Scangraphic Scantext 1000 Documentation (1985)
Cover of brochure showing typesetting specimen composed on a Scantext 1000 system. The film output was made on a Scantext 1000 CRT film recorder. The cover and some of the typesetting specimen were designed by Erik Spiekermann.
Various materials documenting the Scantext 1000 digital typesetting system manufactured by Scangraphic.
Scangraphic system brochure from 1985 showing the complete Scantext 1000 digital typesetting system. Design probably by Bernd Holthusen, see comments.
Cover of the Scangraphic 1985 image brochure showing the Scantext 1000 digital typesetting system. Design probably by Bernd Holthusen, see comments.
On the left the Scantext 1000 CRT film recorder and Scandata data management system with a total maximum disk capacity of 156 Mb. The Scantext 1000 input on the right is equipped with 4 8-Inch floppy disk drives.
Spread showing typesetting jobs on the Page View 1000, a preview terminal. Graphic displays of the phototypesetting systems were that time were interactive. The Digipen 512 was used for correcting scanned BW images, on screen editing of typesetting jobs was not possible.
The photo series on the left shows type director Volker Küster working on Today Sans Serif, Doris Schmidt from the type studio sharpening an ß as well as some of the women from the type department that did the on screen retouching of the characters after scanning: Frau Schwenn, Frau Hußlein and Frau Leider (married Buzbuz). The woman behind the sideboard is Frau Verhorst who organized the type department. Missing on the pictures: Frau Kantin, Frau Otte (married Pauli), Frau Wollbaum and Frau Meier who digitized the with a CCD camera. Next to the execution of the corrections as devised by Küster and the type studio, the type department also handled the font orders. In those days the fonts were still distributed on 8 Inch floppy disks. The Digipen 512 which was developed for interactive editing BW images was seldomly used at the type department. Command input, directing the cursor on the screen as well as switching the pixels from black to white and vice versa went much faster by using the keyboard. I started working in the type studio in January 1987.
Spread from the Scangraphic 1985 image brochure. The photo on the right shows Knut Schmiedel (CEO, left) and Bernd Holthusen (managing director, right) of Scangraphic Dr. Böger. Bernd Holthusen had originally started working at the company while studying industrial design. Dr. Marius Böger soon recognized his artistical and technical talents and Bernd Holthusen became the designer and the driving force behind the major technical devolpments of the company on the field of phototypesetting.
10 Comments on “Scangraphic Scantext 1000 Documentation (1985)”
Bernd is the most inspirational and dynamic person I have ever met. What a fantastic experience working and being with him in the 1970/80/90s
I’ve used a prototype installation in the Hamburg vocational school for printing technology and still love this machine. When switching on the computers they made a hum like a plane on a airport. How I miss to touch the buttons, the workstations’ design! If only I could use them again.
Thank you of the wonderful report of Mr. Schmiedel and my father Bernd Holthusen.
Thank you Richard for your wonderful words!
Corinna Holthusen
This might be a bit late. But having worked for Scangraphic Visutek for 10 years being lucky enough to be part of that Scangraphic family I have to say it was the best part of my 54 year career in print and Bernd to me was like a god – he was an amazing man and I am proud to have known him. The Scantext System, Fonts and marketing documents were second to none.
Never too late for sharing good memories! Thanks for chiming in, Bill.
Dear Bill Tucker, great to read your comments! I worked at Scangraphic from 1987 to 1991 and was their type director.
@FlorianHardwig: The entry on the design of the brochures is not correct I think. The pink one was partially designed by Erik Spiekermann, but the green ones were done by Bernd Holthusen I think.
Bill, when did you work at Scangraphic? A colleague of mine is searching for material on their Copytronic system and the fonts that were available on that typesetting machine. Not to be confused with their Copytype headline machine. Copytronic was the optomechanical predecessor of the Scantext 1000 system. Copytronic was flawed and finally sold to the Swiss company Güttinger. If you have any information on the Copytronic machine, please don’t hesitate to get in contact with me.
Thank you for the clarification, Albert-Jan! I have added Bernd Holthusen to the design credits (and to the captions of the covers), plus “unknown” as an indication that we don’t have verified design credits for all shown items.
Ah, Albert-Jan – that was just before my time. I joined Scangraphic Visutek in 1983 training users on the Scantext 1000. I think we had a headliner at the Sevenoaks office. Richard Beer if he is reading the comments will know about the Copytronic.
Hey Bill, if you get to read this I used to work in Pat McIntyres in Dublin. I found this article going down a rabbit hole on Scangraphic equipment. I recognised your name straight away. Shay was the engineer based in Dublin who used to fix anything that broke. I owe my entire career to the knowledge I gained on the Scangraphic equipment, I was a 17 year old kid straight out of school and it was like being dropped into a video arcade for creatives!! Im still in the business working for an agency in Dublin.