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44-456: A Monotype operator enters text on a Monotype keyboard, on which characters are arranged in the QWERTY arrangement of a conventional typewriter, but with this arrangement repeated multiple times. Thus, the typesetter moves his hands from one group of keys to another to type uppercase or lowercase, small capitals, italic uppercase or italic lowercase, and so on. When the text nears the right margin,

88-805: A coal merchant who became president of the company and remained there until his death in 1923, and John Sellers Bancroft, who was the mechanical genius behind the Monotype machine. The story is thoroughly developed in Tolbert Lanston and the Monotype: The Origin of Digital Typesetting . He married Betty G. Herdel in 1866, and they had one son. In 1896, he received the Elliott Cresson Medal for his invention. He died in Washington, D.C. , on February 18, 1913. He

132-431: A 16-point typeface is 16 points. Therefore, this unit is the same for all typefaces at a given point size. The em space is one em wide. Typographic measurements using this unit are frequently expressed in decimal notation (e.g., 0.7 em) or as fractions of 100 or 1000 (e.g., 70 ⁄ 100  em or 700 ⁄ 1000  em). The number of pixels per em varies depending on system. In metal type ,

176-402: A character could not be cast at the desired width where it was put into the matrix-case, the character could be cast. A part of the sign would not be supported by the ingot. Directly after the character was cast, one or more high-spaces of 5 or 6 units were cast, to add to the desired width and to support the sign, in order to resist the pressure during the printing-process. On top of this, there

220-415: A combined 0075-0005 code instructs the caster to move the finished line at the galley. This all takes less than half a second - the caster casts 140 sorts a minute or better in all but the earliest models, depending on the size of the font cast. The mould is water-cooled, through special passages, or cavities. This enables it to cast at such a high rate without getting too hot to continue. Special mould oil

264-469: A drum on the keyboard indicates codes which are punched on the paper tape with special keys to indicate how the line is to be justified. The tape is then taken to a Monotype caster, which reads the tape and produces a column of justified type from which the text entered on the keyboard can be printed. In 1885, the American inventor Tolbert Lanston applied for a patent on a typesetting system that included

308-801: A mechanical typesetting system patented in 1887 and the first hot metal typesetter a few years later. Tolbert Lanston was born into a poor family in Troy , Ohio. He quit school at the age of 15, he was a volunteer in the Federal Army during the Civil War . His last rank was sergeant. After 1865 he worked at the Pension-Department of the American Government. He worked with Seaton and Herman Hollerith (founder of IBM ) on tabulating devices and invented an adding machine which

352-421: Is because the 'M' (or 'm') sort in such cases cast the full-width of the quad (also known as em quad , mutton quad , or m quadrat ); and thus, the width of the sort would equal its point size. Note however, that in the oldest attested English text from 1683 mentioning em (as m or m quadrat ), this alternative definition is not used, and also not in many other older texts. In Cascading Style Sheets ,

396-420: Is set, and it's placed above the conical metal injector, and below the matrix. The injector is raised, and fits into the conical funnel at the base of the mould, ensuring precise positioning. At the same time, a pin is pressed to a round depression on the top of the selected matrix, ensuring its precise positioning and tight contact with the mould. The metal is injected with some pressure, and almost immediately

440-489: Is used to lubricate the moving pieces inside of the mould and prevent buildup of carbon particles due to the very high temperatures inside the mould. The width of each sort cast on the Monotype varied from 4 to 18 units. (A special attachment could reduce the minimum to 3 units.) The maximum width of 18 units corresponded to one em , the set width of the typeface. Thus, if a typeface was described as “12 set”, 18 units would correspond to 12 points (one pica ). The width of

484-416: The em unit is the height of the font in nominal points or inches. The actual, physical height of any given portion of the font depends on the user-defined DPI setting , current element font-size, and the particular font being used. To make style rules that depend only on the default font size, another unit was developed: the rem. The rem «rem Unite» , or root-em , is the font size of the root element of

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528-421: The "justifying spaces", until the "end-line" code (the very first thing punched) is read at last. Reading in reverse order also makes it simple to handle errors: when the typesetter makes an error, there is no need to alter the paper tape. Instead, the typesetter types a "kill line" code, then re-types the full line. When the paper-tape reader encounters this "kill line" code, the rest of the caster halts, ignoring

572-405: The Monotype caster expanded that first to 15 rows and 17 columns (255 matrices), and then to 16 rows and 17 columns (272 matrices). The paper tape that controls casting contains 14 columns of holes that indicate the row of the matrix-case to be used, and 14 columns of holes that indicate the column of the matrix-case to be used. Originally, one row and one column of the matrix-case were indicated by

616-409: The absence of a hole, and each of the others was indicated by a single hole. When the matrix-case was enlarged, some columns or rows of the matrix-case were indicated by combinations of two holes instead. The row of the matrix-case on which the matrix for a character is contained also indicated the width of that character. This was one major reason why reconfiguring the keyboard needed to be easy, since

660-399: The arrangement of characters in the matrix case would be varied with the typeface. A part called the wedge indicated the width corresponding to each row of the matrix-case. The mould is one of the unique parts of the system, and together with the matrix-case, is the centrepiece of the caster. Its job is to locate under the matrix to case and shape the body of the sort, and then deliver it to

704-400: The bad line until the next "end of line" code (punched by the typesetter prior to making the error) is encountered. Justification was obtained with a system of wedges. The caster has an accuracy of 2000 parts of an inch (in modern terms, 2000 dpi ). There are 6 wedges, possible on the machine: The combined actions of all these wedges governed the opening of the mould-blade, and in this way

748-546: The basic Monotype keyboard, but which produced a printing surface through a cold-stamping method. In 1890, he filed a subsequent patent, which covered the Monotype caster. In 1897, the Lanston Monotype Corporation opened a branch in England, which later became an independent company . A Monotype keyboard allows a keyboard operator to prepare a perforated paper tape, called ribbon , that will direct

792-454: The casting of type separately from its actual casting. The keyboard on which the operator types is removable, as is a set of keybars under the keys; the keybars, corresponding to each key, determine which holes will be punched in the tape. During operation, two sets of keys and keybars are placed in two side-by-side trays on the keyboard. The keybars are adjustable, so that the coding of the keys can be changed. Keytops also are replaceable, so that

836-425: The diecase with the matrices, in one direction. The matrices are ordered in the diecase, each row has only matrices for characters of the same width. The wedge controls the opening in the mould. Compressed air was used to control the movements of the matrices above the mould of the machine. This machine was capable to produce filled lines, by controlling the width of the spaces, with two extra wedges. The accuracy of

880-405: The em, it was 18 units to the em of the set size , not necessarily the em of the actual type size in use. When text was typed on the Monotype keyboard, the keyboard kept track of the number of units taken up by the characters in the line, and also the number of “justifying spaces” in the line. When the right margin was approached, this information was indicated to the operator on a rotating drum on

924-404: The extra row was coded with either MNH or MNK. All the calculations are "performed" by the keyboard, and displayed on the paper drum at its top. Each keystroke rolls the drum, and variable spaces also move the pointer up or down. The drum used is specific to the line length and set size. At the end of the line, the pointer indicates the correct settings for the wedges, which are then punched by

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968-463: The first to produce two paper-tapes, these two paper-tapes controlling the second machine to produce the type. Lanston made a series of prototypes. John Sellers Bancroft of Sellers & Co in Philadelphia was asked to help with the development of the machine. Bancroft made a series of important improvements. A wedge to govern the width of the character. This wedge makes the same movement as

1012-417: The injector and the pin retreat, releasing the mould to rush to the ejection site and back, to have its wedges adjust for the next cast, and releasing the matrix-case to position the next character to be cast. Another part of the mould is called the crossblock . While the metal is injected into the mould, it seals the room where the character is formed. When the cast is done, the now solid metal needs to leave

1056-472: The keyboard can be reconfigured. For the Monotype caster to produce types with the shape of the desired character on their face, a matrix with that character incised in it must be moved to the top of the mold in which the slug will be cast. This is achieved by placing a rectangular array of bronze matrices, each of which is 0.2 inch square, in a holder, called the matrix-case . Originally, it contained 225 matrices, in 15 rows and 15 columns; later versions of

1100-466: The keyboard. As part of finishing a line of text, the operator used two rows of special keys on the keyboard to punch this information on the tape. In order that the Monotype caster would know ahead of time how wide to make the spaces in a given line of text, the tape is read by the caster in reverse: the last code punched is read first, and the first code punched is read by the caster last. The caster reads this width first, so it knows at what width to cast

1144-467: The machine is in steps of .0005 inch: 0,004774 * 2000 = 9,548 rounded at 10. When the 0075/0005 wedges are placed at 3/8 there is no change: 3 * 15 + 8 = 53 steps 10 steps of .0005 " extra make: 63 = 4 * 15 + 3: the wedges need to be placed at 4/3. The code typed: Tolbert Lanston Tolbert Lanston (February 3, 1844 – February 18, 1913) was the American founder of Monotype , inventing

1188-442: The machine was 2,000 parts in 1 inch. The first commercial machines were available around 1897. These machines had only room for 132 matrices. A few of these machines were sent to England. Later types had die-cases with 15*15 and 17*15 or even 16*17 matrices. Em (typography) An em (from em quadrat ) is a unit in the field of typography , equal to the currently specified point size. For example, one em in

1232-410: The mould. The crossblock will move to the side of the machine. When the crossblock travels: starting above the metal injector and below the matrix, it travels to the ejection site, shaving the foot of the sort as it moves. When the crossblock is at its maximum, the mould-blade will push the sort inside the typecarrier . This piece moves in front the mould-opening and takes the sort in. A spring inside

1276-633: The operator using the keys in the special rows. The actual calculation is shown below in two examples. The set of a character is defined as the width of the widest character in quarter-points pica. 8 1/4 set => W = 8,25 pica points wide = 8,25 / (6*12) = 8,25/72 = 0.11458333 inch 1 unit = 1/18 of the widest character: 1 unit of 8,25 set = 8,25 / (6*12*18) = 8,25 / 1296 = 0,0063657 inch Example 1: line 24 pica long, 8,25 set: (24 * .1660 * 1296) / 8.25 = 626 units 8,25 set 620 units used, 8 variable spaces => 6 units left to split: 6 units 8,25 set = (6 * 8,25 / 1296) / 8 = 0,004774 inch The accuracy of

1320-438: The point size (and hence the em , from em quadrat ) was equal to the line height of the metal body from which the letter rises. In metal type, the physical size of a letter could not normally exceed the em. A digital font's design space in digital type is called the em, which is a grid with arbitrary resolution. Scaling the em to a particular point size is how imaging systems—whether for screen or print—work. In digital type,

1364-415: The relationship of the height of particular letters to the em is arbitrarily set by the typeface designer. However, as a very rough guideline, an "average" font might have a cap height of 70% of the em, and an x-height of 48% of the em. In some older texts, but not all, the em is defined, or said to have been defined, as the width of the capital 'M' in the current typeface and point size. Possibly, this

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1408-400: The second wedge is not used, and the typesetter uses fixed-width spaces, called quads , such that each row begins at a fixed location. Using quads allows the typesetter to bring the line length to an integral multiple of the set width , and then count "em-quads" (full set-width quads) to the beginning of the next row. While the set size was normally equal to the maximum character height, this

1452-422: The spaces in each line is further adjusted by a second wedge, detailed below, to adjust the line mathematically. The setting for the space width is punched to the tape by the keyboard, once the line is done. Since the tape is played backwards for casting, the caster reads this setting before casting any of the actual spaces for this line. When printing tabular text, such as timetables, directories, catalogs, etc.,

1496-399: The typecarrier holds the sort such that it can not turn. The crossblock and the typecarrier move back, and the character is pushed inside the character-channel . At the same moment the next sort is cast. The typecarrier is firmly connected to the crossblock of the mould, and it controls the movement of the crossblock. Inside the character-channel the line is built, until it is finished, and

1540-438: The typecarrier, and eventually the galley. In the most simplistic view, the mould is a square pipe, with a conical funnel at its bottom and the selected matrix at the top. In detail, the mould does quite a lot more than just being a square pipe. There is a mechanism to control its width, both for casting characters and spaces. The width is set by special parts called wedges . Those are readjusted for each cast, thus controlling

1584-402: The width of the character or space to be cast was adjusted. The position of the 0005- and 0075-wedges was put onto the right position during the codes that marked the start of casting the line. Two codes were used during a procedure that was called: The 3/8-position was called “neutral”. In this position, the 0075-wedge is at row 3, and the 0005-wedge will be at row 8. In this position no width

1628-413: The width of the mould, thus the width of the sort or space. This wedge position depends on the row of the currently cast character in the matrix case, so by setting the letter to be cast, the width of the mould is also set. Just for spaces, there is a second wedge with finer steps, used to set their precise width for each line, so it's "mathematically" justified. For the casting operation, the mould width

1672-446: Was added to the space or character to be cast. The minimum was 1/1. In this position the width of the cast was 2 × .0075″ + 7 × .0005″ = 0.0185″ less. The maximum 15/15 added a lot more to the cast: 12 × .0075″ + 7 × .0005″ = .0935″. The operator had to be aware that the opening of the mould should always be smaller than .2″ because otherwise the matrix could not seal the mould, and a splash of molten lead would occur. Single justification

1716-546: Was buried at Oak Hill Cemetery in Washington, D.C. Although Lanston was an inventor, he had no education at all as an engineer. He did start his inventions to create a type-setting machine, first with the financial help of Seaton, later from J. Maury Dove, coal-merchant in Washington. Letters sent to the Patent-bureau with specifications sent at: The idea was to make lead type for printing, with two machines,

1760-401: Was not always true: some typefaces could be somewhat wider or narrower than the standard, with many typefaces modified to be slightly wider in smaller sizes. It is also possible to set a font slightly tighter or looser for special typographic effect. The set size could be varied in units of 1 ⁄ 4 point. Thus, while the Monotype unit system was normally described as one of 18 units to

1804-475: Was that it made it possible to change the layout of the matrix-case in such a way that any customer could get its own personalized layout. There were even other 16×17 systems possible, in both the matrix-case and the wedge had 16 possible positions. These systems were rather expensive, because of all the extra wedges needed that could not be used on other machines. The 16th row was coded with a code of two or three letters. Of this system there have been two variants:

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1848-603: Was the first money-maker for Hollerith's company. Lanston's brother was a printer and evidently that connection caused his interest in automating the laborious task of hand-setting every letter in any or all texts. He resigned his post at the Pension office and devoted the remainder of his life to perfection of his machine. He created the idea but others perfected it and made the Lanston Monotype Machine Company successful. That includes J. Maury Dove ,

1892-409: Was the possibility of unit-shift . With this attachment it became possible to use a matrix-case with an extra row: 16 × 17 positions. The wedge still had exactly 15 positions. The matrix-case was, when needed, forced to go to the next row. The matrix was cast at the width of the wedge 1 position higher. This system made it possible to place more matrices in the matrix-case. Another advantage for Monotype

1936-403: Was used to change the position of the justification wedges whenever needed, without transferring the line to the galley. This procedure was also used to adjust the spaces in more than one segment within a line. In this way it was possible to cast complete time-tables. Besides this, there was also the possibility to cast high-spaces . Those high-spaces could support any overhanging character. When

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