Dictionary Lower Case

   z     j     ?     !     '     k        e         1    2    3    4    5    6    7    8  
xbcd isf gfi9
qff0
vlmnh oypw,;:
.-
uthair4-em3-emena remquads
5-em

This U.S. typecase configuration is shown by De Vinne: The Practice of Typography, Modern Methods of Book Composition (1904 and 1914) as a re-arrangement of the normal lower case, moving the spacing into adjacent boxes, for example. This considerably speeded up the work of the compositor, especially when setting dictionaries and their like. Note that the case does not contain fl ffi or ffl, which presumably have to be in the upper case.

The empty case configuration is Dictionary Lower.

Other empty cases
ie with the boxes left blank
Other type layouts
ie with characters assigned to boxes
Full Index of layoutsGlossary of terms usedSources of the layoutsIntroduction
Quantities in a fount of typeQuantities in a case of type
Notes about Job
and Double Cases
Notes about Upper casesNotes about Lower casesAlembic home page

This page was written in 2008 by David Bolton and last updated 16 April 2009.