Metalltypsättning

Metalltypsättning, also known as metal typesetting or hot metal typesetting, was a major printing technology used from the late 19th century until the late 20th century. It involves casting individual letters, numbers, and punctuation marks in molten metal, typically a lead-tin-antimony alloy. These individual pieces of type, known as sorts, were then arranged by hand or by machine into lines and pages to form the text of a document.

There were two primary methods of metalltypsättning. Hand-casting involved pouring molten metal into individual molds, or matrices, for each character. This was a labor-intensive process. The more advanced and widespread method was machine typesetting. Linotype machines, invented by Ottmar Mergenthaler in the 1880s, cast entire lines of type, called slugs, from a single mold. Intertype machines were similar in operation. Monotype machines cast individual sorts, offering greater flexibility for complex layouts and corrections.

Metalltypsättning allowed for much faster and more efficient production of printed materials compared to earlier methods like letterpress using hand-carved wood or metal types. It was the dominant technology for newspapers, books, and magazines for decades. The process involved composing the type into pages, which were then locked into a chase. Ink was applied to the raised surfaces of the type, and paper was pressed against it to create the print.

The rise of phototypesetting and later digital typesetting technologies, which did not involve molten metal, gradually rendered metalltypsättning obsolete. While it is no longer in common commercial use, it is preserved in some heritage printing operations and by enthusiasts.