[Linotype compositors at work, N.Y. World]

The Linotype machine is a mechanical typesetting device that was widely used in the printing industry from the late 19th century until the 1960s. Invented by German-American inventor Ottmar Mergenthaler in 1884, it revolutionised the printing industry by allowing faster and more efficient typesetting. The Linotype machine works by casting individual letters and characters in hot metal, which are then assembled into lines of type. The operator types the text on a keyboard, which activates a series of brass matrices containing the characters. These matrices are then assembled into a line, and molten metal is poured into the mould to create a solid line of type. The Linotype machine was widely used in newspapers, magazines and other printed materials and was instrumental in the development of modern typography. However, it was eventually replaced by digital typesetting technologies in the 1960s and 70s.