RACKS.—See Board-Rack, Case-Rack, and Forme-Rack.

RANKS.—From the frames in a composing-room being placed in a row, the compositors are said to be in the ranks ; thus, if a compositor has been selected for a reader or overseer, and he afterwards works at the case as compositor, it is said he is come to the ranks again.

RAT.—Savage defines this opprobrious epithet, thus:—“A compositor or pressman who executes work at less than the regular prices, or for less than the generality of the trade think it deserves, or for less than the Chapel decides it ought to be paid, or for less than others are paid for it, becomes what is termed a rat. The most miserable situation, perhaps, that a workman can be placed in. He is hooted at and despised by the rest of the workman in every house where he may obtain employment; and this feeling towards him does not subside, for the opprobrious epithet accompanies him for life.”

RAT-HOUSE.—A printing-office where the rules of the printers' trade unions are not conformed to.

READER.—See Proof Reader.

REAM.—Twenty quires of paper, each of which usually contains twenty-four sheets, but paper intended for newspapers is usuallymade up in quires containing twenty-five sheets each, in which case the ream consists of 500 sheets. A “perfect” ream for printing purposes consists of 21½ quires or 516 sheets, waste being thus provided for.

REFERENCES.—There are various references used for notes, according to the fancy of the author, or the master printer, where they are not numerous in a page.