Books Archives - Metal Type

1954 Compositors Handbook

Many Thanks to Mike Wilson, from Yorkshire in the UK, for sending in this story.

This 104-page booklet was full of tables and facts for the printing trade. Read the Full Article . . .

Book Impositions

Dave Gladwell, who spent his printing days in large book publishing houses, sheds some light on large impsosition schemes, and more.

Said Dave: “Given to me when Composing apprentice at Billings of Guildford when I moved on to the “Stones” for tuition, now coming on to 60 years ago! Read the Full Article . . .

Richard Clay, book printers, c1960

Many thanks to Dave Gladwell for sending in these photographs, taken at Richard Clays, a large book printing company, based in Bungay, Suffolk, UK.

Welcome to Metal Type

METAL TYPE is the place for printers, typesetters and newspaper workers, who fondly remember those letterpress days, to come and reminisce.

The site originally concentrated on the ingenious Linotype mechanical typesetting machine invented by Ottmar Mergenthaler in 1884. Read the Full Article . . .

Printle: A Word Puzzle for Printers Try our word puzzle – there’s a new one every week.
German “new line” linecasters The story of the most advanced linecasters ever made, with illustrations of all models.
British Print Trade Union Cards – A unique collection of typographically exquisite membership cards from Dave Bowles.
Glossary of Printing Trade Terms – George Clark’s list sheds light on a whole new language!
The Whittaker Collection – Photographs of this definitive collection of linecasters stored at the UK’s Manchester Science Museum.
Banging Out – Fleet Street Remembered -Video documentary about the UK national newspaper industry.
Farewell etaoin shrdlu – A look at the production of the last hot metal New York Times.