Modern Technology Ends Reign of King Linotype

[Mechanic]

The Washington Post and Linotype have been a topic of discussion lately.

I hope readers find this report of interest.

https://tinyurl.com/yclv9tsy

[Dave Hughes]

Interesting article George.

Although not really print-related, this part had me puzzled:

The Post also began with reporters using either a pencil or a pen to write a single long-hand copy of their stories. As the need for duplicates increased, reporters switched to writing with a stylus, an agate-pointed pencil, on a thin yellow tissue known as a "flimsy." This produced an original to go to the typesetter and a copy to stay with the reporter and editor.

This bit of journalistic antiquity ended shortly before the 1893 introduction of the Linotype.

Why did the journalists dispense with the need for having a duplicate of their articles just before the introduction of the Linotype?

[Mechanic]

My guess is that with the introduction of typewriters and carbon paper, which both had been invented long before the Linotype, hand written, duplicated copy would have been phased out.

[listohan]

I wonder if anyone has estimated how many handset typesetters would be replaced by a single Linotype, especially in newspaper work. There were, of course, other benefits of dealing with lines of type.