{"id":1679,"date":"2025-02-28T05:31:24","date_gmt":"2025-02-28T05:31:24","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/sticky.newwebsite.cloud\/?p=1679"},"modified":"2026-10-10T19:48:59","modified_gmt":"2026-10-10T19:48:59","slug":"setting-labels-line-line-70s","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.stickylabels.com\/latest\/setting-labels-line-line-70s\/","title":{"rendered":"Setting Labels Line By Line In The 70\u2019s"},"content":{"rendered":"

Linotype Setting Machine<\/p>\n

It was fascinating to see the cover of this month\u2019s Print Monthly Magazine showing an operator working diligently at his Intertype machine. When I first joined the company back in 1988, we were still using the old Intertype machines to set lines of text for\u00a0printed labels<\/a>. Actually, The archive recalls a visit to the British Museum and my father commenting that the Intertype machine they had on display there was actually newer than the Linotype machine he was using at the time!<\/p>\n

What Is This Printing Machine?<\/h2>\n

For those that don\u2019t know (and many won\u2019t as these machines were confined to noisy newspaper factories predominantly), the Linotype machine revolutionised the type setting industry, as it could set a \u201cLine o\u2019 Type\u201d as a solid\u00a0line of lead\/tin alloy\u00a0which could then be placed.in a chase\u00a0instead of each letter, space and number being inserted separately.<\/p>\n

The machine itself was extremely impressive to see operating when it was working well. A central shaft controlled a series of cams and cogs which would revolve perfectly in time to operate the plunger to squirt the molten metal into the molds, bring down the arm to retrieve the brass matrices and move various other parts of the machinery round.<\/p>\n

Although the keyboard had similarities to the modern QWERTY keyboards, it was laid out with\u00a0lowercase letters to the left and uppercase letters to the right. It was only possible to select one typeface and point size per line of text, although bold\/italic could be mixed in.<\/p>\n

Painful Experience!<\/h2>\n

The archive recalls having very tough skin on my thumb and first finger from picking up the hot slugs up and examining them. Inevitably time moved on and the machines were sent off for scrap, but we do still have a magazine of matrices kicking around the factory \u2013 they remain a reminder of that printing era.<\/p>\n

Instead of three typesetting machines, we have various PC\u2019s and macs setting lines in infinite point sizes at the movement of a mouse. We also allow customers to\u00a0set their own labels\u00a0online,<\/a>\u00a0but the site of this is nowhere near as impressive as the old noisy, smelly and darned awkward Linotype and Intertype machines!<\/p>\n

The machine itself was extremely impressive to see operating when it was working well. A central shaft controlled a series of cams and cogs which would revolve perfectly in time to operate the plunger to squirt the molten metal into the molds, bring down the arm to retrieve the brass matrices and move various other parts of the machinery round.<\/p>\n

Although the keyboard had similarities to the modern QWERTY keyboards, it was laid out with\u00a0lowercase letters to the left and uppercase letters to the right. It was only possible to select one typeface and point size per line of text, although bold\/italic could be mixed in.<\/p>\n

Read the next guide<\/h2>\n

For stories & history, continue with The Birth of Stickers<\/a>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Linotype Setting Machine It was fascinating to see the cover of this month\u2019s Print Monthly Magazine showing an operator working diligently at his Intertype machine. When I first\u2026<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":2459,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[50],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1679","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-blogs"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\nSticky Labels: Label Experts Since the 1970s<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Discover the history of label printing in the 70s with Linotype machines. 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