Linotype, The Film

[Petrol & Powder]

If you're interested in the history of the Linotype Machine, this is a pretty cool documentary:


http://www.linotypefilm.com/

The Linotype machine is obsolete now but was an important part of history (and a source of really hard bullet casting alloy :smile: )

[salpal48]

prior to retirement may entire career after Collage and such was in the printing industry. in NYC. the first shop had several lino machines, lino extruder and other letterpress machines. the lino operators were strictly a blue color job but were individuals who were very smart. . as blue color go. one advantage. . You had to learn to read backwords. as the slugs came down from the machine the lino letters that were created were reversed . in order to see if you were correct you had to learn to read the type backwards. Just a point of interest that most would not Know

[joed]

After I got out of the service I started an apprenticeship as a typesetter. I eventually became a linotype operator, it was an interesting job. Unfortunately the hot type was replaced by computers and I moved on to that.

[GOPHER SLAYER]

My sister got me a job on the town newspaper when I was in high school. I would go to work as soon as school let out. My job was to address the papers being mailed. There were trays of addresses on little metal plates. Shortly after I arrived at work the lino operator would come in. He always had his lunch and a large thurmas of coffee. I don't remember anyone ever saying anything to the man, he just went to work. I would stand behind him while he typed and you could see the bar of metal disappearing into the melting pot. I thought that was one complicated machine. I still thing so.

[joed]

The machine was a mechanical wonder the way it worked. If it ever got out of time it was not easy to fix, usually someone would have to come in and reset it. I know I could not fix it. You have to see how the mats (moulds for the letters) would fall into the elevator. The channels that they fell down were all different lengths to take into account how far they had to travel.

There were 2 companies that made the machines, Linotype and Intertype. Intertype was the cadillac. For a while I worked for a company that did business cards and wedding invitations. They ran by a tape that controlled what each line would say. I would monitor 3 machines that just ran all day.

Yes, I was a linotype operator for 10 years. Thanks for a trip down memory lane.

[Petrol & Powder]

Here's the trailer:

https://vimeo.com/15032988

[Mal Paso]

I worked next to a Mergenthaler linotype machine for years. I think the motor was 1/4 HP and with an electric lead pot plugged into a 120v outlet. An amazing machine. I came across pictures last week I took when they removed it from operation. I probably could have bought it for $1 and somewhere to put it. "Computer" typesetting had taken over even though it was still photo/optical and fonts were on film.

Well that raised mental dust clouds!

[FISH4BUGS]

I have a friend that is a retired printer, now 93 years old. He has 1000 lbs of linotype in cast typesets in his garage. He has told me that when he goes to the big linotype machine in the sky it is mine.....I wish him a long life, but have offered to take them off his hands many times. :)

[Hardcast416taylor]

I was doing a plumbing job for a friend that owned a small gas station in the small town where I grew up. I happened on piles of old newspaper wrapped squares of various sizes that had the complete `article` that had appeared in an issue of our small town gazette. The linotype strip articles were for an entire issue of the weekly paper. I asked my friend about what he wanted for the lino, `take it` was his reply. As I recall there was in excess of 100 lbs. of lino print articles there. Now, over 40 years later, I wish I had kept some of that cache of lino.Robert

[fatnhappy]

I have about 2 tons of Lino I got from the RIT printing applications lab.