The transition from linotype to digital page creation occurred in the early 1990s. Employees like Zekas utilized the computer program Ad Maker to design and edit ad pages.
Linotype operators at The Washington Post retrieved edited articles from the newsroom from racks behind their seats. After the text was keyed into the linotype machine, the slugs of lines of text were stacked into a tray known as a galley. The…
During breaks Deaf printers often gathered in their workspaces for conversations in ASL about work and other topics. This opportunity for frequent gathering and social networking was a benefit of working at The Washington Post. The large number of…
Newspaper printing required speed and efficiency. Printers worked closely with writers and editors to ensure that pages were made-up accurately. Occasionally, this meant that editors would come to the Composing Room to implement changes.
Linotype operators received copy from writers and keyed stories into linotype machines. The machine used molten lead to create slugs, lines of text which would then be arranged into blocks known as galleys, forming columns of newspaper text.
As Deaf employees entered administrative roles at The Washington Post, they often supervised other Deaf printers. In this work context Deaf printers experienced an ease of communication as Deaf supervisors could provide feedback and instruction in…
In the Composing Room the pages of the newspaper came together in Make-up. Here printers would use a mark-up sheet prepared by the editors to lay out the galleys of text and other elements to form a page of the newspaper. The lead blocks were locked…
Linotype operators received copy from writers and keyed stories into linotype machines. The machine used molten lead to create slugs, lines of text which would then be arranged into blocks, forming columns of newspaper text.