In typesetting, a sort or type is a block with a typographiccharacter etched on it, used—when lined up with others—to printtext.[1] In movable-type printing, the sort or type is cast from a matrix mold and assembled by hand with other sorts bearing additional characters into lines of type to make up a form, from which a page is printed.
Diagram of a cast metal sort. a face, b body or shank, c point size, 1 shoulder, 2 nick, 3 groove, 4 foot.Metal type sorts arranged on a composing stick
From the invention of movable type up to the invention of hot metal typesetting essentially all printed text was created by selecting sorts from a type case and assembling them line by line into a form used to print a page. When the form was no longer needed all of the type had to be sorted back into the correct slots in the type case in a very time-consuming process called "distributing". This sorting process led to the individual pieces being called sorts. It is often claimed to be the root of expressions such as "out of sorts" and "wrong sort", although this connection is disputed.[citation needed]
During the hot metal typesetting era, printing equipment used matrices to cast type as needed during the typesetting process. The popular Linotype cast entire lines of text at once rather than individual sorts, while the less popular competitor Monotype still cast the sorts individually. Later, when phototypesetting replaced hot metal typesetting, sorts disappeared entirely from the mainstream printing process.
^A.A. Stewart (1919). TYPESETTING: a primer of information about working at the case, justifying, spacing, correcting, making-up, and other operations employed in setting type by hand. Typographic technical series for apprentices—Part II. No. 16. United Typothetae of America. p. 92 – via Project Gutenberg.
Further readingedit
Nesbitt, Alexander (1957). The History and Technique of Lettering. Dover Publications. ISBN0-486-20427-8. The Dover edition is an abridged and corrected republication of the work originally published in 1950 by Prentice-Hall, Inc. under the title Lettering: The History and Technique of Lettering as Design.
External linksedit
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Printing letters.
sort, typesetting, typesetting, sort, type, block, with, typographic, character, etched, used, when, lined, with, others, print, text, movable, type, printing, sort, type, cast, from, matrix, mold, assembled, hand, with, other, sorts, bearing, additional, char. In typesetting a sort or type is a block with a typographic character etched on it used when lined up with others to print text 1 In movable type printing the sort or type is cast from a matrix mold and assembled by hand with other sorts bearing additional characters into lines of type to make up a form from which a page is printed Diagram of a cast metal sort a face b body or shank c point size 1 shoulder 2 nick 3 groove 4 foot Metal type sorts arranged on a composing stickFor broader coverage of this topic see Letterpress printing Contents 1 Background 2 See also 3 References 4 Further reading 5 External linksBackground editFrom the invention of movable type up to the invention of hot metal typesetting essentially all printed text was created by selecting sorts from a type case and assembling them line by line into a form used to print a page When the form was no longer needed all of the type had to be sorted back into the correct slots in the type case in a very time consuming process called distributing This sorting process led to the individual pieces being called sorts It is often claimed to be the root of expressions such as out of sorts and wrong sort although this connection is disputed citation needed During the hot metal typesetting era printing equipment used matrices to cast type as needed during the typesetting process The popular Linotype cast entire lines of text at once rather than individual sorts while the less popular competitor Monotype still cast the sorts individually Later when phototypesetting replaced hot metal typesetting sorts disappeared entirely from the mainstream printing process See also editHistory of western typography Letterform Matrix printing Typeface Typography Typeface anatomyReferences edit A A Stewart 1919 TYPESETTING a primer of information about working at the case justifying spacing correcting making up and other operations employed in setting type by hand Typographic technical series for apprentices Part II No 16 United Typothetae of America p 92 via Project Gutenberg Further reading editNesbitt Alexander 1957 The History and Technique of Lettering Dover Publications ISBN 0 486 20427 8 The Dover edition is an abridged and corrected republication of the work originally published in 1950 by Prentice Hall Inc under the title Lettering The History and Technique of Lettering as Design External links edit nbsp Wikimedia Commons has media related to Printing letters Typowiki Archived 2008 07 06 at the Wayback Machine a type wiki at typophile com Archived 2006 04 18 at the Wayback Machine Metal Type For Those who Remember Hot Metal Typesetting nbsp This typography related article is a stub You can help Wikipedia by expanding it vte Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Sort typesetting amp oldid 1172473289, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
