Each piece has a raised image of a letter. number or character. The raised image was then ink for printing. To set the type, letters had to be selected one at a time and lined up in a composing stick. Spaces were created by using pieces of type with on face on them. The lines of type were then placed by hand in a larger box made especially for housing the type. The lines were laid out exactly they were way the page should appear when printed except the type was backwards as if you were looking in a mirror.