bastard type

Bastard type is metal type where the printed face does not match the nominal body size. A letter cast on a 12-point body might have the face of 14-point type, or conversely, a 10-point face on a 12-point body. This mismatch happens deliberately or through wear, casting faults, or typographic need.

The problem appears immediately in the compositor's hands. When set into a line with standard type, bastard type creates uneven baseline spacing, holes in the printed impression, or shoulder marks where the larger body scratches the paper or plate. A line of mixed bastard and true type will show visible stepping rather than a clean horizontal alignment. Printers sorting type by size alone may inadvertently introduce bastards into the font, contaminating subsequent jobs.

Why it matters in hot metal

In letterpress and linotype work, body size governs how type sits on the bed and interacts with other metal sorts. Bastard type breaks this contract. It will not lock properly into the chase, forcing the compositor to build up underlays or accept inferior registration. In machine composition, a bastard sorts into the wrong magazine slot and jams the mechanism or produces an unintended size mix in the output.

The term itself reflects an older dismissal: type that does not fit its proper family or purpose, hence illegitimate. It entered trade vocabulary when founders and typecasters had to sort and grade their output. A bastard piece was often sold as salvage or downgraded, since it had limited use and created more work than value. Even careful founders produced them through casting defects or shrinkage variation in the metal.