m. At the end of its travel the table is
automatically brought back again under the rollers to the position
from which it started. The speed of the roller and the table is
synchronized to obviate any possibility of the mat becoming wrinkled
by sliding.

The molded matrix and the pattern with the blanket still on it is then
transferred to the drying press, in which under a hot platten it is
again squeezed and allowed to remain for a few minutes until the
moisture is completely expelled from the molded flong. The drying
press is kept at a high temperature, usually by steam heat.

The matrix thus dried out to a thick, flexible cardboard is then ready
for the casting of the stereotype, which is done by pouring molten
stereotype metal against the face of the matrix placed in a
casting-box designed for this purpose. A successive number of
stereotypes can be cast for the same mat before it is injured by the
hot metal. For job-work stereotyping the casting-box is flat, and the
molten metal is either poured by hand or automatically pumped in the
casting-box.

After the stereotype is cast it is flattened, rough shaved, smooth
shaved, bevelled or blocked on wood; the wood base trimmed and then
planed type-high for printing press use.

The large daily papers cast the full-page stereotype from which the
paper is printed in an automatic casting machine which forms a curved
plate, trimmed and bevelled, to fit the cylinder of the press.

Stereotyping was for many years the chief means of making plates for
books and also for commercial printing. It has several advantages. The
first, obviously, is the advantage which it shares with several other
methods of providing a solid printing plate made by molding from an
original form of type or engraving. Its peculiar advantage, however,
is that it is the quickest method of producing a duplicate plate from
an original.

In comparison with electrotyping, however, it has two distinct
disadvantages. One is that it is not adapted for reproducing the fine
lines of engravings and type faces. In addition it is comparatively
shallow and does not possess a sharp, clean printing face. The other
disadvantage is that a stereotype is relatively soft and quickly worn.

Stereotypes have been made more durable, to withstand the wear of
printing, by the deposition of a film of harder metal--copper or
nickel--on the face of the plate after it has been cast. This,
however, is not satisfactory, as it invol