medieval-religion: Scholarly discussions of medieval religion and culture
Christopher Crockett wrote:
> From: Tom Izbicki <[log in to unmask]>
>
>> Galley proofs looked different from actual pages. I recall them as
>> long sheets of paper, more like legal pages. Then you got more
>> normal-looking page proofs for final approval.
>
> yes, that's what i suspected.
>
> seems like i've seen those, sometime in the '50s when a friend's
> father was publishing a book.
>
>> A publishing friend once commented on how much his firm saved by
>> eliminating the galley-proof phase.
>
> i *think* that the galley-proof practice goes way back to the
> beginning of printing.
No - see separate answer.
> the "proofs" were pulled from the composited type blocks and given to
> the proofreaders to correct --i.e., an "edition" of jsut a very, very
> few copies was printed.
>
> the type blocks were taken out of the press and kept together while
> the proofing process proceded.
>
> then the actual type had to be corrected, following the proof
> corrections, and replaced in the press for the real print run (500
> copies or so, early on).
>
> this meant both an extra expense in labor --moving the blocks about,
> on and off the press-- and also in material, since the typeblocks had
> to be kept together during the proofing, thus tying up vast
> quantitites of type.
Not a problem once Linotype/Monotype had come in.
> how stereotyping (introduced in the early 19th c.) and the Lineotype
> (later 19th c.?) would have effected this process, i don't know.
No, stereotype is only used at the final stage, to produce extra sets of
finished pages (murder to correct - you have to use a soldering iron!)
> nowadaze, with offset printing and digital typography, the savings
> would be massive indeed, i should think.
Maybe, maybe not - this is just the typesetting half of things, don't
forget.
> so, howscome the retail price of books doesn't reflect --in the
> slightest-- these *massive* savings in costs brought on by the
> Technological Revolution??
That's a whole different discussion - but remember that these saving relate
to economies of scale.
John Briggs
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