A letterpress form is said to rise when the compositor locks the quoins tightly enough that the entire chase can be lifted from the flat stone without a single piece of type dropping or sagging. Testing if a form will rise is a critical final check before moving it to the press bed. If it fails to rise, the loose elements must be re-spaced and locked up again.
Tap the corners with the shooting stick and see if she rises before we carry her to the platen.
Compositors test for a good rise by lifting one edge of the chase slightly and pushing a coin under it, then pressing down on the type faces to feel for any spongy or loose spots.
Also heard as
- lift
Related terms
Form
A complete body of assembled type and blocks locked into a chase ready for printing.
Chase
A heavy steel or iron frame used to hold metal type and blocks securely together for printing.
Imposing stone
A flat, heavy surface used for assembling and locking up metal type.
Quoin
An expandable wedge used to lock metal type securely inside a chase.
Fall out
The historic failure of a locked-up form where loose type drops out of the chase.