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The Monophoto Typesetter.

This short-lived technology was a transitional adaptation of the Monotype hot-metal composition caster.

The composition caster (well represented in the Museum's collection) makes individual metal letters, already composed and spaced ready to be proofed and printed. It is controlled by a punched paper tape which is output by a keyboard machine. The keyboard operation is the work of a skilled compositor.

Monotype Composition Caster

Monotype Keyboard

When printing from photographic film became possible (using the process of photolithography), printers desired to eliminate the task of setting text as hot metal, printing a single perfect copy and photographing it.

This Monophoto machine, reading the same punched paper tape from the keyboard, produced a high-quality film negative with the characters exposed on it instead of casting metal. Retraining hot-metal operatives for this new system was minimal, so enabling a simpler transition into photolithographic printing.