===================================================================== Readme file for the class Octavo v. 1.2. ===================================================================== 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@bigpond.com Stefan A. Revets 7 March 2007