Typesetting is the process of assembling characters to form words, lines and then pages ready to be printed. First done by hand, letter by letter, it was mechanized in the 19th century, then became photographic and finally digital.
Where to see it
Hand typesetting can be seen in letterpress workshops, where the compositor lines up lead letters in a composing stick. The term is still used in publishing, where a book is said to be "set in Garamond", a mention often found in the colophon at the end of the volume.
Why this detail matters
Understanding typesetting sheds light on the history and practice of typography:
- Each major stage of typesetting, manual, mechanical, photographic and then digital, transformed the design of typefaces and the way pages are laid out;
- The rules of typesetting, such as justification, leading or the handling of widows and orphans, still apply in today's software;
- The mention "set in" in a book is a reminder that the choice of typeface is an integral part of the printed object.
Related term
The Linotype is the machine that mechanized typesetting at the end of the 19th century, by casting entire lines of text.