Improved Double Case

--[ ]aeoe( ) j     e       mids   ' ?!;thnfl 1234567
890£   
&bcdisfghrff
ABCDEFG
fflkfi
HIKLMNO
ffilmnhoyp,wnutmut
'
PQRSTVW
zvutthicks arq:quads
XYZAEOEUJ
x.-

This English layout is the Improved Double currently (in 2001) shown in the John Jarrold Printing Museum, Norfolk and was in use in 1940s at Broad Jesse & Co. It is similar to the Double Case used by Heffer & Sons of Cambridge, except that ffl and ffi swap boxes, thins and mids swap boxes, hair and quotation swap boxes, and Heffer replace em spaces with two-dot leaders (although this may be an error). And, for example, contrast this with Lindley & Maggs where most of the lesser used letters and the punctuation differ. Other lays have the numerals in the centre bay, as well as other differences, eg Aspinall and Dorset House and Sheffield. Note also that Jarrold and Heffer follow Southward in their positioning of q whereas Aspinall and Dorset House show k and Stephenson Blake and Lindley & Maggs show ; in that box.

In the diagram, -- is a rule (dash), and muts are muttons, ie em spaces, and nuts are en spaces. The actual typecase construction matches, for example, that of the Caslon 1897, Stephenson Blake 1922, Harrild 1970 etc. Improved Double Case, distinguished by the six rows of boxes in the right hand (upper case) bay.

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 2001 by David Bolton and last updated 23 October 2001.