Typesetting in 1970 - anyone know?

[davepl]

I'm restoring a 1969 Pontiac 2+2 out of Canada which is a mix of Chevy and Pontiac, so I have the Canadian Pontiac catalog, the US Impala catalog, and the US Pontiac catalog. I go back and forth to figure out what fits what, etc.

The Impala catalog I have is printed on, I assume, a chain printer. Fixed with typewriter style fonts.

The Pontiac catalogs are nicely typeset with proportional fonts.

These aren't small books, 1000 pages of dense type. How did they go about that in 1969? I imagine guys weren't sliding around movable type on a Gutenberg press, but how was it done?

How, in 1969, could you turn 1000 pages of raw computer text into a nicely typeset, proportional font book? And without introducing a ton of errors in part numbers and so on?

[harpo231]

I believe dot matrix was the hot thing in 69,,Don't believe 1000 pages of COMPUTER text existed then....was photo typesetting before that....

[jeffahart]

Originally Posted by davepl

I assume, a chain printer. Fixed with typewriter style fonts.

Ya, that or drum. I think they are comparable speeds. Probably the one with the most available characters wins.


j

[richard2717]

sorry couldn't resist


.

[kwmech]

More than likely a Linotype machine. I used to run one back in high school when they actually had shop classes.

[jeffahart]

Originally Posted by kwmech

More than likely a Linotype machine. I used to run one back in high school when they actually had shop classes.

Ya, that was back in the day when you learned to do cool stuff in the old shop classes. Setting type was kind of fun. You also learned to bind note pads and trim the paper and they had all the equipment and really good teachers that made shop something you looked forward to. I did anyway. My mother still uses a wooden box I made in wood shop over forty years ago. And she still uses the steel garden trowel I made in metal shop.

Cool hands on stuff. I feel bad my son had never done a sand casting or run a lathe. It's a real bummer, you really picked up a lot in those classes. But the computer science and media classes are more fitting to prepare most to function in todays real world.

When I got out of High School, I remember the News Paper employment ad section aways had lots of Type setter openings.

I turned this into another remember when! Sorry!


j

[davepl]

I went back to my school's 25th reunion and now they've got super-deluxe welding labs and all kinds of cool hands-on stuff they didn't have when I went there.

I wish I could have taken TIG instead of French... in a heartbeat!

[jeffahart]

Originally Posted by davepl

I went back to my school's 25th reunion and now they've got super-deluxe welding labs and all kinds of cool hands-on stuff they didn't have when I went there.

I wish I could have taken TIG instead of French... in a heartbeat!

That's pretty cool. What I found out here is not all the high schools in our district have the shop classes. Only one has a garage for automotive. And only a couple with facilities beyond desk academics.

When I was in middle school you took all the shop classes as a requirement. But in high school they were all electives. I opted for horticulture and automotive.

Here is something you may find funny. Regarding Richards image, imagine me amongst that typing crowd! In high school I went to the local trade school after school and took a typing class. I was the only male in the class. And it was all women mid twenties to middle age. We used the IBM Selectirc. I bought one and had it in my room. I was an odd ball in that respect. I loved to type stuff out in lieu of hand writing! Now I handwrite whenever I get a chance... go figure!


j

[richard2717]

Originally Posted by jeffahart

That's pretty cool. What I found out here is not all the high schools in our district have the shop classes. Only one has a garage for automotive. And only a couple with facilities beyond desk academics.

When I was in middle school you took all the shop classes as a requirement. But in high school they were all electives. I opted for horticulture and automotive.

Here is something you may find funny. Regarding Richards image, imagine me amongst that typing crowd! In high school I went to the local trade school after school and took a typing class. I was the only male in the class. And it was all women mid twenties to middle age. We used the IBM Selectirc. I bought one and had it in my room. I was an odd ball in that respect. I loved to type stuff out in lieu of hand writing! Now I handwrite whenever I get a chance... go figure!


j

Your typing class sounds like my Home Economics class, I was the only guy but man I love to eat and we got to cook half the year. Oh yea, I learned to sew an apron too. I wish I had taken a typing class instead of Spanish. Still can't type very well and only remember a few spanish cuss words.

[Steeveedee]

Originally Posted by davepl

I'm restoring a 1969 Pontiac 2+2 out of Canada which is a mix of Chevy and Pontiac, so I have the Canadian Pontiac catalog, the US Impala catalog, and the US Pontiac catalog. I go back and forth to figure out what fits what, etc.

The Impala catalog I have is printed on, I assume, a chain printer. Fixed with typewriter style fonts.

The Pontiac catalogs are nicely typeset with proportional fonts.

These aren't small books, 1000 pages of dense type. How did they go about that in 1969? I imagine guys weren't sliding around movable type on a Gutenberg press, but how was it done?

How, in 1969, could you turn 1000 pages of raw computer text into a nicely typeset, proportional font book? And without introducing a ton of errors in part numbers and so on?

I almost went to work for a print shop, but I wasn't fast enough at pulling the letters and numbers out of the bins, in 1970. Went to work for the local Chevy dealer instead. Here's a pic of a printer's box; you better know where the letters and numbers are. It was a real sweat shop. And yes, those bins are full of lead letters, numbers and symbols.

https://www.google.com/search?q=prin...3RfmTWWP9GXqM:

[Llay R. Rac]

[. Here's a pic of a printer's box; you better know where the letters and numbers are. It was a real sweat shop. And yes, those bins are full of lead letters, numbers and symbols.

My dad was a sign painter, he had a hand press, I spent many summers of my youth setting type. We made alot of display cards for department stores. We also did work for the local playboy club, delivering the finished job to them almost made slaving for my dad on summer vacation worthwhile.