René Higonnet

French printer

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June 29, 2026

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René Higonnet was a French printer who, along with Louis Moyroud, invented the first commercial phototypesetting machine, the Linotype. This machine used photographic methods to set type, a significant advancement over traditional metal typesetting. Their invention, the Linofilm, was derived from the Linotype machine and marked a step towards modern photocomposition.12

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printing
Second generation of phototypesetters: functional
… in 1949 by two Frenchmen, René Higonnet and Louis Moyroud. Executed by phototypesetting, The Marvelous World of Insects was done on their machine in 1953. The first model had an attached keyboard. Later models with a separate keyboard printed more than 28,000 characters per hour.
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… in 1949 by two Frenchmen, René Higonnet and Louis Moyroud. Executed by phototypesetting, The Marvelous World of Insects was done on their machine in 1953. The first model had an attached keyboard. Later models with a separate keyboard printed more than 28,000 characters per hour.
Read More