When the books are folded or refolded, as the case may be, the next step is to place the plates (if any) in their proper positions. To aid the binder, there is always a printed list of plates, attached to the contents. Guided by this, the binder finds the place, and, having" squared" the first plate, dips his forefinger in some thick paste, and pastes the back of the plate for about D

an eighth of an inch in, and then puts it in its place and rubs it down with the back of his finger. The" squaring" consists in seeing that the margin of the plate at the back and head is uniform in quantity along the plate, or otherwise it would be out of the straight when the book is cut. For instance, let Fig. 28 represent a plate printed on a piece of paper, of which the edges are represented by the black lines. It is obvious that. if it were pasted and fixed by the edge, B, D, it would be out of the square. Consequently, the binder cuts off the superfluous portion at the back along the dotted line B, A, and then makes another cut, at right angles with this, at the head, along the line E, C. This is generally done by eye with a pair of long-bladed scissors or shears, but sometimes the binder places the plate on a smooth cutting-board, and, placing a thin straight-edged board called a "trindle," along the line he wishes to cut, draws.

A keen knife along the edge of the trindle, and then trims the head in the same manner. If the plates are numerous, he will sometimes, instead of pasting each separately as he squares it, square It number, and then lay them down on a board one over the

other, leaving about an eighth of an inch of the back of each uncovered, as at Fig. 29, then place a board, A, over the top one. and, holding this down firmly with the fingers of his left hand, draw the paste-brush over all the exposed edges. It must be borne in mind that the plate must always be pasted at a back (behind the side of the printing) edge; also that plates printed the long way of the paper must always be so fixed that the " inscription" line or title of the plate must be on the right hand of the page, as at A (Fig. 30), never reversed, as at B (in same figure). This is done in order that when the book is inspected the reader shall not have to reverse it in looking at such plates, and is de rigueur.

In books consisting wholly of plates on plate paper, it is far best to square them with the boards, and, if folios, it is well to mark off the margin accurately with the compasses before cutting.

Maps or doubled plates should be" mounted" by pasting a slip of stout cartridge paper up the fold, leaving about half an inch of the paper to paste to. Maps or plates should never be folded in several folds to get them in. This is a clumsy expedient, and, after the book has been used a little, the folds are sure to get out of order, and the fore edge of the maps, &c., to protrude, causing the book to "gape" and look most unsightly. When all pasted places are dry and hard, the books are ready for "beating" or "rolling."

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