Where to Buy Typewriter Ribbons for Manual Typewriters and the IBM Selectric (2024)

FAQs

Can you still get typewriter ribbons? ›

Typewriter ribbons are still being made and are not too hard to find.

Beware of ribbons being offered as a "universal" typewriter ribbon. There is no one-size-fits-all typewriter ribbon, or universal spool for that matter. What works well in one model might cause problems in another.

Typewriter Ribbons at Rs 150/piece(s) | Asalpha | Mumbai | ID: 11734443562.

How long should a ribbon last? Cotton ribbon should yield approximately 900,000 characters or about 180,000 words. If you're typing double-spaced pages, that gives you 720 pages of rough draft perfection!

The ribbon can move either left to right or right to left and can be reversed by a switch or lever. The best way is to know which kind of typewriter you're using. If it's a manual typewriter, then you go with a traditional red and black or just black ribbon. If it's an electric one, then you go for the ink cartridges.

Three types of ribbons were initially available for the Correcting Selectric II: Reusable cloth ribbon (essentially the same as had been used on typewriters for decades); carbon film ribbon, like that used on earlier Selectrics; and the new Correctable (carbon) Film ribbon.

Typewriters that were made in the 1940s or earlier, especially those manufactured in the 19th century, may be worth some money if they're still in working order. Non-working antique typewriters are typically worth about $50, but refurbished models can earn $800 or more.

Typewriters are still used among lawyers and come in particularly handy when things need to be filled out in triplicate using carbon forms, filling out pre-printed forms or for smaller jobs like addressing envelopes.

From my personal experience, a ribbon normally lasts 9 to 12 months with light to medium usage. As there is a finite amount of ink inside the ribbon, the more you type, the more of the ink is transferred from the ribbon to the paper, and thus the ribbon has a shorter lifespan.

The simple reply is any A4 paper with paper weight around 85GSM. But any paper within 85-100 GSM is considered suitable for a typewriter.

When should I replace my typewriter ribbon? ›

Watch the ink of the typewriter

You can type around your typewriter for a time by spacing back and double-typing over the inkless letters. However, you should start considering changing your typewriter ribbon once you begin to notice that the machine is running out of ink.

Nylon is a good durable material and most ribbons are made using nylon. It holds the ink well and gives a good impression and has a long life. Cotton is heavier and produces a dark, heavy print that appears slightly fuzzy and silk will give you a clean, crisp print.

Some typewriter ribbons have two different coloured pigments (usually black and red) which could be selected if the typewriter had a switch to allow for words or sentences to be written in a different colour when required.

There are three different words per minute (wpm) records — for the manual typewriter, the electric typewriter, and the personal computer keyboard. On a manual typewriter, the world record is 176 wpm, and on an electric typewriter it is 216.

Warm water and a drop of dish detergent are great for removing years of built-up grime. Simply add a drop of dish detergent to a cleaning cloth and wet the cloth very lightly with warm water. Gently wipe all surfaces of the typewriter with the cloth.

Courier is a monospaced slab serif typeface. The typeface was designed by Howard "Bud" Kettler (1919–1999). Initially created for IBM's typewriters, it has been adapted for use as a computer font, and versions of it are installed on most desktop computers.

In order for the ribbon to perform, each of the multiple wires inside must be fully connected along the entire length of the ribbon to the components. Easily repair a broken ribbon wire by recreating the wire connections with a metallic conductive substance.

The coolest thing? IBM also built the Selectric Composer that used a wild, manual justification system to create camera-ready type on a machine that, at the time, cost the equivalent of $30,000 in US dollars. A real, electronic Selectric word processer cost $150,000.

The final model, the Selectric III, was sold in the 1980s with more advanced word processing capabilities and a 96-character printing element. But as personal computers and daisy-wheel printers began to dominate, the Selectric brand was retired in 1986.

What are the sizes of IBM Selectric? ›

Dimensions. 16.5 × 47.5 × 38 cm (6 1/2 × 18 5/8 × 15 in.)

Non-electrical typewriters can be taken to a scrap metal site.

Here is the answer: the number one key was not implemented by design. Instead, the L key – l – in lowercase, was used in its lowercase form as a letter or a number, because a lowercase l looks like a one. That allowed manufacturers to save some space in the overcrowded area where hammers were located.

Danielle Steel

Known for her romance novels, Steel has written all 190 of her books on a 1946 Olympia typewriter that she nicknamed Ollie. In an interview with Harvard Business Review, Steel explains more why she insists on using a typewriter: “I'm just very low-tech.

Mine does), it's possible to run the ribbon back and forth through the machine in opposite directions without even taking it out of the machine to flip it over! Doing this, you can make one ribbon last for up to four passages through the typewriter.

Rubbing Alcohol, or WD-40: These cleaners are great for clearing light rust, old oil, grease, dirt, grime, and also do a decent job of shining up the exterior metal parts (chrome and nickel plating) when absorbed into a cloth. Vacuum: While it's not the only way to clean a typewriter, it's how I do it.

While Hanks doesn't have “one” favorite typewriter, he did reveal a few of his favorites in an interview with Tribune-Review News Service Writer Nicole Brodeur. “Any Smith-Corona Sterling or Silent is a gem. Any Hermes, either the green or tan, all work like lightning.

Regular oiling is essential to keep a typewriter running smoothly and prevent metal parts from rusting. But using the wrong lube can cause even more damage and gum up the moveable parts. It is a bad idea to use WD-40 on a typewriter.

Use a light, high-grade oil, such as sewing machine oil or gun oil, such as Hoppe's Gun Oil, PB B'laster is a penetrant and lubricant that can free up dirty and jammed joints.

Most typewriters use a universal ink ribbon while some of the Smith Corona typewriters from the 70s and 80s use a cartridge. Ink can dry out on ribbons. It does take a while, but it happens.

Do typewriters have a backspace? ›

Most typewriters have a “backspace” key, typically on the top left for older models; however, it's there solely for the purpose of moving the carriage back a space (hence the name). So yes, that means it does not delete whatever was typed there in the process.

Our selections range from new in-box typewriters, to our certified open-box typewriters that have been inspected by the manufacturer. If you have any questions, feel free to call us at (404) 377-1884 Mon - Fri, 9am - 5pm ET.

As you use the typewriter, the buildup of dirt and grime will work its way out and can result in sticky keys again.

Typewriter ribbons were made of cotton through the early 1950s, when nylon was introduced to accommodate the increased wear caused by electric machines.

Pigments utilized in typewriter ribbons at present are largely ground pigments, and include lampblack, coal-tar dye lakes, Prussian blue, methyl violet, methylene blue, malachite green, safranin, etc. Nigrosine has been used, as have the Ceres dyes, oil soluble dyes, and iron-gall pigments (3).

The nylon typewriter ribbon is coiled around two spools, ready to be fitted on your Typewriter. The ribbon is 1/2 inch wide and 6m long.

The highest typing speed ever recorded was 216 words per minute (wpm), set by Stella Pajunas in 1946, using an IBM electric typewriter. Currently, the fastest English language typist is Barbara Blackburn, who reached a peak typing speed of 212 wpm during a test in 2005, using a Dvorak simplified keyboard.

Typewriting Courses Fees and Duration

The tenure for the certificate course is from a few hours to 6 months. The diploma typewriting course is available for one year.

Typewriters are also widely used among banks (used for producing certified checks), CPAs, the military and in factories. According to Jim Riegert, these segments mainly use typewriters for filling out forms, typing envelopes, and completing checks.

Tom Hanks' typewriter obsession is something that only works to elevate the actor in the public eye as one of the most wholesome Hollywood celebrities.

How old does a typewriter have to be to be considered an antique? ›

Typewriters manufactured after 1920 are generally considered "vintage" rather than "antique."

Meet Flowo, a typewriter designed for the 21st century. A purpose-built machine that's designed just for writing and editing, Flowo comes with a qwerty keyboard and a cylindrical screen on the top that automatically scrolls as you type.

The typewriter isn't dead yet, not for a long time. The typewriter world has around 940 unique brands, even though most brands are now defunct except for the 'big' brands like Underwood, Olympia, Panasonic, Brother, etc. The current major typewriter manufacturing hubs are China, Japan and Indonesia.

In 1865, Rev. Rasmus Malling-Hansen of Denmark invented the Hansen Writing Ball, which went into commercial production in 1870 and was the first commercially sold typewriter. It was a success in Europe and was reported as being used in offices on the European continent as late as 1909.

Without any competition, Hermes 3000 typewriter is the best ever made typewriter in history.

Refurbished typewriters that have gone through a cleaning and repairing process cost anywhere from $75 up to a several hundred dollars, but an unrefurbished antique typewriter that is not rare should not cost you anymore than $75, max.

Non-electrical typewriters can be taken to a scrap metal site.

Early Underwood models can sell for more than $1,000, with examples from the 1920s bringing up to $500 and 1930s, $300-400. The Underwood No. 5 Typewriter page lists serial numbers and production information about the typewriters. Later examples sell for $50-75, as shown in online auctions like eBay.

If you're interested in getting money for your vintage typewriter, you might consider listing it alongside other models on websites like eBay or Etsy. If there's a local antique store or pawn shop near you that's seeking typewriters, that's another option for you to cash in.