Craft · 6 pages · 12 min
Why leading was once literal strips of lead
Thin strips of lead between lines opened the space, and the name outlived the metal.
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From the opening
Leading was the space between lines of metal type, made by inserting strips of lead or similar metal that were shorter than the type so they would not print. The strips pushed one line of letters away from the next, and the word for that gap stayed after the metal disappeared. The opening covers lead strips between the lines, shorter than type, so unprinted, and said to rhyme with bedding.
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Inside
- Lead strips between the lines
- Shorter than type, so unprinted
- Said to rhyme with bedding
- The word outlived the metal
- Where the idea stops applying
- A distinction worth keeping
Sources
- Leads and reglets in hand composition
- Leading as space between lines of type