This historic type size is extremely small and was traditionally used by newspapers for printing classified advertisements, legal notices, and stock market tables. Because 14 lines of agate type fit exactly into one vertical inch, newspapers sold advertising space by the agate line. Though metal type is rarely used, the measurement standard persists in some legacy advertising billing.
Heard on the job
The legal notice has to fit in a two-inch column, so set the whole block in agate.
Insider tip
In British printing, this exact same 5.5-point size was historically called ruby.
Also heard as
- ruby