Typewriter

machines · writing · history

Keys strike ribbons. When you press a key on a typewriter, a little metal piece called a type element hits an inked ribbon against the paper, leaving a letter mark behind. It's like a super fast stamp that works one character at a time.

No electricity needed. Most typewriters are fully mechanical, meaning they work with just the power of your fingers pressing the keys. Some later typewriters were electromechanical and used electricity to help with the striking motion, but you still had to press the keys yourself.

Created the typist job. By the late 1800s, people who operated typewriters became known as typists, and it was one of the first jobs that became hugely popular for women. Typewriters changed how offices worked and how people wrote books and letters.

Ribbon gets reused. The inked ribbon that the keys strike against moves back and forth as you type, so the same ribbon can make thousands of marks before it needs to be replaced or re-inked. This made typewriters practical and affordable to use.

Visible typing fun. Unlike modern computers, you could see each letter appear on the paper right in front of you as you typed, and you could hear the satisfying clicking sounds of the keys and the bell at the end of each line.