Table of Contents
What did Ottmar Mergenthaler do?
Ottmar Mergenthaler (11 May 1854 – 28 October 1899) was a German-American inventor who has been called a second Gutenberg, as Mergenthaler invented the linotype machine, the first device that could easily and quickly set complete lines of type for use in printing presses.
Where is Ottmar Mergenthaler from?
Bad Mergentheim, Germany
Ottmar Mergenthaler/Place of birth
What was the impact of the linotype machine?
Linotype machines had a dramatic impact on the world of newspapers. They were first integrated for use in the New York Tribune in 1886. They revolutionized the newspaper industry by allowing newspapers to run longer than just a few pages (they were previously limited to eight pages), as they had before the Linotype.
How does linotype machine work?
The linotype machine operator enters text on a 90-character keyboard. The machine assembles matrices, which are molds for the letter forms, in a line. The assembled line is then cast as a single piece, called a slug, from molten type metal in a process known as hot metal typesetting.
How do you pronounce Mergenthaler?
Phonetic spelling of Mergenthaler
- Mer-gen-thaler.
- Mer-genthaler. Melba Kihn.
- Mer-gen-thaler. Tevin Hirthe.
Where was the Blower Linotype invented?
Baltimore
The first Linotype to be put to practical use—the “Blower Model”—was manufactured by Mergenthaler from 1886 to 1888 in his workshop on Camden and S. Howard streets in downtown Baltimore.
In what year was the Linotype machine invented?
1884
Linotype, (trademark), typesetting machine by which characters are cast in type metal as a complete line rather than as individual characters as on the Monotype typesetting machine. It was patented in the United States in 1884 by Ottmar Mergenthaler.
What is linotype lead?
Linotype or eutectic alloy is a broad name applied to five categories of lead alloys used in manufacture of type, each with three to five sub-classifications. One alloy is composed of lead with 4% tin and 12% antimony.
What is linotype lead used for?
Lead base alloy for casting bullets and fishing jigs. Linotype will have a brinell hardness and good strength. Used to be used a lot in the printing industry.
When were Linotype machines used?
Linotype, (trademark), typesetting machine by which characters are cast in type metal as a complete line rather than as individual characters as on the Monotype typesetting machine. It was patented in the United States in 1884 by Ottmar Mergenthaler.
When did newspapers stop using Linotype?
Linotype machines were invented in 1884 and were eventually used by most newspaper businesses until around the 1970’s. Linotype machines were a big advancement for newspapers when they were invented. Before Linotype machines, newspaper type was set by hand, one letter at the time.
Who called Ottmar Mergenthaler invention the 8th wonder of the world because the machine could set type so fast?
His linotype was an improvement on the Gutenberg Press and helped make moveable type obsolete. Previously, publishing was done with manual composition through typesetting by hand, one letter at a time. Mergenthaler’s was such a celebrated invention that Thomas Edison himself called it the eighth wonder of the world.