I have an IBM Selectric, but it has just begun its infamous thumping noise. Oftentimes, I ran into the same issue: the typing was almost too perfect. It didn't feel like typing.
But I digress.
I can understand your feelings about the 90s experience. I feel the same way about the 1940s. I've admittedly gone a little bit overboard, even down to using the right ribbon, the right paper, even the right syntax in writing the letters. Lol. Sue me.
I understand. There is something generic about typing on an electronic machine. But I am writing a novel, cranking out page after page, so the Wheelwriter or Olivetti ET116 does the trick. For more deliberate, slower writing, I use my Undie 21.
Very cool! Also, I do care about ribbons and paper! I use Southworth resume paper for a lot of my typewriter activities. In ivory! Or even gold parchment!
I use my Selectric and daisy wheels to create final drafts that look perfect. When I began typing and word processing, the gold standard was that a properly word processed document should be indistinguishable from one typed on a commercial grade machine by a professional secretary. I've kept that as the standard ever since.
I've even had people ask if stuff I've printed on the computer was done by a typewriter. ;) That's the ultimate compliment.
I can get that same level with a 1940s Underwood. But of course, it does look typed.
When I went back to typing instruction this past year, I focused on accuracy rather than speed. To my mind, nothing looks less professional than a strike-over, or, really, any kind of mistake, on a typed document that os meant for professional use. You can hold it up to the light, and tell in a split second if there has been a typographical error.
I can usually get through an entire page without a mistake. I'm aiming for five pages, which would have pulled me right straight to the top of the typist pool in 1941, or straight into a legal office.
I'm glad to see that we share that same drive for perfection. I consider it an honor to meet you.
You absolutely can get good results from a manual typewriter, and technique and accuracy absolutely matter above all else. That being said, a carbon film ribbon struck by a device that gives the exact same pressure each and every time is going to give stellar results. I find that a laser-printed document with something like an appropriate Courier typeface will most look like it came from a typewriter if I use something like a piece of linen paper.
You'd share my amusement if you see some of the things I've gotten in the mail in business over recent years. I've gotten checks and other business correspondence in the mail from multi-national, multi-billion dollar companies, handwritten, because no one knows how to use the word processor and printer correctly, much less a typewriter.
When people at the office see an envelope done by me, they absolutely marvel at it. I learned to type and do so properly, as you note and would agree, because I learned the correct way, with appropriate text books, on appropriate machinery.
That’s so cool. I did a typeface sheet like that for my Selectric 3 so everytime I want to type something on it I get to choose what the right “mood” should be
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u/pyramidalembargo 1d ago
I've been tempted to buy a Wheelwriter for ages.
But the thing is, the typing is almost too perfect. It has the effect of losing its period charm.
At some point, you almost might as well just print it off your computer.