quoin up
In old-fashioned printing, to lock the metal letters tightly in place so they don't move when you print.
Meanings
In letterpress printing, to tighten the quoins around the type in a chase so that the type is firmly locked and ready for printing.
"Before running the press, the compositor had to quoin up the form to make sure no letters would shift during printing."
Highly specialized term from traditional letterpress printing. A 'quoin' is a small expandable wedge used to lock movable type into a frame called a chase. 'Quoin up' means to tighten these wedges to secure the type. Almost entirely obsolete in everyday use with the decline of letterpress printing; found in historical printing texts and among enthusiasts of traditional printing.
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Forms
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