A technical dictionary of printmaking, André Béguin.
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justify blocks (to)
Any wood engraving, relief metal plate, or printing plate must be on the same level as the type df a text when they are to be printed on a printing press together. The height of all printing matter was fixed in the 18th century and is defined in terms of points. In France the accepted height is of 62 3/4 points (23.6mm), in the U.S. and in Great Britain the adopted height is 62 points whereas in Germany it is 63 points. Printing elements which are not of the right height are fixed onto wooden or lead blocks. A special cast iron table is used to justify these blocks. This table has an iron bar in the middle whose width is the same as the required height. If the block is not perfectly justified by the wood or lead backing mentioned above its height can be further increased by glueing paper to the back.
[wood, overlay, cutting overlay, packinq, underlay, typographical measures, make ready, typography].
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