Where's the oxygen ...!!!

[David]

All this hot metal stuff has brought me out in an acute rash of nostalgia and sent me racing to my bookshelf - just look at this caption from "Printing Design and Layout" by Vincent Steer and published by Virtue & Co. London (no publication date, but I guess c1940), p198:

"This is the wrong way to use an initial. Compare with the previous paragraph. The initial should be set as an integral part of the text, closely attached to it. It should not be allowed to float in an area of white space as is shown in this example. A printer who persists in setting initials in this slovenly way should be left severly alone. There is no excuse for this utter disregard of the canons of fine typography. Even the cheapest job deserves neatly set initials."

And on page 199:
"It is entirely wrong to set swash italic initials in this careless manner. Any printer who does this sort of thing should be spoken to rather severely. It is wrong and does not show common sense. Don't put up with it."

No doubt Mr Steer would have been a daily recipient of CPR if still alive today!