Smith Corona Typewriter Changeable Type Slugs Faces Styles Demo by [[Phoenix Typewriter]]

Short demo of changing the typeface on the Smith-Corona 6 series+ using the Smith-Corona Changeable Type functionality.

The Apothecary's Typewriter by Scott K on 2012-12-14

Type slugs commonly used for pharmacists' typewriters: ℞ is short hand Latin for recipere aka prescription. <br /> ℥ (ounce)<br /> ℈ (scruple)<br /> Gr is for grains, an older weight measurement used before the metric system. 437.5 grains to an ounce.

https://old.reddit.com/r/typewriters/comments/1fccoqh/what_are_these_keys/

https://typewriterdatabase.com/1964-sears-citation.2600.typewriter

Sears Citations seem to have an above regular frequency for script typefaces. They shipped with red stickers next to the bichrome setting and on the right ribbon cup warning against the use of bichrome ribbon for the tallest script letters on machines which had script typefaces.

Based on this example and several in the TWdb, the Smith-Corona Coronet Automatic has a high likelihood for having exotic typefaces.

https://new.reddit.com/r/typewriters/comments/th0mpp/making_a_font_from_a_typewriter/

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.

https://imgur.com/a/typit-info-4FfSjwI

https://new.reddit.com/r/typewriters/comments/pjhe2g/typeits_for_manually_typing_mathematical_symbols/

Typewriter / Typeface: The Legacy of the Writing Machine in Type Design by [[María Ramos]] on July 12, 2016

The majority of typewriter typefaces came in one of a few sizes either pica (10 characters per inch) or elite (11 or 12 CPI). Usually you can tell by the number of characters on rule at the back of the paper table. A scale that goes up to 85 is usually indicative of Pica machine (85*10 CPI = 8.5", which is the standard paper width in the US) and a scale that goes into the the 90s up to 102 indicates elite. There were definitely other sizes for custom typing, but they're rarer. You might see things like 6 CPI which was used for children or people with vision problems and machines that go up to 18 CPI. I've heard rumors of 20 CPI, but never seen one.

https://munk.org/typecast/2011/04/25/1964-nomda-blue-book-remington-font-styles/

You have to love the fact that Lucas Dul has a HON card index file of 3x5" index cards with typeface samples organized by decade.

timestamp 8:38

The World’s Rarest Royal Typewriter? by [[Typewriter Chicago]]

1960 Union Foundry Typewriter Type Slug Specifications – To Type, Shoot Straight, and Speak the Truth… by [[Theodore Munk]]

https://www.reddit.com/r/typewriters/comments/17jvg8p/the_everest_model_90_with_a_reaaally_small/#lightbox

https://www.reddit.com/r/typewriters/comments/1dz7kdy/is_this_really_the_smallest_typeface_ever_made/

I've heard of Olympia SG1s with 17 CPI typefaces and some seem to think that 20 CPI machines may exist.

Part 3: COMPLETE Olympia SM3 Service/Set Up Guide- Carriage Adjustments/ Ring and Cylinder by [[The HotRod Typewriter Co.]]

Not mentioned in the video is that, at least on his model, most of the common adjustment points have screws or nuts which have a brassy look rather than silvery almost as a means of highlighting them as subtle adjustment points for improving the performance of the machine.

Sometimes the carriage lock mechanism on the Olympia SM3 may not clear the carriage rail completely and this can result in it rubbing on the returns which results in a zipper or grinding sound. Forming the bar that connects the lever to the mechanism can quickly remedy this issue. See timestamp 2:17

Fore and aft adjustments on carriages

Details at timestamp

Side to side adjustment on carriage:

Details at timestamp

Forward and backward carriage adjustments (on both sides):

Details at timestamp

Adjustment for the spacing between the carriage rails:

This adjustment is rarely done unless there is something drastically wrong with the machine Details at timestamp

Adjustment on the carriage stoppers for how much bounce the carriage shift might have as well as how high or low the carriage sits at it's lowest point using the triangle sliding bracket on each side of the carriage with two screws. If these force the carriage too high, it can affect where the type sits in terms of potentially interfering with the bichrome settings to make letters (especially the tallest ones) have two colors when they should only have one. Details at timestamp 8:14

Adjustment on the rear springs for how light or heavy the carriage shift may be. Raise the spring and then adjust the small "nut" on the top. Details at timestamp 9:52

Ring and Cylinder adjustment for Olympia SM3<br /> Details at timestamp

Gerren doesn't seem to understand (or perhaps doesn't discuss it) some of the mechanics behind this adjustment beyond the distance of the platen to the typeface, but the usual suggestion is that the typeface shouldn't actually strike the paper and/or the platen. Ideally there should be just enough space between the typeface and the platen that an addition sheet of paper can be easily slid between the two along with the ribbon and another sheet of paper. This will allow the typeface to just kiss the ribbon and force the ink onto the front sheet of paper. Doing this will help to protect the integrity of the paper being typed on (ie, no deep imprints being pressed into the paper -- often seen with the period), as well as the integrity of the platen (preventing chips and imprints into the rubber, especially if it has been hardened), and the longer term integrity of the ribbon which can tend to be cut into by the typeface if it's too close.

From a physics perspective there is some minor amount of flex in the typebar arm between where the "hammer" at the bottom of the typebar hits the "anvil" (aka ring) and the top of the typeface which, when typing at speed will tend to "throw" the typeface a tad farther than it would hit when the hammer hits the anvil when simply holding it against the ring manually.

1968 – Smith-Corona SCM Typewriter Typestyles and Keyboards by [[Theodore Munk]]

1961 Adler Typewriter Type Font Styles – To Type, Shoot Straight, and Speak the Truth… by [[Theodore Monk]]

https://munk.org/typecast/2011/04/23/1964-nomda-blue-book-olympia-font-styles/

https://munk.org/typecast/2011/04/24/1964-nomda-blue-book-royal-font-styles/

Typewriter 101: The ULTIMATE TYPEFACE Guide (ft. Typewriter Chicago) by [[Just My Typewriter]]

featuring Typewriter Chicago's Lucas Dul

Not sure if it may help your Typewriter Typefaces Bible project or not, but I'll mention that Marcin Wichary used the Internet Archive to collect a lot of the materials for his massive 3 volume 2023 book "Shift Happens: A Book About Keyboards": https://archive.org/details/wicharytypewriter

In addition to lots of material which he found and collected on the Archive, he added a huge number of resources, catalogs, and books which are either rare or incredibly difficult to find by uploading them to the Archive for others to potentially find and use. You and others may find it valuable and or useful to follow his pattern of uploading and storage there.

syndication link

1954 Smith-Corona (SCM) Typewriter Type Styles and Keyboards Catalog – To Type, Shoot Straight, and Speak the Truth… by [[Theodore Munk]]

Smith-Corona (SCM) Font Styles – To Type, Shoot Straight, and Speak the Truth… by [[Theodore Munk]]

https://munk.org/typecast/?s=fonts

The Story of Vertical Script (AKA: “Script 46 Ra”, “Oxford Script”) – To Type, Shoot Straight, and Speak the Truth… by [[Theodore Munk]]

Replacing the key cap [as a means of switching from QWERTZ to QWERTY] isn't going to help at all, it's just a label. You'd have to swap out internal parts too. Depending on the model, you'd either have to remove and swap typebars or remove the head off the typebar and resolder it onto the appropriate alternate (and ensure that it's properly aligned, not an easy task). Then you'd have to swap the key caps (labels). It's definitely a mechanically doable process, but it's probably almost never done in practice. Doing it as a newbie probably isn't recommendable; you're better off having a repair shop do it for you if you decide to go this route. Depending on the keyboard/model, you'd also have to deal with accents, umlauts, etc.

Given the difficulty (or cost) of the process and the potential end results, you're assuredly better off locating a QWERTY machine and paying a bit more for shipping to your area if necessary.

Your mileage may vary depending on model.

reply to u/imprisoningmymemory at https://www.reddit.com/r/typewriters/comments/1cg1avp/replacing_keys/

Typewriter Typefaces: Pica vs Elite, an explainer https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qwCD69jUPps

Pica machines (12 characters per inch) will usually have a scale up to about 80-84.

Elite machines (10 characters per inch) will have a scale up to 100.

On Olympia machines, script only comes in Elite sizes (scale to 100 on platen).

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prestige_Elite<br /> Prestige Elite

https://amsterdamassassin.wordpress.com/2018/12/16/typecast-my-royal-fp-steampunk/

https://marbla.de/

Coles, Stephen. “This Just In: Schriftenkartei, a Typeface Index.” Letterform Archive, November 3, 2023. https://letterformarchive.org/news/schriftenkartei-german-font-index/.

Example of a zettelkasten covering the available typefaces produced from 1958 and 1971 in West Germany.

.

https://www.etymologynerd.com/infographics.html

Some great stuff here