ARTENGAR

As far as we could trace, the production process of matrices is not completely described in any (public) publication.

The Linotype Bulletin (1945, volume 27 number 11) mentions that there are fifty-six separate mechanical operations in the production of matrices. A book for students mentions sixty operations without showing them (van den Eshof; 1950). The International Printing Museum, Carson, CA, mentions thirty operations (Mat, 2013). There are only a couple of sources which provide visual materials:

The Typorama museum in Switzerland possesses a sheet with 37 steps in the production processes, starting from a brass plate.

The Typorama Museum also possesses some photos of the workplace where matrices were produced.

Intertype-Setzmaschinen GMBH (n.d.) mentions 19 steps and shows some low-quality pictures of the machines used to produce the matrices, but it clearly only summarizes the most important steps.

1. INTERTYPE CORPORATION. (n.d.). “The Intertype. Section 1 assembling mechanism”. Brooklyn, New York.
2. INTERTYPE GMBH. (n.d.). “Intertype ABC”. Berlin: Germany.
3. MAT, P. (Jan 2nd, 2013). “Linotype matrices production.” [Online forum] www.briarpress.org/32716 [last visited on June 10, 2021].
4. MERGENTHALER LINOTYPE COMPANY. (1945). “The Linotype Bulletin – devoted to the Linotype and its use. Volume XVII, number 11” Virginia Press Association.
5. VAN DEN ESHOF, C. A. (1950). “Het meervoudige distribueersysteem van de Intertype.” (The multi-distribution system of the Intertype). Amsterdam: N.V. Lettergieterij Amsterdam.

Photo's by Maarten Renckens.

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