How to type, with help from 1943

At first glance, a typewriter seems pretty simple to use. After all, we’re all used to keyboards already, right?

Well, not necessarily.

Modern keyboards, especially the tiny ones on laptops, have keys with very little travel that barely require any force to press. Even mechanical keyboards are comparatively easy on the muscles of the hands and forearms.

Sit down at a manual typewriter and press a few of the keys, however, and you’ll feel the difference right away. (An electric typewriter is a bit different.)

A typewriter requires a quick, firm, “staccato” touch to get a clear, strong imprint of the letter on the paper. You’re not pressing the key as much as you are shoving it down with one quick push, then letting it return on its own.

This video shows proper typing technique in 1943, explained by an expert. Plus, it starts with a brief history of typewriters, with images of the first models ever made.

Visit us at Type Townsend to try out a machine or two and see how your skills compare!