typesetter

American  

[tahyp-set-er] / ˈtaɪpˌsɛt ər /

noun

1. a person who sets or composes type; compositor.

2. a typesetting machine.

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typesetter British  

/ ˈtaɪpˌsɛtə /

noun

1. a person who sets type; compositor

2. a typesetting machine

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Etymology

Origin of typesetter

First recorded in 1825–35; type + setter

Explanation

A typesetter is a person who arranges type for printing. There are also digital typesetters for laying out the type on computer screens. Today most typesetting is done by computers, which are skilled at arranging characters on a screen so they're easy to read. So the job of typesetter is a bit of an old-fashioned one, although there are still physical printing presses that require their skill. Letterpress cards, books, and art, which have a raised type that you can feel with your fingertips, are produced by a typesetter who arranges moveable type in the press, inks it, and prints on paper.

Example Sentences

Despite not using an alias and having prior convictions, Alcala was hired by The Times as a typesetter in September 1977.

From Los Angeles Times • Oct. 21, 2024

While writing for the college newspaper as Bob Goldman, a typesetter accidentally left off the second “b” in his name.

From New York Times • Jul. 26, 2023

His father was a typesetter, his mother a homemaker.

From Washington Post • Oct. 3, 2022

Besides, he loves his job as a typesetter, the way he plays the piano-sized machine like an instrument.

From Slate • May 18, 2021

“You mean all the whos, whats, whys, whens, and wheres? Yes, I suppose I have. And thanks to the Depression, I’ve also been promoted to copy editor, typesetter, and coffee maker extraordinaire.”

From "Moon Over Manifest" by Clare Vanderpool