A photo machine is an early phototypesetting device that projects light through a film negative of character matrices onto light-sensitive paper or film. Operators type text on a keyboard, and the machine mechanically selects the correct character mask, flashes a strobe light, and advances the photographic material. The resulting galleys are then developed in a darkroom and pasted up for plate making.
I learned to set type on an old photo machine before we got our first digital imagesetter.
These machines marked the death of hot metal linecasting, replacing heavy lead type with lightweight strips of photographic paper.
Also heard as
- phototypesetter
- cold type machine
Related terms
Photolettering
A cold-type process of composing text by projecting light through film negatives onto photographic paper.
Galley
A shallow, three-sided metal tray used to hold lines of set type before they are made up into pages.
Repro
A high-quality proof or camera-ready mechanical used to generate printing plates.