Photoline

printing

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Last updated

July 1, 2026

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The Photoline was an early 20th-century machine that served as a photographic alternative to the Ludlow typesetting system. It was designed to compose headings by photographing transparent letter matrices in succession, allowing for the creation of reproduction proofs without the use of lead type. This innovation was part of a broader trend in the printing industry towards mass production, speed, and economy, driven by the development of techniques like offset printing.12

The Photoline's approach paved the way for later generations of phototypesetters, which further refined the process by using light beams and optical devices to capture letter images, significantly increasing output speeds and efficiency in printing.1

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printing
Photocomposition
In 1915 the Photoline, a photographic equivalent of the Ludlow, assembled matrices of transparent letters in a composing stick in order to film each line of the heading.
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In 1915 the Photoline, a photographic equivalent of the Ludlow, assembled matrices of transparent letters in a composing stick in order to film each line of the heading.
Read More