squabble

In letterpress printing, squabble means to accidentally jostle or disturb composed type so that characters shift out of alignment within the chase, the metal frame that holds the page form. When type squabbles, individual sorts (letters) tilt or slide sideways, lines of text no longer sit level, and spacing becomes uneven. The typesetter must then identify and correct each displaced piece before the form can be locked up and printed, adding time and frustration to the job.

Squabbling happens most often during handling of the chase itself. Moving the composed form across the press shop, tightening the quoins (expanding metal wedges that lock the type in place), or even vibration from nearby machinery can nudge sorts out of true. In hand composition, a careless bump to the type case or galley (the shallow metal tray holding composed lines) will do the same damage. Stereotype and electrotype plates, once cast from the original type, are less vulnerable to squabbling, which is one practical advantage of those reproduction methods.

Why the word matters

The term reflects the physical reality of the problem. Type in a chase sits under some tension from the quoins and furniture (wooden or metal spacers), but without being truly locked. A squabble is a small disturbance that creates visible disorder in what should be a rigid, flat surface. Recognizing that squabbling has occurred is part of a press operator's routine: the tympan pull (the printed proof taken from the inked form just before a job runs) often shows telltale signs of misaligned type or lines that are not perfectly parallel.

Prevention is easier than correction. Securing the chase on the press bed before inking, checking quoin tension before starting a run, and handling all composed forms with deliberate care keep squabbles to a minimum. Once squabbling is suspected, the pressman will loosen the quoins, tap the misaligned type back into position using a planer or mallet, re-tighten the quoins, and run another proof to verify correction.