As noted A40, one, and a rare, example of a printing error in Galignani's edition of Wordsworth is that while the title word “INDIGNATION” on p. 152 is complete in the large paper copies seen, in both kinds of small paper copies seen the initial “I” is absent and its space blank. As the blank space can scarcely have been set there by the compositor, that letter must have been a piece of type lost after the printing of the large paper copies seen and before the printing of the small paper copies seen. In the large paper copies the two letters of page number “xi” are very slightly misaligned; and in one copy (only) seen of the standard small paper issue the “i” has been seen off line straight down (MLR) while the rule border just above and beside it is in perfect order as in all other copies – a near-impossibility had the lowering of the “i” been caused by damage to a stereo plate. So at least a portion of printing was from set type. Other evidence, however, might suggest use of stereotype at some point as well. On this subject final conclusions await amassment of evidence on a scale beyond the reach of the present study. This much may be said now:

Generations of stereo plates taken by the soon-to-be-common method of casting in impermanent matrices would be expected to show shrinkage on a scale of 1 mm per generation.