves cutting out one piece of fabric and stitching it to the face of another.

Ascender The stroke of a lower-case letter which projects above the x height.

Baseline Invisible line upon which letters appear to sit.

Bastard size A metal type size that does not fit into the conventional size scale of 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 12, 14, 18, 24pt, e.g. 13½pt; or a type cast on a body larger or smaller than that for which it is cut.

Block line plate An etched or engraved (wrong-reading) aluminium, copper, magnesium ...

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