Aha - I've been absent, but that's exactly what I discovered it to be (the ribbon reverse). The more typewriters I have handled, the more I've learned. Now that I've had to hand-spool a number of ribbons, instead of just taking the thing in, I get it. And the tab(ulator) has been great. I set it to do just 2 things - indent a paragraph (probably silly of me, since a) I'm only writing the novel draft on the typewriter, and rewriting on a computer, and b) who uses indents in manuscripts anymore?) and to add scene number and page number (centered) at top/bottom respectively.