Old Copy Machine With Purple Ink

A ditto machine was a primitive photocopier that used a solvent like methylated spirits or ammonia to transfer ink from the master copy the template if you will onto other pieces of paper.

Old copy machine with purple ink.

The stencil duplicator or mimeograph machine often abbreviated to mimeo is a low cost duplicating machine that works by forcing ink through a stencil onto paper. It is a spirit duplicator called alcohol process duplicator in europe. The tray was only 1 4 deep. They have now been replaced by digital duplicators scanners laser printers and photocopiers but for many years they were the primary means of reproducing documents for limited run distribution the duplicator was pioneered by thomas edison and david gestetner with gestetner dominating the market up until.

The ink came in tubes. When i was in grade school i remember this copier that printed in purple ink and the secretary had to turn a handle to produce copies. The stencil was thin rubber backed with paper and it was critical to get this on right while peeling the paper backing. Ideally each ink color would have its own screen.

I began teaching in the 80s and used this machine every day. The master for the ditto was only good for a limited number of copies as the solvent spirit dissolved the surface of the ink on the master allowing it to be transferred to the special paper. Ditto machines made the purple copies that faded over time faster with exposure to light. I never knew to actual name of it.

Feb 24 2016 ditto machines. I guess we changed those. We just cleaned it out to change color. Duplicating machines were the predecessors of modern document reproduction technology.

Mimeographs along with spirit duplicators and hectographs were a common technology in printing small quantities as in office work classroom. Ditto machine purple print and that smell. Ditto machine the duplicator that produces purple copies is not a mimeograph. Sold a hectograph kit as late as 1974 tray gelatin a few sheets of purple inked paper and that thick cover.

It didn t use a drum. It does not use ink. When the gelatin got too saturated with ink dad would liquidize it by heating it and re pour it into the pan les newcomer reports that the heyer hectograph co.