Ditto Machines

Anybody over the age of fifty  bears in mind  using mimeographs, or 'spirit  copy machines' in school. Schools, churches, clubs and other tiny  groups  utilized mimeographs  due to the low cost in ink and supplies. The alcohols utilized in the inks  accounted for the  unique blue or purple  shades and  strong  smell on the  published copy.

These pieces of equipment  created limited copies,  yet in the days before xerographic  photo copiers and electronic printers, they were  indispensable for  publishing newsletters and the  dreadful 'pop quiz'  weekly. Their low expense was  since no typesetting was  needed. By the 1970s, reasonable and high-volume xerographic copiers were replacing the old mimeograph machines. Mimeographs and spirit copy machines are still used in third world countries  since  several  device  designs can be hand-cranked,  preventing the  necessity for  energy.

Records created using mimeograph pose a serious challenge to archivists trying to  maintain  papers. Dittoed copies gradually discolor with  direct exposure to ultraviolet light. The low quality paper used for mimeographs rapidly yellows and degrades  as a result of residual acid in the untreated paper pulp. If aged enough,  duplicates  could  collapse  in to pieces when  dealt with.

The procedure of  developing templates  entailed two-ply spirit masters. The initial sheet was typed, written or drawn. The 2nd sheet was coated with a wax layer which was impregnated with a colorant. The pressure of writing or typing on the first sheet transferred the tinted wax from the second sheet to the back side of the  initial sheet,  making a mirror image. Both sheets were divided, and the  initial sheet was  secured  on to the drum of the mimeograph  equipment with the back side facing out,  developing a printing plate. One well-crafted master could  publish  approximately  five hundred copies before the pigment was  depleted and the print  came to be illegible.

In addition to the typewriter, these devices were the  outcome of the  2nd phase of the Industrial Revolution, which began near  completion of the 19th century. This stage  generated technologies like  little  electrical motors and industrial chemical  items that were  utilized in the mimeograph and spirit duplicator machines. Between the typewriter and the mimeograph machine, paperwork quantities rose  greatly in business offices in the  very early 20th century.

By the last 3rd of the 20th century,  copy machines and laser scanners greatly improved the quality of high-volume  duplicates. The advancement of  modern-day,  much more durable inks kept pace with the  improvement of copying machines. These inventions probably contributed even more to the growth of paper records in the business  environment than  almost anything else. While paper documents are still important, the  surge in computer technology and file  storage tools has  assisted to significantly  decrease the paper workload in a  common  company today.

If you're situated in the Las Vegas, Nevada area and you  wish the most  reputable  business for managed print services and office copier/printer  tools  offered,  visit A-1 Office Machine Company. They're the oldest full line document production tools  dealership for office  devices, doing business in Las Vegas for over 44 years. That experience, incorporated with  leading ranked manufacturers for the last 10 years by industry  experts guarantees the quality and  security of your  financial investment in  workplace  devices.

Together with computers and scanners, the traditional workhorses of copier/leasing, sales, rentals or printer/leasing, sales, rentals, plotter, engineering photo copier, toner sales and MPS/managed print services are  important to your  firm's  excellence. A-1 Office Machine Company keeps your equipment running while you expand your  firm.

MPS / Managed Print Services