tidying
A 19th century practice of issuing paper-boarded
and cloth-cased books untrimmed, hut with the
longest leaves trimmed or "tidied" to the general
level of the other leaves. Early in the 19th
century, this was done with trimming shears which
were fixed to the press: however, by about 1830
the shears had been superseded by trimming knives.
This type of trimming was also done in the better
binderies. usually in combination with a gilt top.
(236 )