Old Copy Machine With Purple Ink

There were two cylinders with a silkscreen belt running on them.

Old copy machine with purple ink. 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. It is a spirit duplicator called alcohol process duplicator in europe. Ditto machines made the purple copies that faded over time faster with exposure to light. Both pieces of paper are stained with purple ink because they went through a machine invented in 1923 called a ditto machine or spirit duplicator.

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 does not use ink. The tray was only 1 4 deep. 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.

I began teaching in the 80s and used this machine every day. I guess we changed those. 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. I never knew to actual name of it.

Mimeographs along with spirit duplicators and hectographs were a common technology in printing small quantities as in office work classroom. We just cleaned it out to change color. They have now been replaced by digital duplicators scanners laser printers and photocopiers but for many years they were the primary means of reproducing documents for limited run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. It didn t use a drum.

Ideally each ink color would have its own screen. The ink came in tubes. The stencil was thin rubber backed with paper and it was critical to get this on right while peeling the paper backing. Feb 24 2016 ditto machines.

Sold a hectograph kit as late as 1974 tray gelatin a few sheets of purple inked paper and that thick cover. Ditto machine purple print and that smell. The mimeograph process should not be confused with the spirit duplicator process.