The Portland daily press., 1898-10-18
TYPEWRITER RIBBoNs.
How They Are Manufactured nd Some of
Their Pecuiiarities.

Perhaps no part of the typewritin2 ma
chimes equipment has given greater per-
plexity to its promoters than the ribbon.
type or smirch the er, and from which
the ink would not evaporate nwhen ex-
posed to the air, was difficulty with
which operators mad to contend and
which inventors tried hard to remedy. 1t
is only within the las two years that rib
hons have been made which appear to
satisfy the general demand. While rib
bons have been required since the time OF
the modern typewriter's introduction, it
is in the last ten years that the business
of making them has reached its greatest
proportions. Four years ago 1T was said
that this kind of ribbon making was en-
gagged in by at least forty manufacturers
in the United States, aud their output
was estimated to be not less than 600. 900
ri bbons annually. Today the annual
production is probably more than twice
as large as 1t was then, and makers de-
Glare that they are kept very busy filling
their orders. The thousand of A merican
typewriters in use abroad are practically
all supplied with American ribbons and,
as the average life of ribbon is only
about four weeks, their expectation CON-
stiGutes an important branch of the bust
ness hy itself.
Ribbons are made in almost every con-
ce.vable color and variety, and with copy
ing and non-copying ink. Their length
and width depend upon the requirements
Of the machine for which they are in
tended. The average length is eight
yards, although few are made ss long
as eighteen yards. Some ribbons write
in one color and show an entirely differ
emit color when the writing is copied with
letter press A ribbon which writes
black may copy blue or green. making
the record much more clear on certain
kinds of paper than 1t would be if made
in black. The head Of the ribbon depart
ment of large typewriter house on
corning the extent Of the business IN
question and the skill and care required
In its prosecution.
''Here in New York." said the mana
ger, "there are probably five hundred
places where typewriter ribbons are sold,
while in all the cities Of the Union there
are many thousand. Some of the dealers
the amount of their monthly receipts is
often very large. The different makes of
ribbons In the market number from fifty
to seventy five, and most of them are
manufactured here in the East. esti-
mate that the number of ribbons used in
q year ranges from 100000 to 100000
There is good reason to suppose that
there are between 300, 900 and $50, 600 rib
bon using typewriters here and abroad.
but OF course some Of the machines are
not employed actively. should say that
fully one.third of the ribbons we make
are exported, and there are also other
manufacturers who export large quaint.
ties.
"Only persons connected with the bus
mess can undertand how much care and
experiences are necessary in turning out
ribbons which will give good satisfaction.
1t is an easy matter to succsed in ma
ng good ribbon now and then or per-
haps several dozen good ones, but that
won't do: every single ribbon must be
trictly %. K. or else complaints will
surely be made, and the manufaot ursr
will suffer in consequence. Tho effect
produced by one poor ribbon might mean
the loss of several customers who would
be misled as to that particular brand.