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Readme file for the class Octavo v. 1.1.  

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The octavo class is a modification of the standard LaTeX book 
class. Its purpose is to typeset books following classical 
design and layout principles, with the express intention of 
encouraging the making of beautiful books by anyone with access
to a good printer and with an inclination towards venerable 
crafts, in casu, bookbinding.

The octavo class differs from the book class by implementing 
many of the proposals and insights of especially Jan Tschichold 
and Hugh Williamson.

In particular, the class implements classical formats (foolscap,
crown, post, largepost, demy, medium, royal, superroyal and imperial), 
a harmonious definition of margins (following the studies by 
Tschichold and Rosarivo), and attempts to maintain a uniform grid 
of printed lines across the entire text. The main page style is 
modified to a more discrete form (following Hugh Williamson).

The documentation includes methods to organise and print out 
any text into signatures, which can then be gathered, folded 
and sewn into a book.

Install the octavo class, written in doctex format, by running the
octavo.ins file through LaTeX and moving the class and class option
files to a directory where LaTeX can find them. The documentation,
and documented code, is generated by running octavo.dtx through
LaTeX (and MakeIndex)

If problems or difficulties crop up or if you wish to make suggestions,
you can contact me either through UseNet's comp.text.tex, or by sending
me an e-mail at

     s.revets@tiscali.be

Stefan A. Revets
10 October 2003