The roots of modern-day publishing took hold in the 1880s when Ottmar Mergenthaler, invented the Linotype machine, which casts hot lead to generate lines of type. Called "The Eighth Wonder of the World" by Thomas Edison, the Linotype (so named for the "line of type" it creates) became the prevalent typesetting device throughout the world in the twentieth century.

A skilled hand compositor was said to be able to compose about 2,000 characters per hour, the average output of the Linotype was estimated at about 6,000 letters, and perhaps more important, the tasks of organizing and containing the pieces of type were no longer required.

The Linotype was a large factor in the explosion of newspaper printing at the beginning of the twentieth century and it remained in service at many newspapers until the conversion to page layout on film in the last twenty years.