Typographia, or the Printers' Instructor, Volume 2
The pattern
This still is filed under Specimen as proof.
Define
A specimen (type, material, finish) is shown so the product proves itself under comparison.
Mechanism
Controlled display. Same conditions, side by side, no adjective required. The sample is the sentence.
Verdict
Buyers choose by eye or by hand and we can put the real thing in front of them.
Why it works
The severely plain cloth binding represents the utilitarian nature of a reference manual meant for heavy use in a print shop.
Steal this when
When designing a highly practical, utilitarian reference volume where durability supersedes ornamentation.