Typewriter Video Series - Episode 147: Font Sizes and the Writing Process by [[Joe Van Cleave]]

typewriters for note making

double or 1 1/2 spacing with smaller typefaces may be more efficient for drafting documents, especially first drafts

editing on actual paper can be more useful for some

Drafting on a full sheet folded in half provides a book-like reading experience for reading/editing and provides an automatic backing sheet

typewritten (or printed) sheets may be easier to see and revise than digital formats which may hide text the way ancient scrolls did for those who read them.

Jack Kerouac used rolls of paper to provide continuous writing experience. Doesn't waste the margins of paper at the top/bottom. This may be very useful for first drafts.

JVC likes to thread rolls of paper into typewriters opposite to the original curl so as to flatten the paper out in the end.

It can be useful to take some mineral spirits, naphtha, or paint thinner and a tooth brush (or, even better, a brass bristle brush) to your typeface every now and then to clean the ink, dirt, paper, bits of ribbon, dust, etc. out of it. Doing it after changing ribbon is always a good idea. If you're really hard pressed, nail polish remover (acetone) or rubbing alcohol and a cotton ball along with a small pin tip for the loops of letters like 'a', 'o', 'p', 'g', etc. can be used.

How well (or not) your typewriter works from a print perspective can also change with the type of paper you're using, what your ribbon is made out of (usually nylon, silk, or cotton), how much ink it's got in it and how old/worn it may be. A good backing sheet behind your typing paper can also be helpful.

reply to u/kirrachristine at https://www.reddit.com/r/typewriters/comments/1dtuksy/one_letter_weirdly_thicksmudged/ RE: one letter weirdly thick/smudged

Typewriter Backing Sheets by [[Joe Van Cleave]]

Backing sheets for typewriters on Meade standard typing paper.

• Construction paper - Joe's favorite
• 4 mil thick polyethylene film
• Thin typing paper
• 20lb resume paper
• 1/64" synthetic rubber sheet
• 168gsm Evolon (polyester and nylon) paper