reglet

A reglet is a thin strip of wood or metal, typically between 6 and 12 points high (roughly 2 to 4 mm), that sits in a letterpress chase to regulate spacing and alignment of printed matter. It performs the essential job of maintaining even gaps between pages and blocks of type, ensuring that when the chase is locked and printed, pages print at consistent depths and register correctly on the press.

Wooden reglets, usually made from hardwood like cherry or maple, have been the standard for centuries in jobbing shops and book printing work. Metal reglets, cast in brass or steel, offer greater durability and precision, particularly in high-volume work where the repeated pressure of the press can warp softer materials. Length varies to fit the width of the chase, and thickness (or height) is standardized so that reglets stack reliably alongside type-height furniture and blocks.

The real work of reglets appears in open matter work, such as title pages and section breaks where large areas of white space dominate. A careless compositor can leave gaps that shift during locking, causing the page to print crooked or at the wrong depth. Reglets prevent this by creating fixed, immovable barriers. They also serve to protect fine type and blocks from being crushed when quoins are driven tight around them.

Why the name and wider role

The term comes from the French règlet, meaning a ruled line or small rule, reflecting the tool's function as an invisible boundary marker in the composed form. In the larger ecosystem of letterpress furniture, reglets sit between leads (thin spacing material) and furniture (the larger wooden or metal blocks that make up the bulk of open space). Unlike leads, which fill small gaps within lines, reglets work at the page level and must be absolutely type-high to prevent uneven impression.

Modern digital printing has rendered reglets obsolete, but they remain common in small letterpress shops and fine printing studios. A compositor who has never handled them will struggle to lock a chase cleanly; those who have learned to use them understand their quiet importance to the craft. A poorly chosen or placed reglet can sabotage hours of careful composition.