The cylinder machines have adopted the same plan. In the cylinder machines there are two distinct classes—those having two type to a type-bar, such as the Remington and the Underwood, and those having one type to a type-bar, with double the number of bars, such as the Smith-Premier. Both classes of machines can use special characters, but the machines having one type only to a bar have a preference in that they have more room in which to place special characters. There is considerable saving in the use of special characters, as evidenced by the following example: _OCT 14 09._ This necessitates nine strokes where each letter is written separately. Had this been written by three special characters, it would have necessitated five strokes only. The special characters would be used as follows: _OCT._-space-_14_-space-_09_. To the uninitiated, it would seem that a special character of three letters, such as the abbreviation OCT., would occupy three spaces on the machine, and consequently would overlap on the word at the right. This is obviated by placing the type on the type-bar in such a manner that the letter T of the abbreviation is in the printing point of the paper. The following illustration will show how the type are placed or aligned in order to secure the desired results: _OCT_ _14_ _09_ │ │ │ As the month always precedes the next word, the abbreviation _OCT_ is aligned so that the two first letters are to the left of the printing point. In case a machine were equipped with numbers for all the days of the month, the character _14_ would be aligned to print either side of the printing point. As the abbreviation _09_ would always follow and never precede, it would be aligned with the _0_ in the printing point, with the _9_ printing to the right of it. It is very important to have special characters properly aligned so that the abbreviations which always _precede_ are aligned to print on the last letter, and the abbreviations which _follow_ are aligned to print on the first letter. It is impossible to print abbreviations in solid matter such as a letter. They are only to be used in connection with dates of invoices or orders, in connection with names of firms. For instance, the abbreviation _Messrs._, at the beginning of a firm name where such a term is desired, or the abbreviation _Co._ at the end of a firm name or the abbreviations _Pr._, _Doz._, _Gro._, and similar abbreviations, come in the body of a bill and, preferably, in the first column after the quantity.