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Typography Videos

The best videos from the fields of typography, calligraphy and lettering

Letterpress Books from Arion Press

“Anthony Bourdain & The Balvenie head to San Francisco, California to meet with Andrew Hoyem, master typographer and printer of Arion Press. One of the last of its kind, Arion Press has only a handful of members on its staff, all fellow craftsmen dedicated to this age old process. Each works meticulously to create the books in multiple parts, from the typecasters, to the proofreaders, to the printers and the bookbinders. All of these hands build a work of art through a process that must be seen to be believed, and can only, truly, be described as magic.”
Ralf Herrmann

TYPE Speaks! (1948)

“Created by the American Type Founders Company, this film shows the most in-depth and visually easy-to-understand process of making type. It follows the entire process of type making from original design to pattern making, punch cutting, matrix making, and the use of the Benton engraving machine. For anyone interested in seeing the entire process of type manufacturing, this is one of the best films created.”
Via printingfilms.com
Ralf Herrmann

Story of Technology — Setting Type in the 1960s

A film created by the International Typographic Union to display the advancing electronic technology being introduced to typesetting and printing. The film shows an IBM 1620 computer and additional storage disks working with Linofilm typesetters that were installed in July of 1963. There is a very in-depth explanation of the process of early computer and film typesetting. Additionally, new forms of plate making with cameras and photo composition are shown.
Via printingfilms.com
Ralf Herrmann

From Hot Metal to Cold Type

This film was created by the International Typographic Union to encourage their members to become more comfortable with the new “Cold Type” technology revolutionizing the typesetting industry. 
Starting with an explanation of the hot-metal process, they feature the Intertype Fotosetter and then go through the entire photo-composition process. The film shows camera work, stripping, chemical development, and paste-up. It ends with an aerial view of the ITU building in Colorado Springs, CO.
via printingfilms.com
Ralf Herrmann

Blue Streak Linotypes

This film features the Model 31 (with up to four magazines) and the Model 32 (with up to 8 magazines with the auxiliary magazines). Many new safety features and speed improvements are displayed.
Originally produced for the Mergenthaler Linotype Company by Caravel Films, Inc., New York.
Digitized by printingfilms.com
Ralf Herrmann

Linotron 505 (1969)

Featuring the cathode-ray tube Linotron 505 for high-speed film typesetting. Although this is a film machine, the input is still controlled by perforated tape. The film features many interesting line diagrams on how the CRT machine works and exposes the characters onto paper or film. It goes into great depth about the optical grid system of characters on glass plates.
Originally produced for the Mergenthaler Linotype Company by Franz Edson, Inc. Digitized by printingfilms.com
Ralf Herrmann

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