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Career Details : Hand Compositors and Typesetters

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Description

Set up and arrange type by hand. Assemble and lock setup of type, cuts, and headings. Pull proofs.

Experience

A minimum of two to four years of work-related skill, knowledge, or experience is needed for these occupations. For example, an accountant must complete four years of college and work for several years in accounting to be considered qualified.

Education

Most of these occupations require a four-year bachelor's degree, but some do not.

Training

Employees in these occupations usually need several years of work-related experience, on-the-job training, and/or vocational training.

Tasks

  • Cleans type after use and distributes it to specified boxes in type case.
  • Removes incorrect portion and manually inserts corrections.
  • Compares corrected type slugs against proof to detect errors.
  • Prepares proof copy of setup, using proof press.
  • Arranges, groups, and locks galley setups of type, cuts, and headings in chases, according to dummy makeup sheet.
  • Arranges galleys of linotype slugs (takes) in sequence on correction table.
  • Inserts lead, slugs, or lines of quads between lines to adjust length of setup.
  • Transfers type from stick to galley when setup is complete.
  • Selects type from type case and sets it in compositional sequence, reading from copy.
  • Measures copy with line gauge to determine length of line.
  • Inserts spacers between words or units to balance and justify lines.
  • Compares symbols on proof with galley symbol and reads portion of text to locate positions for insertion of corrected slugs.

    Related Careers

    Important Abilities

    General Work Activities

    Important Skills

    Frequent Work Context

    • Indoors
    • Importance of Being Exact or Accurate
    • Importance of Being Sure All Is Done
    • Using Hands on Objects, Tools, Controls
    • Degree of Automation

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