Linotype, << LY nuh typ, >> is the brand name of a machine used to produce metal type for printing. It is the best-known brand of linecaster, a machine that forms a complete line of type at one time. Linotype typesetters were once used in the publication of nearly all newspapers and other printed material. However, photocomposition has almost entirely replaced the Linotype. Photocomposition is any of several methods of assembling images on photosensitive film or paper, or directly on a printing plate (see Printing (Typesetting) ).
How the Linotype works.
The Linotype is operated by one person seated at a keyboard. Above the keyboard is a slotted metal tray called a magazine. The magazine holds hundreds of tiny brass molds that are in the shape of letters. These molds, which are called mats or matrices, fit into the slots of the magazine that correspond to keys on the keyboard. When the operator presses a letter key, the magazine releases the corresponding matrix, which drops into place in a line. At the end of each word, the operator presses another key to insert a space band, an expandable metal wedge. After reaching the end of the line, the operator justifies the line. Justification involves extending the line to fill its intended length and driving the space bands between the words to create equal amounts of space between them.
When the line is completed, the operator presses a key to send the line to be cast. Molten metal, usually lead, is forced into the matrices. As the metal cools, it hardens into a line of type with raised letters. This slug then drops into a tray called a galley, while the empty matrices are carried back up to the magazine by a mechanical arm. The matrices are automatically sorted and returned to their slots to be used again. After printing, the slugs are melted down and the metal reused.
History.
Ottmar Mergenthaler, a German-born inventor, demonstrated and patented the Linotype in 1884. The New York Tribune gave the Linotype its first major commercial use in 1886. In 1890, Mergenthaler introduced an improved machine, called the Simplex Linotype, which became a worldwide success. Before Mergenthaler’s invention, galleys were assembled and taken apart by hand, one letter at a time. The Linotype improved typesetting speed and reduced its cost.
Linotype typesetters were used in nearly all typesetting work until the 1960’s, when photocomposition began to replace metal composition. Today, most type produced in the United States is set by photocomposition. However, in many parts of Africa, Asia, and South America, Linotype typesetters still are commonly used.
