Ludlow Typograph
Encyclopedia
A Ludlow Typograph is a hot metal typesetting
system used in letterpress printing
. The device casts bars, or slugs of type, out of type metal
primarily consisting of lead. These slugs are used for the actual printing, and then are melted down and recycled on the spot.
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 linecasting metal
(the same alloy used in Linotype
and Intertype machines) 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.
The primary functional differences between a Ludlow Typograph and a Linotype
is that the latter uses a keyboard to compose each line of type, whereas Ludlow uses hand-set mats, and that an ordinary Linotype was limited to faces smaller than twenty-four point, whereas Ludlow made whole alphabets up to 96 point and figures as large as 240 point. The machine is much simpler and takes up less floor space, and the initial investment in the machine and mats is more affordable for a small print shop than a Linotype, primarily used by larger printers and formerly in newspapers. (Neither the Ludlow Typograph nor the Linotype is currently made; however, both machines can still be serviced, and parts and mats are readily available.)
The true worth of the Ludlow lies in the fact that the printer always has fresh, clean type to print from, and never has to worry about running out of sorts. The Ludlow is used primarily for headline-sized type 14 point and above, although mats were formerly made in many typefaces as small as 6 points. The mats themselves were made out of a brass alloy. One thing an operator has to make sure of is that the line is solidly locked down with no gaps between the mats, and the composing stick in its proper place. Because of the pressure at which the type metal is forced into the mold cavity, any gaps in the line will lead to a 'squirt' of hot metal (and any print shop that has or had a Ludlow will often have spots of type metal on the ceiling above the machine's location or on the wall behind the machine—or even on the belly of the operator).
The machine has a heated crucible for the hot type metal, with a mechanically actuated plunger which operates as part of the injection cycle. The pot on the machine was usually left on overnight during the week, with some flux
added to the pot to reduce oxidation. At the end of each week, the plunger assembly had to be disassembled (while hot), removed, and the pump well cleaned using a scraper (as with linecasting machines). After reassembly, heat was removed for the weekend. In the present day, most machines are heated up only for that day's casting, with the heat turned off each night.
. This, however, proved impractical, and so an even simpler typecasting system, the typograph described above, was devised. Manufacturing began in Chicago in 1912 and by 1919 Typographs were in service in over 350 printing offices. By 1919 Typographs were in service in over 350 printing offices. In 1920 the company bought out the Elrod Slug Casting Co., of Omaha.
Competition in large format line-casters came from Mergenthaler Linotype with its APL (All-Purpose Linotype), Lanston Monotype which sold the Italian Nebitype hand-set caster, and Intertype
, which offered a "Composing Stick Attachment" that allowed their caster to be used to cast headlines up to 60 points. None of these competing systems achieved much success, however, and the typical job shop of the letterpress era usually had both a line-caster for text, and a Ludlow for casting headlines.
Ludlow faces were proprietary and the principal typographer at Ludlow was R. Hunter Middleton
, creator of several notable font designs, including Coronet
, Stencil
, Delphian Open Title, Eusebius, Flair, Radiant
, Record Gothic, Stellar, Tempo, Umbra
and many others. Other noted designers for Ludlow included Robert Wiebking
, Douglas Crawford McMurtrie
who served as director of advertising and typography before Middleton, and Hermann Zapf
, whose Optima
and Palatino
were among the last faces cut for Ludlow.
Despite the rapid decline of letterpress printing
in the 1960s, Ludlow continued in operation at least through the mid-1980s, because Ludlow matrices can also be used by rubber stamp
manufacturers. In the early 1980s, the company claimed that 16,000 Ludlows were in operation throughout the world.
Hot metal typesetting
In printing and typography, hot metal typesetting refers to 19th-century technologies for typesetting text in letterpress printing. This method injects molten type metal into a mold that has the shape of one or more glyphs...
system used in letterpress printing
Letterpress printing
Letterpress printing is relief printing of text and image using a press with a "type-high bed" printing press and movable type, in which a reversed, raised surface is inked and then pressed into a sheet of paper to obtain a positive right-reading image...
. The device casts bars, or slugs of type, out of type metal
Type metal
In printing, type metal refers to the metal alloys used in traditional typefounding and hot metal typesetting. Lead is the main constituent of these alloys...
primarily consisting of lead. These slugs are used for the actual printing, and then are melted down and recycled on the spot.
The Ludlow system uses molds, known as matrices
Matrix (printing)
In hot metal typesetting, a matrix is a mold for casting a letter, known as a sort, used in letterpress printing....
or mats, which are hand-set into a special composing stick
Composing stick
In letterpress printing and typesetting, a composing stick is an instrument used to assemble pieces of metal type into words and lines which are later bound into a forme, set in a galley and printed...
. 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 linecasting metal
Type metal
In printing, type metal refers to the metal alloys used in traditional typefounding and hot metal typesetting. Lead is the main constituent of these alloys...
(the same alloy used in Linotype
Linotype
The Mergenthaler Linotype Company is a corporation founded in the United States in 1886 to market the linecaster invented by Ottmar Mergenthaler...
and Intertype machines) 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
Typeface
In typography, a typeface is the artistic representation or interpretation of characters; it is the way the type looks. Each type is designed and there are thousands of different typefaces in existence, with new ones being developed constantly....
size, they are easier to handle than lead type.
The primary functional differences between a Ludlow Typograph and a Linotype
Linotype machine
The Linotype typesetting machine is a "line casting" machine used in printing. The name of the machine comes from the fact that it produces an entire line of metal type at once, hence a line-o'-type, a significant improvement over manual typesetting....
is that the latter uses a keyboard to compose each line of type, whereas Ludlow uses hand-set mats, and that an ordinary Linotype was limited to faces smaller than twenty-four point, whereas Ludlow made whole alphabets up to 96 point and figures as large as 240 point. The machine is much simpler and takes up less floor space, and the initial investment in the machine and mats is more affordable for a small print shop than a Linotype, primarily used by larger printers and formerly in newspapers. (Neither the Ludlow Typograph nor the Linotype is currently made; however, both machines can still be serviced, and parts and mats are readily available.)
The true worth of the Ludlow lies in the fact that the printer always has fresh, clean type to print from, and never has to worry about running out of sorts. The Ludlow is used primarily for headline-sized type 14 point and above, although mats were formerly made in many typefaces as small as 6 points. The mats themselves were made out of a brass alloy. One thing an operator has to make sure of is that the line is solidly locked down with no gaps between the mats, and the composing stick in its proper place. Because of the pressure at which the type metal is forced into the mold cavity, any gaps in the line will lead to a 'squirt' of hot metal (and any print shop that has or had a Ludlow will often have spots of type metal on the ceiling above the machine's location or on the wall behind the machine—or even on the belly of the operator).
The machine has a heated crucible for the hot type metal, with a mechanically actuated plunger which operates as part of the injection cycle. The pot on the machine was usually left on overnight during the week, with some flux
Flux (metallurgy)
In metallurgy, a flux , is a chemical cleaning agent, flowing agent, or purifying agent. Fluxes may have more than one function at a time...
added to the pot to reduce oxidation. At the end of each week, the plunger assembly had to be disassembled (while hot), removed, and the pump well cleaned using a scraper (as with linecasting machines). After reassembly, heat was removed for the weekend. In the present day, most machines are heated up only for that day's casting, with the heat turned off each night.
Ludlow Typograph Co.
The Ludlow Typograph Company was the manufacturer of the device. It was founded in 1906 by the machine's inventor, William I. Ludlow, and machinist William A. Reade to manufacture a simpler, cheaper version of the LinotypeLinotype
The Mergenthaler Linotype Company is a corporation founded in the United States in 1886 to market the linecaster invented by Ottmar Mergenthaler...
. This, however, proved impractical, and so an even simpler typecasting system, the typograph described above, was devised. Manufacturing began in Chicago in 1912 and by 1919 Typographs were in service in over 350 printing offices. By 1919 Typographs were in service in over 350 printing offices. In 1920 the company bought out the Elrod Slug Casting Co., of Omaha.
Competition in large format line-casters came from Mergenthaler Linotype with its APL (All-Purpose Linotype), Lanston Monotype which sold the Italian Nebitype hand-set caster, and Intertype
Intertype Corporation
The Intertype Corporation produced the Intertype, a typecasting machine closely resembling the Linotype, and using the same matrices as the Linotype...
, which offered a "Composing Stick Attachment" that allowed their caster to be used to cast headlines up to 60 points. None of these competing systems achieved much success, however, and the typical job shop of the letterpress era usually had both a line-caster for text, and a Ludlow for casting headlines.
Ludlow faces were proprietary and the principal typographer at Ludlow was R. Hunter Middleton
R. Hunter Middleton
Robert Hunter Middleton was an American book designer, painter, and type designer. Born in Glasgow, Scotland he came to Chicago in 1908 where he studied at the School of the Art Institute. He joined the design department of the Ludlow Typograph Company in 1923 and served as director of the...
, creator of several notable font designs, including Coronet
Coronet (typeface)
Coronet is an American typeface designed in 1937 by R. Hunter Middleton. It is also sometimes known as "Ribbon 131".-Uses in Popular Culture:*Andy Warhol's "signature" on the cover of Velvet Underground and Nico is done in this font....
, Stencil
Stencil
A stencil is a thin sheet of material, such as paper, plastic, or metal, with letters or a design cut from it, used to produce the letters or design on an underlying surface by applying pigment through the cut-out holes in the material. The key advantage of a stencil is that it can be reused to...
, Delphian Open Title, Eusebius, Flair, Radiant
Radiant
-Computers and software:* Radiant , a content management system* GtkRadiant, a level editor created by id Software for their games-Ships:* HMS Radiant , a destroyer of the British Royal Navy launched in 1916 and sold in 1920...
, Record Gothic, Stellar, Tempo, Umbra
Umbra (typeface)
Umbra is a sans-serif display typeface designed in 1935 by R. Hunter Middleton. It is an adaptation of the uppercase set of his earlier typeface Tempo Light. The name Umbra refers to its shadow effect, in which the actual letter shape consists of negative space and is defined solely by its black...
and many others. Other noted designers for Ludlow included Robert Wiebking
Robert Wiebking
Robert Wiebking was a German-American engraver typeface designer who was known for cutting type matrixes for Frederic Goudy from 1911 to 1926.-Life and career:...
, Douglas Crawford McMurtrie
Douglas Crawford McMurtrie
Douglas Crawford McMurtrie was an American typeface designer, graphic designer, historian and bibliographer of printing.-Early career:...
who served as director of advertising and typography before Middleton, and Hermann Zapf
Hermann Zapf
Hermann Zapf is a German typeface designer who lives in Darmstadt, Germany. He is married to calligrapher and typeface designer Gudrun Zapf von Hesse....
, whose Optima
Optima
Optima is a humanist sans-serif typeface designed by Hermann Zapf between 1952 and 1955 for the D. Stempel AG foundry, Frankfurt, Germany.-Characteristics:...
and Palatino
Palatino
Palatino is the name of a large typeface family that began as an old style serif typeface designed by Hermann Zapf initially released in 1948 by the Linotype foundry.In 1999, Zapf revised Palatino for Linotype and Microsoft, called Palatino Linotype...
were among the last faces cut for Ludlow.
Despite the rapid decline of letterpress printing
Letterpress printing
Letterpress printing is relief printing of text and image using a press with a "type-high bed" printing press and movable type, in which a reversed, raised surface is inked and then pressed into a sheet of paper to obtain a positive right-reading image...
in the 1960s, Ludlow continued in operation at least through the mid-1980s, because Ludlow matrices can also be used by rubber stamp
Rubber stamp
Rubber stamping, also called stamping, is a craft in which some type of ink made of dye or pigment is applied to an image or pattern that has been carved, molded, laser engraved or vulcanized, onto a sheet of rubber. The rubber is often mounted onto a more stable object such as a wood, brick or an...
manufacturers. In the early 1980s, the company claimed that 16,000 Ludlows were in operation throughout the world.
External links
- Amalgamated Printer's Association
- Woodside Press
- American Metal Typefaces of the Twentieth Century, Mac McGrew, Oak Knoll Books, 1993
- Video of a Ludlow typecaster in operation