A factotum is a reusable ornamental woodcut or metal block designed with a hollow square in the middle. Instead of carving a separate decorative initial for every letter of the alphabet, the printer inserts a standard piece of large metal type into the central void. This allows a single decorative border to serve as the drop cap for any chapter, regardless of the starting letter.
Heard on the job
Drop a 36-point Roman 'T' into the factotum for the start of chapter four.
Also heard as
- factotum initial