varitype

To varitype is to set and print text using a Varityper, a proportional-spacing electric typewriter that produces camera-ready copy. Unlike standard monospace typewriters where each character occupies the same width, a Varityper assigns narrower spaces to thin letters like i and wider spaces to m and w, approximating the appearance of true typeset text. The machine was widely used in printing houses, advertising agencies, and technical departments from the 1930s through the 1980s to produce documents that looked more professional than ordinary typing but cost far less than sending work to a composing room.

The Varityper uses interchangeable type wheels or baskets, each carrying a complete font in a single size and style. The operator can swap wheels to change typefaces mid-document without removing the paper, which was a significant advantage over conventional typewriters. The machine incorporates a proportional spacing mechanism that advances the carriage by different amounts depending on which character key is pressed. This mechanical logic was driven by cams and escapement systems that recognized each character and moved the paper accordingly.

Common variants and workflow

Two main Varityper families served different needs. Display models produced larger type for headlines and pamphlets, while text models generated body copy and correspondence. Some versions integrated carbon ribbon systems for crisp impressions; others used fabric ribbons. Operators would paste up varityped galleys with a wax gun to prepare paste-up boards for photographic reproduction. The output was clean enough that it often required no further correction before platemaking, which made the process faster and cheaper than sending manuscript to a compositor.

Varitype work required skill with mechanical setup and an understanding of spacing and justification constraints. The proportional mechanism did not allow true justification to a fixed line length, so operators had to plan line breaks and occasionally adjust spacing by hand. The wear on type wheels and advancing mechanisms could create uneven impressions if not maintained carefully. As phototypesetting and early digital typesetting systems arrived in the 1970s and 1980s, the demand for varitype work declined sharply, although some shops continued the practice into the 1990s for specialized jobs where the look was preferred or where equipment investment in newer systems was not yet justified.