Artistic rediscovery of the hot metal typesetting

The late 1880s are marked by new typesetting technologies – Mergenthaler’s line-casting machine (linotype) and Laston’s keyboard and typecaster system (monotype). Later, other systems like Ludlow or Rogers Typograph came into use. This was a breakthrough for the printing industry, because typesetting became much cheaper, faster, and more precise, which was crucial for composing books, magazines, and newspapers. All these systems were based on a hot metal casting technology. Quite soon, in the early 20th century such systems came to Estonia. Although the industry no longer needs hot metal typesetting, it remains the focus of interest of some artists, print historians, and industrial archeologists. Some machines are preserved in museums and can be used for artistic projects and historical research. This project combines both and will be executed in the TYPA center, where several working linotypes and monotypes are preserved. Although this project is centered around the machines, it is focused on relations between machines and humans, which opens a road to artistic research. We question the essence of hot metal typesetting and what use it can have now tool for creating art in a contemporary digital world. Thus, we will research historical practices and contemporary possibilities of their implementation in an artistic project. The practical and artistic implementation of the project includes designing and printing an ABC book that is based on the technical opportunities provided by hot metal typesetting. First and foremost we are going to explore a monotype system as a main tool in the creation of visual art. As a result, we will also provide recommendations for using such machines for the artistic community and printing museum professionals.