The Early Oxford Press

B. Type

The following table exhibits the use made of different type by Oxford printers 1585–1640, but applies only to the chief type of the body of the work. Thus Pica Greek is the chief type of a book in 1591 at earliest, but it is found occasionally in 1587, and Long Primer Greek in 1585. So too Great Primer Greek is used in 1624, 9. And Hebrew type is used sporadically from 1596 on (Long Primer, Pica and English, pointed and unpointed: see 1596, 8 & 9; 1601, 2; 1602, 3; &c.)

Oxford Type.

		1585					1590					1595					1600					1605					1610					1615					1620					1625					1630					1635					1640
English:
1	Long Primer												2																																					½			½	½				1
2	Pica	2	6	1	2	1		1	1	1	4	1	1	1	1	2				2	2	1			1				1			1				1									1½	2		1	1	1½		2½			2			2
3	Great Primer																																						1			1																3
Roman:
4	Minion					1																																																				4
5	Brevier						½		1						1											1																																5
6	Long Primer	2		1		1	½	1	1		2				½				1		1			1	1		1	1	1	1		2	1	2	1	2	1							2	1	5½	2	4½	1	6½	4	4	2	7½	3	7	3	6
7	Pica	2	3	3	3		1	2½	1½		2	1	1	3	1	5½	5	2	3	5	6	3½	1		4	2			3	7½	7	6	1	2	4	4	1	3	2	5	2½	7	1		12½	6½	5	15½	3	4½	12	3	9½	10	5	4	14	7
8	English												1		2		1	1	7	3	1	8½	6	9	7	4	6	1	16	16	5	5	3	4		1	2	2	4		2	12	3	5	5	3	7	6	4	12	2	6	5	4	10	3	3	8
9	Great Primer							½	2	1									1						1													1	1		1½	2	5		1	1		6		3	2		1		3	5	2½	9
10	Double Pica																																																		1							10
Italic:
11	Long Primer				1																				1																																	11
12	Pica		2	3	1	1	½		2				2		½	½									1					½																1												12
13	English																																																			½					½	13
14	Great Primer																																																								1	14
Greek:
15	Long Primer		1				½																																																			15
16	Pica							1	1½	1				2																	1			1																								16
The above table has reference only to the chief type of the body of the book.
Number of books or pieces printed at Oxford		7	16	9	7	5	5	7	11	7	7	4	8	11	6	7	5	3	12	11	10	13	8	10	17	7	7	2	24	26	17	16	6	9	7	8	5	6	9	5	8	24	9	14	22	19	14	32	9	34	21	16	18	24	23	20	26
Average		8					7										10										12										12										21

The ordinary size (now) of the type used in the Oxford Press from 1585 to 1640 is as follows, see p. 144 (1629, no. 4):—

Name.	Lines in one foot.
Nonpareil	144
Minion	120
Brevier	about 110
Long Primer	90
Pica	72
English	64
Great Primer	51
Double Pica (which is double “small Pica”)	41
Canon	20

The old measures make the type of all these very slightly smaller than the above measurements.