Metal alloys used in traditional typefounding and hot metal typesetting

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Type metal</span>

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Type metal

<p>In <a href="/en/Printing" title="Printing" class="wl">printing</a>, <b>type metal</b> refers to the metal <a href="/en/Alloy" title="Alloy" class="wl">alloys</a> used in traditional <a href="/en/Movable_type" title="Movable type" class="wl">typefounding</a> and <a href="/en/Hot_metal_typesetting" title="Hot metal typesetting" class="wl">hot metal typesetting</a>. Historically, type metal was an <a href="/en/Alloy" title="Alloy" class="wl">alloy</a> of <a href="/en/Lead" title="Lead" class="wl">lead</a>, <a href="/en/Tin" title="Tin" class="wl">tin</a> and <a href="/en/Antimony" title="Antimony" class="wl">antimony</a> in different proportions depending on the application, be it individual character mechanical casting for hand setting, mechanical line casting or individual character mechanical typesetting and stereo plate casting. The proportions used are in the range: lead 50‒86%, antimony 11‒30% and tin 3‒20%. Antimony and tin are added to lead for durability while reducing the difference between the coefficients of expansion of the matrix and the alloy. Apart from durability, the general requirements for type-metal are that it should produce a true and sharp cast, and retain correct dimensions and form after cooling down. It should also be easy to cast, at reasonable low <a href="/en/Melting_point" title="Melting point" class="wl">melting temperature</a>, iron should not dissolve in the molten metal, and mould and nozzles should stay clean and easy to maintain. Today, Monotype machines can utilize a wide range of different alloys. Mechanical linecasting equipment uses alloys that are close to <a href="/en/Eutectic" title="Eutectic" class="mw-redirect wl">eutectic</a>.</p>

<div class="shortdescription nomobile noexcerpt noprint searchaux" style="display:none" about="#mwt1">Metal alloys used in traditional typefounding and hot metal typesetting</div>
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<figure class="mw-default-size wiki-thumb"><a href="/en/File:Garamond_type_ſi-ligature_2.jpg" class="mw-file-description image media-thumb" data-hash="File:Garamond_type_ſi-ligature_2.jpg"><img loading="lazy" src="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/b/bd/Garamond_type_%C5%BFi-ligature_2.jpg/220px-Garamond_type_%C5%BFi-ligature_2.jpg" decoding="async" data-file-width="736" data-file-height="982" data-file-type="bitmap" height="294" width="220" srcset="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/b/bd/Garamond_type_%C5%BFi-ligature_2.jpg/330px-Garamond_type_%C5%BFi-ligature_2.jpg 1.5x, //upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/b/bd/Garamond_type_%C5%BFi-ligature_2.jpg/440px-Garamond_type_%C5%BFi-ligature_2.jpg 2x" alt="Garamond_type_%C5%BFi-ligature_2.jpg"></a><figcaption>A sort made from type metal</figcaption></figure>



In printing, type metal refers to the metal alloys used in traditional typefounding and hot metal typesetting. Historically, type metal was an alloy of lead, tin and antimony in different proportions depending on the application, be it individual character mechanical casting for hand setting, mechanical line casting or individual character mechanical typesetting and stereo plate casting. The proportions used are in the range: lead 50‒86%, antimony 11‒30% and tin 3‒20%. Antimony and tin are added to lead for durability while reducing the difference between the coefficients of expansion of the matrix and the alloy. Apart from durability, the general requirements for type-metal are that it should produce a true and sharp cast, and retain correct dimensions and form after cooling down. It should also be easy to cast, at reasonable low melting temperature, iron should not dissolve in the molten metal, and mould and nozzles should stay clean and easy to maintain. Today, Monotype machines can utilize a wide range of different alloys. Mechanical linecasting equipment uses alloys that are close to eutectic. 