Forme dances

When, a forme being locked-up on the imposing surface, any of the lines are not properly justified, or letters have slipped at the ends of lines, or when a letter, space, or quadrat of a deeper body is by accident made use of, the forme will not lift properly. To ascertain this, the compositor raises the form slightly and quickly two or three times when if any of the above irregularities have occurred, he will hear a clicking sound near the imperfect justification, caused by the loose types dancing on the “stone.” Pressmen use the same term when a new roller finds out any loose lines in the forme, and causes the types, as some say, to “chatter.”