Matrix (printing)

In the manufacture of metal type used in letterpress printing, a matrix (from the Latin meaning womb or a female breeding animal) is the mould used to cast a letter, known as a sort.

[5] However, in printmaking the matrix is whatever is used, with ink, to hold the image that makes up the print, whether a plate in etching and engraving or a woodblock in woodcut.

The standard method to make a matrix was to drive a steel punch in the shape of the type to be made into soft copper.

[11][12][13][14] One solution to the problem in the early nineteenth century was William Caslon IV's riveted "Sanspareil" matrices formed by cut-out from layered sheets.

[16] An additional technology from the 1880s was the direct engraving of punches (or matrices, especially with larger fonts) using a pantograph cutting machine, controlled by replicating hand movements at a smaller size.

Matrices created by Jean Jannon around 1640. The Garamond typeface installed with most Microsoft software is based on these designs. [ 1 ] [ 2 ] [ 3 ]
A composition case loaded with matrices for a font , used to cast metal type on a Monotype composition casting machine in the hot metal typesetting period. The matrices were stamped with punches machined using pantographs from large working drawings and intermediate copper patterns, and used to cast type under the control of a keyboard. [ 8 ] This gave much cleaner results than pre-pantograph punches, which had to be hand-carved at the size of the desired letter, and allowed fonts to be issued in more sizes faster than was previously possible. [ 9 ] The font is Bembo .
A punch (left) and the respective matrix produced from it (right). The small letters at the base of the matrix are founders' inventory marks.
Duplexed Linotype matrices for regular and bold styles.