A tapered piece of furniture placed along the vertical edge of a composed page of type inside a chase. It works in tandem with wooden quoins, which are driven along its sloped edge to apply lateral pressure and lock the type securely into a solid block for printing.
Heard on the job
Slide the sidestick against the right margin and drop a couple of quoins in the gap.
Also heard as
- side stick
Related terms
Footstick
A beveled piece of wood or metal placed at the bottom of a page of type to help lock it into a chase.
Quoin
An expandable wedge used to lock metal type securely inside a chase.
Chase
A heavy steel or iron frame used to hold metal type and blocks securely together for printing.
Furniture
Blocks of wood or metal used to fill blank spaces in a chase and establish page margins.