You are not logged in. Would you like to login or register?



01-9-2015 04:23:12  #1


Centring Scale for Headings


I hate untidy and unbalanaced headings, so this is what I came up with for my Olympia SG1. 

Centre position for the platen on my machine is 68 on the paper scale, and I always load paper in the centre of the platen, so position 68 is the centre for headings too.  Thats why the scale ends at 68.

To use, all I have to do is count the total of characters and included spaces in the heading line to be typed, and check if that total is odd or even.  If even, I use the red scale and see where the total falls on the paper scale.  For instance, if the heading line has 18 characters, I move the typing point to 59 on the paper scale and begin typing.  Even totals require that the line is typed half-spaced, i.e. typed one half space to the right of the normal typing point, which I do on the SG1 by holding down the space bar as I type each letter - sounds tedious, but soon becomes habitual.  This is the only way that lines with odd totals and lines with even totals can be typed centred on each other.

Lines with odd totals follow the same method for finding the starting position, but are simply typed normally.  Where it can be done, I edit the heading to have an odd total for all of its lines, just to make things simpler.  Multi-line headings are easier if all the lines are even or all odd - editing can bring this about, of course.  If all the headings are even, then I just omit the 1/2 spacing, ignoring the fact that the whole heading is 1/2 space to the left of where it should be.  I/2 spacing is only really necessary when you have mixed odd and even lines.

I think some machines came with a similar scale supplied out of the factory, but have never seen one and don't know quite how they work.

If anyone has a better method, or improvements to suggest, go for it!

Last edited by beak (01-9-2015 09:52:55)


Sincerely,
beak.
 
 

01-9-2015 14:43:26  #2


Re: Centring Scale for Headings

I'll be honest; you lost me with the description of your method, but that could be an issue with my comprehension skills more than anything else. And I'm not sure if this is only a SG1-specific method, but not all typewriters can type half spaces.

I was taught in typing class that you centre headings by simply moving the carriage to the centre of the page and then using the backspace key once for every two characters (including spaces) in the heading. It works perfectly well and it's the method I still use today. With some typewriters such as Underwood standards, there is another option. They have two sets of scales on the margin rulers that are used to center text quickly.


The pronoun has always been capitalized in the English language for more than 700 years.
 

01-9-2015 14:56:22  #3


Re: Centring Scale for Headings

Uwe and Beak, nice methods.


Back from a long break.

Starting fresh with my favorite typer. A Royal Futura!
 

01-9-2015 18:12:15  #4


Re: Centring Scale for Headings

Uwe wrote:

I'll be honest; you lost me with the description of your method, ..............

Your method is fine too, for single lines of text, but I often find that I write headings with more than one line, say, for example;

The Hermes 3000
A short review

This is always going to look off-centre unless you can match the lines by half-spacing. Try typing it and you will see what I mean.

Thanks - Underwood Standards; that was the ready-made gadget I refered to.  Shall find picture of one of these - perhaps it is the same thing as the above chart stuck on my SG1, and I have simply reinvented the wheel!

Last edited by beak (01-9-2015 18:14:42)


Sincerely,
beak.
 
     Thread Starter
 

Board footera

 

Powered by Boardhost. Create a Free Forum