How was Type for Miniature Books Made?

[Bill Nairn]

 Today I visited the National Library of N.Z. to see a display of rare religious books.

No-one at the library was able to explain to me how very small type was cast. A "miniature" Bible, measuring no more that around 2" x 1", which had a magnifying-glass supplied to enable it to be read! I was estimate the type size was less than 2pt.

I have a small Bible measuring three inches by one-and-a-half inches and containing 1216 pages, plus several maps in colour; c. 1850.

Can anyone explain how such tiny type was cut - never mind how the matrices were cut?

It seems almost a technical impossibility - but we know that it was done.

Can anyone help with this?

[Mechanic]

Although Mergenthaler produced a single matrix with the entire alphabet in 1pt type and Monotype produce a matrix mold with the Lords Prayer, I doubt if the Mini-Bibles were set using miniature type. The Mini-Bibles were I believe, printed by miniaturizing standard Bibles including colour plates using the photoengraving process invented in the early 1870s. Including the printing and binding the process would have required some real skill.

[Dave Hughes]

There is a nice illustrated article on miniature books here:
http://mulibraries.missouri.edu/specialcollections/Exhibits/minihistory.htm

Scant details on the production processes, though.

[Mechanic]

There is some discussion about hand set type sizes on Briar Press

http://www.briarpress.org/29327

Devils Tail Press
Writes
on 7 Feb 12 (02:57)
Updated 7 Feb 12 (02:58)

In France, Didot produced a type in 1819 that was 2 1/2 points. The type was so small that it was cast 100 letters at a time. In the 1870s the Salmin brothers from Padua, Italy developed a 2 point type called "fly's eye", which damaged the eyesight of both the compositor and corrector. In 1895 Theodore Low de Vinne published a book that used a 3 1/2 point type called "Brilliants". Today the smallest type available is 5 point on a 6 point body, but the way the typeface fits can make it seem even smaller.

Stanislaus Pekala
Writes
on 8 Feb 12 (14:18)

Page sixty-eight of Theodore Low DeVinne's "Plain Printing Types" 1914, states......Yet there is a text-type even smaller. In 1827 Henri Didot of Paris, then sixty-six years old, cut with his own hands a font of type on the body of 2-1/2 points by the Didot system, which he called "microscopique." Twenty-five lines of this type apparently fill the space of on American inch.
A later paragraph states...
These types are wonderful as evidence of skill; but they are of slight value in the practice of printing.

[Elrodfk]

I've got 4pt Square Gothic on the Ludlow which can be set on a 4pt body but not worth the expense of buying a 4pt mould so I set it on 6pt and I've got 4¾pt Claritas (Linotype) which I set on 5pt body

[Dave Hughes]

I set a fair amount of 4¾pt Adsans for South London Press classifieds when I worked there.

Nice font with good clear figures for the telephone numbers.

[stafford]

A couple of years back I bought a decent, newly cast, fount of "Gill Sans Titling 6 point No 4 " (no, not the Plate Gothic, proper 262) 
and the printed character on that  6 point body prints about 2 point, but of course its caps figures and points only.  You do indeed need a glass to set the stuff!. Interestingly,  the printed image is smaller than anything my computer printer can do.  Maybe thats why the average  computer doesn't offer Palace Script series 429.

[jhenry]

Like Andy, I have some small faces on the Ludlow. I have a font of 4pt. Caslon that occasionally finds use. I also have several options in 6pt., and they have found use in miniature books.