Composing Stick
The L-shaped hand tool that holds a line of type while you set it, and sets the measure.
| Length | 200–360 mm depending on the model |
| Measure range | Up to the stick length, in pica and em marks |
| Material | Steel or aluminium |
| Adjustment | Screw clamp or rack and pinion knee |
| Ledge | Two, one at the foot and one at the side |
| Markings | Graduated in picas on most metal sticks |
| Weight | 180–320 g |
| Handedness | Left-hand stick is standard; right-hand versions exist |
| Length | 200–360 mm |
| Measure | Settable in picas, typically 6–36 pica |
| Material | Steel or aluminium |
| Suitable stock | Not applicable — a composition tool |
| Processes | Setting type, measuring lines, transferring to a galley |
| Compatible materials | Any metal or resin sort up to the stick width |
| Tolerance | A good stick holds a line square to within 0.1 mm |
| Care | Keep dry; a rusted stick marks the type |
There is a simulator for this. Type Composition runs the same relationships in 3D, so you can change a number and watch what it does to the result.
A composing stick is a shallow channel with one fixed end and one movable knee. The distance between them is the measure — the width of the line you are setting. You hold the stick in your left hand, set sorts into it with your right, and when the stick is full you transfer the line to a galley.
The stick is the tool that turns type into text. Everything about it is about that: the ledge the sorts sit against, the knee you slide to change the measure, and the lip that stops the line falling out when you tilt it. Setting type without one is possible and miserable.
Safety
Using it well
- Set the measure before you take a single sort out of the case. Changing it mid-line means redistributing the line by hand.
- Hold the stick at a slight angle toward you so the sorts lean back against the ledge. They stay put and you can see what you have set.
- Feel the bottom of the stick with your thumb every few lines. A single sort sitting proud means a bit of grit or a damaged foot, and it will print as a smudge.
What it works with
Papers and substrates
- Not applicable
Type and fonts
- All metal and resin sorts within the stick width
Processes
- Hand composition
- Line setting
- Measure checking
Tools that go with the composing stick
Letterpress Type Set
Individual sorts of metal, wood or resin, set by hand, one character at a time.
Quoins & Furniture
The wedges and spacing blocks that lock a forme tight in the chase so nothing moves.
Tabletop Platen Press
A small clamshell press that prints one sheet at a time, by hand, under a platen.