1 of 1- typeset
- Touch Typist
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Two Olympia SM3s
I bought these recently and can't get over them. One, the green model, was cheaper because the seller agreed to pay most of the repair costs: type was misaligned after several fixes I made. Now it's like new, and has become a favorite because oh it has such a beautiful feel. When it comes to typeface, I prefer the maroon because that elite is thicker. I was unaware that elite came in different densities. Can anyone comment on this? In any case, I feel like one lucky bastard.
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- Uwe
- Moderator
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Re: Two Olympia SM3s
typeset wrote:
I was unaware that elite came in different densities. Can anyone comment on this?
Elite is a type size, not a typeface, so it's possible for any number of different typefaces to be elite. Looking at your type samples I would check the type slugs. There should be a small number on them that would help to identify the typeface. Also, you should keep in mind that the type of ribbon material and inking used can effect how a typeface appears on the page.
The pronoun I has always been capitalized in the English language for more than 700 years.
- typngon12a
- Novice Typer
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Re: Two Olympia SM3s
I love the SM3 deluxe I have now and do most of my typing on it. It's a little notch above (little, I agree) from the SM9 deluxe.
- Fleetwing
- Typewriter Talk Vet
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Re: Two Olympia SM3s
The typeface on the maroon is Congress, I believe -- I agree that it's very handsome.
As for between the SM9 and the SM3, that's very much a matter of personal preference.
- M. Höhne
- Key Master
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Re: Two Olympia SM3s
I bought these recently and can't get over them. One, the green model, was cheaper because the seller agreed to pay most of the repair costs: type was misaligned after several fixes I made. Now it's like new, and has become a favorite because oh it has such a beautiful feel. When it comes to typeface, I prefer the maroon because that elite is thicker. I was unaware that elite came in different densities. Can anyone comment on this? In any case, I feel like one lucky bastard.
Yes, I can comment on that. Typewriters were available in a wide variety of typefaces (just like computers today only with not so much variety), often dozens per manufacturer, and they turn up so today. The only difference is that we can no longer order them with the typeface we prefer; we have to take what we find. The big general categories are roman (yours), gothic (sans serif), script (a better name than cursive), and italic, with many more or less subtle variations within these (and a few that don't fit those cats). I'm glad you got one you like.
Secondly, elite is not a typeface nor a font; it is not the design---it is merely a designation of the pitch of the type, the distance between the centers of the characters, in elite's case,1/12 of an inch. Elite is 12 characters per inch and pica is 10 cpi. You can say that one typeface is thicker (heavier, ... whatever) than another but it makes no sense to say that one elite is thicker than another. The fact that some typefaces might be called Elite Slim or whatever has nothing to do with this essential meaning of "elite" in the typewriter world; it is just an arbitrary name given by the manufacturer. It's like the bill of your cap is not the same as the bill you get from your dentist.
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