T. C. Hansard (1776-1833) succeeded his father Luke as parliamentary printer. His fascination with the art of printing led to the publication of Typographia in 1825. This monumental study of the history and practice of printing is an important source for historians of printing, and is very clearly written. It is aimed both at young printers and at amateurs, and explains all the different aspects of running a printing business. Hansard acknowledges his debt to earlier writers such as Moxon and Stower, and to the unpublished papers of Earl Stanhope (1753-1816) who did much to modernise printing techniques. The book is particularly valuable for its discussion of recent developments in print technology and lithography, and for details about the business and financial side of printing. Part 1 contains the historical background and details of type-founding and fonts. Part 2 contains details of printing machinery, organisation, and lithography.

Table of Contents

Part I. History of the Art: 1. The origin of printing considered; 2. Origin of printing connected with the idea of forming books; 3. The preface of Luckombe; 4. First printer in England; 5. On paper; 6. The Stationers' Company; 7. The Press, Mr. McCreery's poem; 8. On type-founding; Part II. Practice of the Art: 1. General description of the apparatus for, and process of, moveable-type printing; 2. Case; 3. The press; 4. Fine printing; 5. Inking apparatus; 6. Improved manual presses; 7. Printing machines; 8. On printing ink; 9. The overseer, 10. The reader, 11. The account books; 12. Warehouse department; 13. Prices; 14. On the rolling press, or copper-plate printing; 15. Construction of a printing-office; 16. Stereotype printing; 17. On polyautographic printing, or lithography; 18. Decorative printing.