Names and Sizes of Type.
The principal bodies to which printing letters are cast in England and America are the following:—
| 1. | Diamond. |
| 2. | Pearl. |
| 3. | Agate. |
| 4. | Nonpareil. |
| 5. | Minion. |
| 6. | Brevier. |
| 7. | Bourgeois. |
| 8. | Long Primer. |
| 9. | Small Pica. |
| 10. | Pica. |
| 11. | English. |
| 12. | Columbian. |
| 13. | Great Primer. |
| 14. | Paragon. |
| 15. | Double Small Pica. |
| 16. | Double Pica. |
| 17. | Double English. |
| 18. | Double Great Primer. |
| 19. | Double Paragon. |
| 20. | Canon. |
Besides the foregoing, a smaller size than Diamond, called Brilliant, is now cast in the foundry of MacKellar, Smiths & Jordan of Philadelphia, the body of which is just one-half of Minion. Even this is surpassed in smallness by a music type cast in the same foundry, named Excelsior, which is precisely one-half the size of Nonpareil. Another size omitted in the list is Minionette, (equivalent to six of the Didot points,) which is next above Nonpareil.
Canon is conceded to have been first produced by a French artisan, and was probably used in some work relating to the canons of the church; to which the German title, Missal, alludes.
Two-line Great Primer, Two-line English, and Two-line Pica, owe their names to the respective bodies of which the depth of two em quadrates answers to one of the double sizes.
Paragon was probably first cut in France. It is known as Text by the Germans.
Pica is universally considered as the standard type, and by it furniture, quotations and labour-saving rules are graduated. A line 83 Pica ems long is equivalent to 35 centimeters. The twelfth part of Pica is the unit, called a Point, by which type-bodies are measured. MacKellar, Smiths & Jordan cast their new borders, ornaments, and job type on Pica, and its subdivisions of Nonpareil, (½ Pica,) and Excelsior, (¼ Pica,) and their multiples.