Definition: LINOTYPE
Dublin Core
Title
Definition: LINOTYPE
Subject
An American Sign Language definition is provided by Dick Moore.
Description
LINOTYPE: a typesetting machine that used molds and molten lead to cast lines of text used in printing.
Creator
Zilvinas Paludnevicius
Date
2021
Rights
This Item has been made available for educational and research purposes by the Drs. John S. and Betty J. Schuchman Deaf Documentary Center at Gallaudet University. This Item is protected by copyright and/or related rights. You may need to obtain permission for your intended use if your use is otherwise not permitted by the copyright and applicable related rights legislation. For specific information about the copyright and reproduction rights for this Item, please contact the Schuchman Deaf Documentary Center: https://www.gallaudet.edu/drs-john-s-and-betty-j-schuchman-deaf-documentary-center
Language
American Sign Language
Moving Image Item Type Metadata
Video Description
The video begins with a title slide featuring a line drawing of a figure depicting the handshapes and movement for the vocabulary term, linotype. Both hands in bent-5-handshape, palms outward at chest-height, the fingers on each hand wiggle in slight movement. Next in a video recording, Dick Moore, a white older man, defines the term in American Sign Language. He sits in a darkened film studio.
Transcription
Linotype is signed like this. It has three to four magazines in a rack
on the top of the machine. These could be moved up or down. Those were used for the different fonts. They were raised and lowered. We didn't sign it like this, typing in front of the body, because the keyboards were set up differently, off to the side. The keyboard to the left had lower case, the center one had capital letters, the right side had numbers and punctuation. That's the keyboard layout. As I'd press a key, on the keyboard, a single “mat” would pop out of the magazine and drop down. You'd type out a line, and each slug would drop a matrix down, in the order you typed. You'd watch as the line formed. You needed to watch the length, usually it was 14 points long. As you'd type, you would add space bars. They would stretch out the line and needed to be sized correctly because, if you didn't line it up, the hot metal would splash out. So you needed to check that it was tightly aligned. The completed line would then slide over so that it could be cast in the hot metal, forming a lead slug. The slug would drop down. They'd drop down in order. As you worked, the slugs fell in order, forming multiple lines of text, into a galley. Once it was full, you'd set that galley of text aside and keep going on to the next ones. These galleys were then laid out in make-up, forming a newspaper page, with photo cuts. That's how the hot metal works.
on the top of the machine. These could be moved up or down. Those were used for the different fonts. They were raised and lowered. We didn't sign it like this, typing in front of the body, because the keyboards were set up differently, off to the side. The keyboard to the left had lower case, the center one had capital letters, the right side had numbers and punctuation. That's the keyboard layout. As I'd press a key, on the keyboard, a single “mat” would pop out of the magazine and drop down. You'd type out a line, and each slug would drop a matrix down, in the order you typed. You'd watch as the line formed. You needed to watch the length, usually it was 14 points long. As you'd type, you would add space bars. They would stretch out the line and needed to be sized correctly because, if you didn't line it up, the hot metal would splash out. So you needed to check that it was tightly aligned. The completed line would then slide over so that it could be cast in the hot metal, forming a lead slug. The slug would drop down. They'd drop down in order. As you worked, the slugs fell in order, forming multiple lines of text, into a galley. Once it was full, you'd set that galley of text aside and keep going on to the next ones. These galleys were then laid out in make-up, forming a newspaper page, with photo cuts. That's how the hot metal works.
Duration
00:01:34
Citation
Zilvinas Paludnevicius, “Definition: LINOTYPE,” DeafPrinters, accessed May 5, 2024, https://deafprinters.com/items/show/448.