Toe Setting up of a Daily Journal

Sun (Auckland), Volume 1, Issue 2, 24 March 1927, Page 5 (Supplement)

Toe Setting up of a Daily Journal

B. IGHTED on three sides and by ; skylights, THE SUN’S com- ] posing room is equipped with a battery of linotype machines ■ ai*d the most modern printers’ furniture. This is where tha reporters’ copy, the advertisements, and all the written matter in the newspaper is set r in type. The whirring and clacking of linotvnes the thumping of mallets, the rumbling nf the trolleys, and the grumble of heavy machinery strike the ears of a visitor as he enters at a busy time. THE SUN has spared no expense to have the most up-to-date machines, furniture, and types, and, in the opinion of the printer, Mr. Edward Towers, who comes from across the Tasman, the equipment is much more adequate than that of most of the Australian newspapers. MECHANICAL TYPE-SETTING The problem of type-setting by mechanical means has been solved by the Mergenthaler linotype, a contrivance almost human in its action and precision, which began to replace the hand compositor about 35 years ago, and which haaan output equal at least to the fork of four men at the case. Each of the linotypes is driven by an electric motor, which provides the power to give the mechanical response to the pressure on the keyboard of the operator’s hands. Ninety keys, a contrast with the 42 keys on a typewriter, are in series on the keyboard, the letters most frequently used being concentrated on the left hand. When a key is touched a small brass mould of a letter or figure or sign is released from a magazine in front of the operator and brought into position by the aid of a quickly revolving belt so as; to form words in the composed line. The spaces between the words, instead of being solid, are made in the form of a wedge so that when they are pressed up from the bottom the line is automatically spaced out to the width of a column. The ringing of a bell warns the operator that the end of a line is approached and he may then complete the word or bring down a hyphen and carry over the remaining syllable into the next line. THE SUN’S machines are geared up so that an expert operator can set up seven and a half lines a minute. When letter moulds have been assembled to form a line the operator depresses a lever and. the line is carried away into portion of the machine operated by a series of earns, which, while holding the letters firmly in position, cause molten metal to be projected against their face in such a way as to cast a full line of type. An electric heater keeps the type metal at the requisite temperature. The line is trimmed, while it is still hot, by a series of knives, cooled, and carried down to a galley or tray at the side of the operator, who terms it a "slug.” THE SKILL OF OPERATORS

The slugs assemble, one over the other, until the operator has completed setting the copy before him and the half column, say, of Police Court news, needs only to receive its final dressing and to have suitable headings prefixed before it may be locked in a page of type or a forme. In this form the article is not to be read by the uninitiated, for the type Is printed in the opposite direction to which the printed word is read. The touch of the operator is not always exact; he occasionally touches a wrong letter, but if he does so he It able to detect his mistake from the line of assembled matrices accumulating in front of him. It is an easy thing to lift out the faulty matrix and place a correct one in its place. Skilled men make few errors; their hands glide over the keys with amazing rapidity. THE SUN has a staff of mechanics in whose care the intricate works of the linotypes are kept in perfect order. They are all the latest product of the Mergenthaler Linotype Company, ol New York, having many improvements over the machines of a few years ago. The linotypes for ordinary composition have six kinds of type in their three magazines of matrices which number about 2000. The operator gets his instruction to set an article ih 6, 7 or 8-point size, and in Roman or Gothic design. Two of the machines, which are used for display in advertisement or news print, have no fewer than 14 type faces. In the original linotypes there was only one magazine full of letters. After the type has been made in the machine the matrices are taken back to their right compartments in the magazines by mechanical means. It could only be by some extraordinary accident that a letter matrix could get. into a compartment with strange ones. A long arm comes down, grips the matrices, disregarding the wedge-shaped spaces which are allowed to slide away for further use, and hangs them on to a grooved bar by means of tooth-like combinations in their heads. They are carried along by a spiral screw, each matrix dropping off when it reaches a point where its teeth agree with the grooves in the bar. Thus the matrix does duty over and over again. THE LINOTYPE’S BIG BROTHER Until recent years it was necessary to set up by hand the type required for headings, display lines, arid advertisements throughout the paper, but the introduction of the Ludlow typograph has done away’ with much of that form of manual labour. THE "UN'S Ludlow is the reason why the paper can avoid the chronic complaint of printing houses that cer-

tain letters are “short.” This machine works somewhat on the linotype principle, although there is no keyboard. The molten metal is forced into moulds and the type, often huge lettering, is delivered in a line in a second. There is an immense variety of type faces for use in the Ludlow.

Other things are needed in the “make-up” of the paper besides type. These, such as column rules, leads, borders, are cast in the Elrod machine to separate the articles and finish off the pages. The metals used in the machines, combinations of lead, antimony, and tin are as-

rK r!i r r. Hi jr’ rii rK tK ?K rK 7K.7K ;K 5K i'r. ir. ft sayed by THE SUN’S own chemical staff. THE SUN has what is known as an “all-metal” page with the exception of blocks. The necessity for breaking up the pages of type after use and for distributing the various metals to their proper compartments has disappeared; the pages have only to be slid into the melting crucible when they are finished with. There is little waste in the modern printing office, practically every ounce of metal being saved to be used again. detection' of errors The article, having been changed into metal form, is now placed in one of the Hamilton electric machines for press-proof pulling. Pressure on a pedal makes a lightning operation in which a narrow strip of paper receives the impression of the type. This paper is called a “galley-proof.” Some of them are sent to the editorial department for revision, and some to the proof-reading department, where readers and copyholders compare the proof with the copy written by the reporter. Any errors in spelling, punctuation, faulty use of capitals, and infringements of office style are carefully marked on the sides of the proof and the marked slip is sent back to the linotype operator in order that he may set up new lines to replace the faulty ones. The lines are slipped into the places and another proof is taken and revised with the corrected proof. Every precaution must be taken against inaccuracy. Four sets of readers are engaged in this comparison of every line which appears in THE SUN. Their rooms are spacious and well lighted. For the despatching of copy and proofs to and from advertising, subeditorial, and composing departments there is installed a Lamscn tube system. Cylindershaped carriers containing the copy are drawn through the tubes by air currents. Tn the newsroom a box, in which the assistant printer sits, is built round the terminals of the tubes. As the copy is received it is handed out to the operators by a new system of checked numbers, by which there is very little wisto of time.

staff and the printer collaborate over the dressing of THE SUN, and decide the relative importance of the day’s events so that the paper may present the most interesting news in prominent places and, withal, keep a regularity of design and an artistic appearance. The size of each day’s paper is carefully decided on many hours before the time of going to press, the space for news and the space for advertisements having been allotted. People unacquainted with newspaper production may often wonder how the various lengths of articles, the different shapes of blocks and advertisements are all fitted in to make a perfectly regular page. This is the art practised

by skilled make-up msn, who have acquired an uncanny eye for estimating sizes and selecting articles which fit together. Spaces, unnoticed by the public, are inserted to make a perfect column and if an article exceeds the space available for it the sub-editor quickly shears away an unimportant phrase or two and the type goes into its appointed place. The process of estimating the spaces and columns is simplified by the knowledge of just how many words go to a line in any type, and how many lines go to an inch or a column. Page after page is made up and placed in steel