A tribute to the end of the Linotype typesetting era at the New York Times, featuring reflections from a compositor who spent 26 years operating the machine. The piece captures the bittersweet transition from analog to digital printing technology.
Background
Etaoin shrdlu refers to the most common letters in English, typed in that order on a Linotype keyboard. The NYT's final Linotype run occurred in December 1977, marking the end of an era in newspaper printing.
- Source
- Lobsters
- Published
- Aug 8, 2026 at 12:45 PM
- Score
- 5.0 / 10