Hot Metal Typesetting

Hot Lead, otherwise known as; mechanical typesetting, hot lead typesetting, hot metal, or hot type, is a form of printing used primarily in the 19th Century. There are three types of hot metal typesetting, all them involve the use of a mold and injecting or inserting hot molten lead (usually mixed with tin and/or zinc for added hardness) in to that mold to create whatever shape is desired. 


The three types are as follows:

Linotype

The Linotype method of printing was popular among newspapers as it produced lead 'slugs', or chunks of text that were ideal for things such as titles, or anything that was to be produced en masse. It also allowed the justification of any text produced. 

The machine would have a fair number of matrices stored in the magazine, at the top of the machine. When the characters on the keyboard were pressed, these matrices would slide down in to an assembly area. When you were finished typing, the assembly area would have to be slid across to the Mold disk, where the hot lead was injected in to the mold, and instantly cooled as it hit the brass mold. The mold disk had three stages, the first was the injection stage. The second stage involved trimming the slug so that any excess was cut off, cutting off one side and then the other. The third stage was the ejection stage where the cast is forced out. 

When the cast is produced, the matrices used are returned to the top of the magazine using an elevator arm, and are slotted back in to their original positions using teeth that correspond to each character. 

As for the actual printing, the lead character chunks would be placed in to a machine that coated the casts in ink, and then manually pressed on to whatever you wanted the characters to be printed on. 

Monotype

The Monotype machine cast individual characters, rather than lines of text. This made it better for high quality publications such as books and literature, as any spelling mistakes or grammatical errors could easily be corrected by replacing the removing the offending cast and replacing it with the correct one. 

Again, this method involved producing the cast and then injecting it with hot lead. However because of the complexity of the machine, it never quite caught on in North America, although it was popular among British printers. 

The machine used a paper tape, which had holes punched in it using a keyboard. This paper tape would then be fed in to the Monotype machine along with a mat case, a square grid made of brass that had all the appropriate characters on it. The machine would then read the holes made in the paper tape and punch out the corresponding characters on the mat case individually. As the punch hits the mat case, it forms the indentation of the selected character in the lead before it's completely cooled, leaving a cast of that letter. 

The company that founded the Monotype machine later became known as The Monotype Corporation LTD in 1936. The company was split into three divisions: Monotype International, Monotype Limited, which continued the hot metal machines; and Monotype Typography, which designed and sold typefaces. In early 2000, Monotype launched Fontwise, the first software to audit desktops for licensed and unlicensed (not necessarily illegal) fonts.

Ludlow

The Ludlow system uses molds, known as matrices or mats, which are hand-set into a special composing stick. Thus the composing process resembles that used in cold lead type printing. Once a line has been completed, the composing stick is inserted into the Ludlow machine, which clamps it firmly in place above the mold. Hot lead is then injected through the mold into the matrices, allowed to cool, and then the bottom of the slug is trimmed just before it is ejected. The operator then replaces the matrices, or mats, back into the typecase by hand. Since the mats are of a consistent height, irrespective of typeface size, they are easier to handle than lead type.


There were several advantages to using Ludlow machine instead of the Linotype. One being the fact that the Linotype machine could only handle type up to 24 point. The Ludlow however could print 96 point, and even up to 240 point. Additionally, because the matrices were hand placed it was cheaper and used less floor space. A linotype machine was only suitable for large firms printing large amounts copies, such as newspapers. The ludlow was more suited to small firms. 

All of these methods of printing have been made obselete by current methods, both digital and otherwise. However, parts can still be purchased for the maintaining and operation of these machines as there is a group of select designers and enthusiasts continue to practice non-digitally. 

You could say that because the vast majority of designers and firms a like have left this method behind in favour of digital alternatives, that the quality of the finished piece is to a higher standard. One problem with all of these machines was that if the matrices weren't properly aligned (i.e. there were gaps between individual characters) then the hot lead would leak through, and therefore the process would have to be started again. 

On the other hand, you could say that the advent of digital technology has forced those designers who chose to still practice this method of print, out of the mainstream design industry because it's completely dominated by technology and therefore the industry is missing a more traditional and maybe more educated perspective on modern day design, and because of this the standard of work is less than that of it's full potential. 

Either way, this method of printing is generally quite cumbersome and takes up more room than is needed, so it's completely understandable why firms would adopt the digital approach rather than the traditional alternative.