Composing Stick

Drag a sort from the type case into the stick, or just tap it. Type is set the way a compositor sets it: the stick fills from right to left and every sort is mirror-reversed, so the word reads backwards in the stick and the right way round on the proof.

• Touch and hold a sort in the case to look at it through the linen tester. This is the easiest way to tell a b from a d, or a p from a q.
• Touch and hold a sort in the stick to turn it.

A loose line is one that doesn't fill the measure, so the sorts would wobble or fall out when the forme is lifted. You justify it by adding spacing material until the line is exactly the width of the stick.

Fill the big gaps with quads first, then even out the word spaces with thick, mid and thin spaces, and finish with hair spaces. Try to keep word spacing even across the line; a proof with one huge gap scores lower than one where the space is shared out.

A wrong-fount sort is a letter from a different typeface or size that has ended up in the wrong compartment of the case. It looks almost right, which is the problem. Inspect suspicious sorts with the linen tester and throw the bad ones in the hellbox, the bin where damaged and stray type goes to be melted down. Printing a wrong-fount letter costs you points on the proof.

That is a turned letter. It happens when a sort goes into the stick with its nick facing the wrong way. An n turned becomes a u, and a turned d looks like a p. Touch and hold the sort in the stick to turn it back before you lock up.

Some letter pairs and triples were cast as a single sort so their parts don't collide: fi, fl, ff, ffi and ffl. When a job's copy contains one of these combinations, use the ligature sort from the case instead of setting the letters separately. Jobs that call for proper ligatures will mark you down if you set "f" and "i" as two sorts.

Once the lines are set and justified, they go into the chase on the stone. Three things matter:

• Furniture (the wooden or metal blocks around the type) must fill each gap exactly. Too short and the forme is loose; too long and it won't fit.
• Leads go between the lines to space them apart.
• Quoins tighten everything. Hold the quoin key and let go when the forme is snug.

Roll enough ink to cover the face of the type evenly without flooding the counters. Set the gauge pins so the sheet lands square and the print sits where the job asks for it. Then choose the impression:

• Kiss: the type just touches the paper. The traditional choice for fine book work.
• Firm: a solid, even print with a slight bite.
• Deep bite: a heavy impression you can feel with your thumb. Popular with modern letterpress work.

Check the job's brief before you pull: the right impression depends on what the customer asked for.

Jobs open one after another, so you need to pass the job before it. Some jobs also need equipment you don't have yet, such as the second type case or the Vandercook proof press. You can buy those from the Supply Catalogue with the shillings you earn. Later eras of printing open once you have passed 15 jobs.

Each day brings one new rush job. Pass it to keep your streak going; miss a day and the streak starts again. If you like, the app can send a local reminder for the rush job. It asks after your first proof, and you can turn it off in Settings.

Today's rush job and your streak sit at the top of the Order Spike. Your rank and stars are on the Indenture (in the menu at the top right of the bench). Your latest proof and its score are first on the Proof Wall.

In the Block Maker you can engrave a picture into your own printer's mark, a small block you can print on your proofs. Pick a picture from your photo library or take one with the camera.

If you print on a real press, you can pin photos of your own prints to the Proof Wall under "From my press". Photos are copied into the app's storage on your device and are never uploaded.

Go to Settings > Reset the shop. This clears all progress, shillings, upgrades, streaks and pinned photos. It can't be undone.

No. Composing Stick works fully offline and never connects to the internet. Everything is stored on your device. See the privacy policy for details.