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The Daily Insight

How is photocomposition done?

Author

Rachel Newton

Updated on May 15, 2026

How is photocomposition done?

photocomposition, also called Phototypesetting, or Filmsetting, method of assembling or setting type by photographing characters on film from which printing plates are made.

What does a phototypesetting machine do?

A phototypesetting machine works by projecting text onto a light-sensitive medium – film in some models, photosensitive paper in others – which is then used to transfer the material for offset printing. By the 1960s, it became possible to use CRT monitors to display multiple lines of text, and even images, onto film.

Who is the inventor of phototypesetting?

Louis Marius Moyroud and Rene Higonnet developed the first practical phototypesetting machine.

When was phototypesetting is introduced?

1949
Phototypesetting

Woodblock printing200
Dot matrix printing1925
Xerography1938
Spark printing1940
Phototypesetting1949

What is a typesetting program?

Typesetting is the way that text is composed using individual types — the symbols, letters, and glyphs in digital systems. It’s a crucial part of the world of design that requires an understanding of fonts, corresponding font sizes, and line spacing.

What is computerized typesetting?

computerized typesetting, method of typesetting in which characters are generated by computer and transferred to light-sensitive paper or film by means of either pulses from a laser beam or moving rays of light from a stroboscopic source or a cathode-ray tube (CRT).

What is digital typesetting?

Typesetting is the way that text is composed using individual types — the symbols, letters, and glyphs in digital systems. It’s a crucial part of the world of design that requires an understanding of fonts, corresponding font sizes, and line spacing. Bad typesetting draws attention to itself and distracts a reader.

What is a typesetting system?

Typesetting is the retrieval of the stored letters (called sorts in mechanical systems and glyphs in digital systems) and the ordering of them according to a language’s orthography for visual display. …

What is type set made of?

These devices consisted of glass or film disks or strips (one per font) that spun in front of a light source to selectively expose characters onto light-sensitive paper. Originally they were driven by pre-punched paper tapes.

Is Microsoft Word a typesetting software?

When most people produce printed documents using a computer, they usually use software such as Word (part of Microsoft Office) or Writer (part of Open/LibreOffice) or similar–word processing software. SILE is not a word processor; it is a typesetting system. There are several important differences.

Is typesetting hard?

Typesetting lays a strong foundation for everything else. It also happens to be more difficult than other parts of typography. Good type for typesetting is harder to find than good type for other activities. Good typesetting decisions are harder to make than decisions about arranging type or calibrating type.

Is typesetting still used?

The handset typesetting era began in 1440 and ended in 1970, and it is still practiced in some quarters (500+ years). The machine typesetting era began in 1886 and ended in 1976, and it is barely in practice (90 years). The phototypesetting era began in 1950 and ended around 1990, and it is totally gone (40 years).

When was the first typesetting machine invented?

In 1966, German inventor Dr. Ing. Rudolf Hell (1901-2002) introduced the Digiset— the first typesetting machine that works with digitally assembled (bitmap) typefaces. This machine is the first of the third generation of photocomposition systems, which are the first true digital systems.

What is the difference between phototypesetting and linotype machine?

The major advancement presented by the phototypesetting machines over the Linotype machine hot-type machines was the elimination of metal type, an intermediate step no longer required once offset printing became the norm.

What are the applications of computer-controlled phototypesetting?

The earliest applications of computer-controlled phototypesetting machines produced the output of the Russian translation programs of Gilbert King at the IBM Research Laboratories, and built-up mathematical formulas and other material in the Cooperative Computing Laboratory of Michael Barnett at MIT.

How do I get different-sized fonts in the typesetter?

To get different-sized fonts, the typesetter loads a different font strip or uses a 2x magnifying lens built into the machine, which doubles the size of font. The CompuWriter II automated the lens switch and let the operator use multiple settings.