Typographical printing machine Mercedes

About the sound

The sound of the printing machine Mercedes in operation. It was manufactured by the Paul Glöckner company in Leipzig (Germany) in 1948. The sound of the machine was recorded in the Printing Museum in Cieszyn (Poland).
Linotype setting of text was used in the machine and the printing process was semi-automatic. The setting of text arranged on foundation was placed on one side of the machine, while sheets of paper were placed on the opposite side. By means of air suction nozzles, they were transported to the cylinder. Graspers of the cylinder grabbed the sheet which then rotated together with the cylinder. At this moment, the setting arranged on foundation entered the machine under the rollers, where it was covered with ink, and then its contact with paper occurred. After printing, other suctions nozzles collected the paper and put it aside. Printer’s work was limited to installing the setting properly and providing ink and paper. With the use of this machine, it was possible to print up to 5000 sheets per hour. The recorded machine was in operation until the 1970s.

Sound recordist: Monika Widzicka
Photographer: Piotr Leszczyński
Video recordist: Piotr Leszczyński