ROBERT SMAIL'S PRINTING
WORKS
Included in the price of the conference is a visit to Robert Smail's Printing Works in the
Scottish Borders. The premises include a shop, office and printworks (paper store, caseroom
and machineroom) and were acquired by the National Trust in 1986 on the retiral of Cowan
Smail. Cowan was the last member of the family which had owned the firm for over a century.
During that time, Smail's carried out print jobs for the whole community, in addition to
publishing a weekly newspaper from 1893 to 1916.
There are over 50 guard books into which was pasted a copy of every job produced, together
with a note of the date and print run. In the office, job dockets, invoices, wages books and
ledgers dating back to the start of the business are stacked on shelves. Drawers full of
slates and pencils, nibs, sealing wax, bottles of ink, ARP tape, confirm that Smail's was the
place to buy anything and everything. Replica guardbooks and elaborate shipping tickets can be
looked at. Visitors will see rack upon rack of founders' type arranged around the caseroom,
and shelves of poster type lining the walls: here everything was punctiliously set by
hand.
The last job of Cowan Smail is still in its galley: 'Closing Down Sale from Today'. Visitors
to Smail's are encouraged to try hand setting for themselves. If time permits, the compositor
will hand proof these efforts to let you see how well (or how badly!) you have done. In the
machineroom visitors will see the presses in action--from a Heidelberg platen bought at an
exhibition in 1952 to the Wharfedale Reliance bought in the 1870s. when the presses are in
operation you will see the old belt and pulley system, which was once operated by the
water-wheel. The Trust is carrying on many Smail traditions: the annual St.Ronan's Calendar is
once again being printed, as are the St.Ronan's Standard and the posters which always
advertised the St. Ronan's Border Games.
--from Smail's brochure
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