Matrix Manufacturing
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- Title
- Type Faces in the Making
- Date
- Circa 1955
- Length
- 34:30
- Description
If you ever wondered how a typeface went from a designer’s drawing to a finished, cast piece of type from the Monotype; this is the film for you. Starting with an original drawing, this film goes through the painstaking and multi-step process of creating a single typeface in a single style in a single size for the Monotype composition caster.
It shows the entire process of type design and creation at Monotype including tracing using custom-made projectors, making a technical drawing (showcasing the drawing office with many women workers), making a pattern plate using a pantograph, creating a brass pattern, using a pantograph to engrave a punch, punching the brass to make matrices for the full matrix case, and finally casting the letters in type metal using a composition caster.
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- Title
- The Eighth Wonder
- Date
- 1961
- Length
- 25:00
- Topics
- Description
Made for the 75th anniversary of the Linotype in 1961, this film shows the impact that the invention of the Linotype had on the printing industry and the world. There are excellent sections on typeface design, cutting steel punches, using the Benton engraving machine, and the manufacture of Linotype matrices.
The film showcases various models of Linotypes, machines running via tape and Teletypesetting, as well as Linofilm machines and the process of producing film type matrices.
(note: audio is missing for the first 10 seconds)
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- Title
- Type Speaks
- Date
- 1948
- Length
- 25:27
- Description
For anyone interested in seeing the entire process of type manufacturing, this is one of the best films made.
Created by the American Type Founders Company, this film features the appearance and narration of Ben Grauer, a famous NBC radio personality explaining his love of books and modern printing. The history of printing is briefly shown followed by showing the in-depth process of matrix and punch making.
The film shows the most in-depth and visually easy-to-understand process of making type. It follows the entire process of type making from original design (showcasing Lydian by Warren Chappell) to pattern making, punch cutting, matrix making, and the use of the Benton engraving machine.