Chris Aldrich Blog: BoffoSocko.com

Typewriter Use and Typewriter Maintenance for Beginning to Intermediate Typists

Two common questions I hear from those just starting out into the typewriter space are frequently about the basics:

How do I use a typewriter?
How to take care of typewriters or do basic maintenance?

Naturally there is a ton of colloquial advice you’ll receive on these topics from social media and YouTube, but it’s uneven and not very complete. If you’ve just bought your first typewriter, you’re looking for a quick crash course in how to do the basics so you can start punching the keys, but still take care of your machine. With any luck, the resources on this page will get you up and running with your typewriter in no time at all.

Editor’s note: In an upcoming article, I’ll cover the basics for how to find/purchase and install typewriter ribbon in a variety of machines. In the erstwhile, know that Tom Hanks can teach you the basics or you can search YouTube for your make and/or model to see how others have done this or consult the manual for your machine if it’s available.

At the start of World War II, typewriter manufacturers quit making them to focus on war efforts as well as to save precious steel for the war. As a fortunate result of this, being able to use and maintain them became a way to show one’s patriotism for the general effort and the United States Navy was there to help. Thus the Navy made several short films about the basics of typewriter use and maintenance. Though made in 1942 and 1943, these films cover a lot of the basics incredibly well and even extend to later typewriters made into the 1980s, so some of the best advice can be quickly found and consumed in under an hour.

Lots of this advice could or would have been learned in a high school or college-based typing class or in secretarial schools from the mid-century onwards. Sadly a lot of it is now missing from basic keyboarding courses which place all of their focus and practice on touch typing.

Below, I’ve compiled may of the most useful films I could find online for the basics of typing, typing methods, typing techniques and even some advanced methods when using manual typewriters. It’s likely that even the most advanced typists will be shocked and amazed by these films and learn something from watching them.

United States Navy Training Films

Basic Typing

Basic Typing: Methods. Vol. MN-1512a. United States Navy Training Film, 1943. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ztyzGit1dTI.

Basic Typing: Machine Operation. Vol. MN-1512b. United States Navy Training Film, 1943. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b-REJEArnjE.

Advanced Typing

Advanced Typing: Shortcuts. Vol. MN-1512c. United States Navy Training Film, 1943. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JUJfCfqgsX0.

Advanced Typing: Duplicating and Manuscript. Vol. MN-1512d. United States Navy Training Film, 1943. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7ve5JnTUzvo.

Typewriter Maintenance

Maintenance Of Office Machines. Vol. MN-1513. United States Navy Training Film, 1943. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ocdxgkxKAKo.

Miscellaneous Training Films

Beyond these examples, several manufacturers and entities made instructional and industrial films and even sales films covering some typewriter basics over the years. Some may be machine specific, but their advice is applicable not only to those machines, but a broad array of many others which are all incredibly similar with respect to functionality. For machines that differ from the norm, you can often compare your particular machine and its manual to various others which are available online.

Content warning: Some of these films from the mid-century have outdated gender roles.

Elementary Typing. 16 mm, Instructional film. Moreland-Latchford Productions, Ltd.; Periscope Film, #15494, 1968. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7cdyoPu_ASw.

The Secretary: Transcribing. 16 mm, Instructional film. Coronet Instructional Films, 1955. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L7wAJki9ec4.

The Secretary: Transcribing (Second Edition). 16 mm, Instructional film. Coronet Instructional Films, 1966. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4rYHNg3pM34.

Correcting Bad Typing Habits with the Smith-Corona Electric Typewriter. 16 mm, Industrial film. Periscope Film, c. 1952. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9mQszbUhE30.

Typing Skills: Fields of Typing. 16 mm, Instructional film. Periscope Film, 1972. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LvF0atKsggY.

Office Etiquette. 16 mm, Industrial. EBF Human Relations Film produced by Encyclopedia Britannica Films Inc. in collaboration with Hamden L. Forkner, Ph.D., Teachers College, Columbia University, 1950. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SLF1STKnBTU.

Successful Secretary Presented by Royal Office Typewriters. A Thomas Craven Film Corporation Production, 1966. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=If5b2FiDaLk.

Additional Basics

Of course if you need some additional basics, which aren’t included in some of these, you should know:

Early typewriters conserving on the number of keys and what they were able to type relied on the operator knowing that different characters could be double purposed or superimposed to create new characters. These included:

Using either the lower case “L” key or, less frequently for custom typefaces, the “I” key to type the number “1” which was often excluded from the keyboard.
To make an exclamation point, you would type period “.” followed by a backspace and then an apostrophe ” ‘ “.

Editor’s Note: This is one of a continuing series of articles on typewriters and their use in 19th and 20 century settings. You can find additional information on that page.

Why Another Typewriter?

Recently Paulo philosophically asked me, a typewriter collector, “Why another typewriter? I haven’t been able to find an answer yet.” (My attempt at a translation/synopsis from his Portuguese.)

In addition to answers from the collector’s perspective, bonus points for answers that are also directed to answering this question which comes from your significant other who doesn’t understand your obsession. (I’m also posing this on the day that I’ve sadly chosen for family sanity to move 20 machines from the house out of immediate sight into the garage. 😔)

Restored 1951 Remington Super-Riter Standard Typewriter

Earlier this week I started stripping down my recently acquired 1951 Remington Super-Riter typewriter. The machine’s serial number puts it into the 15th month of production of the Super-Riter which replaced the storied Remington 17 and the Remington KMC.

Features of the Remington Super-Riter

A nearby manual for the Super-Riter can be found in the one Richard Polt lists as a Super-Riter, but which seems to be for the slightly later Remington Standard.

This machine, which weighs in at a solid 33.7 pounds, provides a similar Keyboard Margin Control (KMC) functionality which it’s predecessor the Remington KMC did. This allows one to very quickly and easily set the margins by holding down the key and moving the carriage. I find it to be wonderfully ingenious and much more robust than Royal’s Magic Margins similar feature which is much easier to accidentally activate and subsequently mess up your carefully set margins.

The keyboard also features a key return button (marked KR) which allows one to quickly clear key jams by pressing a button. This helps prevent one from getting inky fingers otherwise caused by pressing the jammed keys back down by hand, an action which also requires taking one’s hands off the keyboard to effectuate.

This model has a relatively standard American keyboard with 42 keys and 84 characters. It has a tabulator with a keyboard-based tab button at the top flanked by tab set and tab clear buttons.

While they look like doubleshot plastic, the keys are done in two molded plastic pieces which are friction fit together. The keys are also friction fit onto the key levers so they’re (relatively) easy to remove for cleaning.

The platen is easily removeable and potentially replaceable by pulling a small lever on the front of each side of the typewriter.

Different from many typewriters of this era, the side plates for the carriage are friction fit onto the machine utilizing a pip on the front and two on the back. A thin screwdriver wedged into the back will loosen them and allow their removal. Once these are taken off, the paper table lifts off easily. (Apparently someone was unaware of this on this particular typewriter and an incredibly thin piece of the metal holding the paper table on was shorn off. Hopefully this note will save future paper tables from damage.)

Restoration

Surprisingly all the panels of the body are removable from the chassis with just ten screws (and the removal of the knob on the ribbon reversal). The paint and finish of the typewriter were in dreadful condition and cleaning with some Simple Green and a soft bristled brush followed by a wipe-down with WD-40 have done some wonders, but it still leaves much to be desired. There are some drips of red paint and more than a fair share of chips and wear. On the positive side, the decals are in great condition. Because all the body is easily removeable, I’m very tempted to use this as a candidate for either stripping and repainting or potentially a plating process (nickel seems fun here perhaps).

This is my second Remington standard with the Fold-A-Matic feature, which again, made cleaning out and making adjustments of the interior much simpler. A prior servicing had sprayed oil everywhere inside the majority of the typewriter which had long since hardened and gummed up with dust. With the use of some mineral spirits, a toothbrush, a brass bristle brush, and the air compressor the interior is about as clean as it can be without completely disassembling the entire machine and hand polishing everything.

The rubber on most of this machine is in acceptable condition. The feet are excellent for their age and still have some grip that prevent it from walking across a desk. The rollers are still round and have grip. The platen is great for it’s age, but will certainly see recovering once the exterior is stripped and restored.

One set of pieces which didn’t survive as well are the brass grommets and rubber gaskets which are used to hold the side and rear panels onto the machine. I can easily clean up the brass portions, but the rubber will require complete replacement. In the meanwhile the machine is functional without them, but it will help to give the panels more stability and reduce small vibrations.

You’ll find a “naked” photo of the typewriter during restoration here.

Ribbon and Typeface

I’ve replaced the old, dried out ribbon with 1/2 inch blue and green bichrome from Fine Line. The typeface, based on the 1964 NOMDA Blue Book, seems to be Remington’s 534-10 pitch.

Photos

The Rules for Typewriter Club

The first rule of Typewriter club is do not oil the segment.

The second rule of Typewriter club is DO NOT OIL THE SEGMENT.

Do not ask the value of a typewriter. They are all invaluable.

The only rare typewriter is a an unloved typewriter.

Always talk about typewriter club. Every chance you get. To family, friends, acquaintances, complete strangers…

If you’re new to typewriter club, you have to type.

Any reason is a good reason to buy and use a typewriter.

If you have only one typewriter, you must refer to it as “my FIRST typewriter”.

More than one machine is allowed to be your “favorite”.

The last typewriter you bought is the greatest one. Until the next one.

Never leave a typewriter outside, in a barn, or in a damp basement to rust.

Typewriters are to type with. While they can be used as mood-setting decor, they are meant to be used.

Always leave a typewriter in better condition than you found it.

“The hardest part of typewriter repair is believing you can do it. Everything else is just instructions plus a careful, thoughtful hand.” —Rt. Rev. Theodore Munk

A typewriter is not broken unless it is clean and broken.

We form things; we do not “bend” them.

Parts of a typewriter should only be removed permanently in order to repair another typewriter.

If you see a typewriter, you should take photos and upload the details to the Typewriter Database for other typewriter lovers.

The only acceptable way to dispose of a typewriter is to find it a new home. The only exception is in dire circumstances in time of war when one should follow the guidance of the Underwood manual and “Smash typewriters and components with a sledge or other heavy instrument; burn with kerosene, gasoline, fuel oil, flame thrower, or incendiary bomb; detonate with firearms, grenades, TNT, or other explosives.”

If anyone asks you about your typewriter, you must spend at least five minutes talking to them about it.

Blessed are those who give typewriters to children for theirs is the Kingdom of Heaven.

Trustworthy and legitimate typewriter sellers never use the phrases “it works” or “it just needs a new ribbon.”

Remember that typewriters are dangerous. They can be used for samizdat. As Woody Guthrie knew: “This machine kills fascists.”

The Typewriter Database does not list every single serial number, just ranges of numbers and years in which they were made. You are responsible for reading the charts and for figuring out which year your serial number fits into.

Keychoppers shall have the extremities they used to chop keys chopped off.

“In death, they have a name.” Lenore Fenton. Lenore Fenton. Lenore Fenton!

Special thanks to the Typewriter Club friends at r/typewriters.

Wooden table with a gray and chrome 1949 Royal Quiet De Luxe typewriter next to a crystal tumbler of scotch in front of a brown container of Aberlour Scotch. In the serene and cozy background are a well-appointed bookcase including a small plant and a purple orchid.

Acquired Steel Desk Drawer Paper Organizer (Hunt Manufacturing Co. (Fresno, CA), Lit-Ning Products Division)

Six slots for organizing your typing papers and envelopes as well as space for your stapler, tape dispenser, and various other desk drawer implements.

In an effort to slowly improve my analog office proficiency and productivity, I have heeded Lenore Fenton’s advice to have all my supplies organized at my fingertips. Toward that end I’ve picked up this excellent paper organizer for the top desk drawer of my executive tanker desk. This mid-century marvel is perfect for storing a variety of paper types and envelopes to have them easily to hand. (For ease of viewing and use, you’ll see photos of it sitting on my desktop right next to my typewriter.)

In the 1943 film Basic Typing Methods, in the very opening seconds of the film, you’ll see the woman in the foreground pulling paper quickly from her desk drawer for typing. While it’s not immediately visible, she’s surely got a similar paper organizer in her drawer. (Pardon the heavily gendered references in the film.)

Acquired at the local Acts Thrift shop for about $2.00, this was a no-brainer purchase.

Acquired 1966 Underwood Touch-Master Five Standard Typewriter (Olivetti-Underwood)

Serial Number: 13-9707863
Distinctive elite typeface, 12 CPI, 6 lines/inch, standard, bichrome, segment shift, tabulator, American keyboard, 44 keys
Body: light gray in steel; Keys: dark gray with white letters in plastic
Manufactured in the U.S.A

Acquired used at a second hand store for the As-Seen-On-TV price of $19.99 and in stunning condition. It’ll need a clean, but this is in almost perfect cosmetic condition. It’s my first Underwood and technically also my first Olivetti as it was manufactured after the merger. The touch and speed are truly stunning and may be the best in my collection even before being cleaned, oiled, and adjusted.

As William Forrester admonished Jamal to do on his Touch-Master Five, I’ll “Punch the keys, for God’s sake!”

My current collection of 9 standard typewriters clocks in at 289.6 pounds (131.6 kg). Which one(s) should I take to the type-in at Vromans Bookstore this Saturday, May 10th at 1:00pm?

Which machines are you bringing?

Front row (left to right): ’51 Remington Super-Riter, ’56 Remington Standard, ’55 Royal HH, ’58 Royal FP (gray, 16″ carriage), ’57 Royal FP (gray)
Back row (left to right): ’45 Remington 17, ’50 Royal KMG, ’61 Royal FP (yellow), ’77 Olympia SG3

You’re invited to a Southern California Type-In!

Date
Saturday, May 10, 2025

Time
1:00 PM onwards

Location
Vroman’s Bookstore
695 E Colorado Blvd.
Pasadena, CA 91101

2 blocks West of Lake Avenue, which has both East and Westbound exits off of the 210 Freeway.
We’ll be meeting upstairs on the second floor. Parking available behind the bookstore as well as on surrounding streets. There is a handicapped accessible ramp (from the parking lot in rear) and entrance(s) with an elevator to the second floor as well.

What is a Type-in?

Type-ins are community-based, family friendly events at which typewriter enthusiasts share their love for the analog art of putting ink onto paper with mechanical marvels of the late 19th through 20th centuries. To do this they bring one or more manual typewriters and their knowledge and love of the machines to share with the community. New friends share stories, history, repair tips, working methods, and other typewriterly ephemera. Typists of all ages and levels of ability are welcome.

Typewriters optional
We definitely encourage those without their own machines to attend. With some luck and the kindness of new friends, you should be able to try out a variety of machines which are present in an effort to decide what styles and feel you might consider for purchasing one of your own one day. (Please kindly ask the owners’ permission before trying a machine out.) If you’ve got multiple typewriters, feel free to bring an extra for a friend.

“Like a jam session for people who like typewriters. You had unions do sit-ins and hippies do be-ins, so I thought, ‘We’ll do a type-in.’”
—Michael McGettigan, 56, bike shop owner who coined the phrase

Activities during the afternoon

Basic typewriter demonstrations covering: use, maintenance, and repair; how to find/buy typewriters, how to date the year of manufacture of your machine, etc.
Type up a message about how much your Mother means to you (May 11th is Mother’s Day)
Speed typing contest
Writing! (naturally)
- poetry competition
- letter and postcard writing; bring some stationery/envelopes/stamps to write letters to friends & loved ones
- Typing prompts for those who need inspiration for writing
Typewriter Art – composing visual pictures using ink on paper
Cadavre Exquis – a dedicated typewriter with paper is set up for participants to compose and write a group story, each taking turns throughout the event at writing one sentence at a time.
Impromptu lightning talks of 3-5 minutes on topics like “how to buy a typewriter”, “how to get into home typewriter repair”, “how to work a typewriter into your daily writing routine”, “how to join the Typosphere” etc.
Participants are encouraged to type up their experiences of the event for posting to their personal websites (aka the Typosphere).
Meet new pen pals to start exchanging letters via typewriter and post
Selfies with the typewriter mural on the front of the bookstore.
Typewriter repair advice: Have a broken machine and not sure what’s wrong? Get some advice from the community.
Bring and share your own ideas… What do you use your typewriter for?

Vroman’s Bookstore

Vroman’s Bookstore is a Pasadena institution and SoCal’s oldest indie bookstore since 1894 (almost as old as the invention of the typewriter itself!) While you’re visiting, be sure to check out not only their book selection, but their gifts and cards; the wide array of notebooks, stationery items and their fantastic fountain pen counter; and their children’s section. Downstairs stop by their and their excellent wine bar or Tepito Coffee Shop which will be open for snacks and beverages throughout the day.

Looking for Typewriter-related books while you’re there? Ask for some of the following:

The Typewriter Revolution: A Typist’s Companion for the 21st Century by Richard Polt (Countryman Press, 2015)
Uncommon Type: Some Stories by Tom Hanks (Knopf, 2017)
Typewriter Beach: A Novel by Meg Waite Clayton (Harper, July 2025)
Yankees, Typewriters, Scandals, and Cooperstown: A Baseball Memoir by Bill Madden (Triumph, April 2025)
Olivetti by Allie Millington (Feiwel & Friends, 2024)
Click, Clack, Moo: Cows That Type by Doreen Cronin (Simon & Schuster, 2003) as well as other follow up books in the series

Two rows of four typewriters each lined up on opposite sides of a table. — Who’s ready for a type-in?!?

RSVP & Questions

Our meeting space, which is frequently used for author talks and book signings, should be adequate, but please RSVP (with your expected number of typewriters) so we can plan for the appropriate amount of tables and chairs.

Questions? Media queries? Contact: ChrisAldrich@jhu.edu