Thermal Typewriters

[@ChaoticVampire]

The only thing that kept me on the fence about getting one of these was if it was able to print character by character, and you've answered my question. Time to hit ebay :)

[@dadtype2339]

Did you ever find one and now that it's been 2 years later, what do you think? I tell people the one I recommend which is the brother EP-43. I used that in a Doctor's office waiting room, and the young guy about 20 or so asked if I bought it in Best Buy as he thought the idea of a computer with a printer was so perfect. I said no Circuit city back in 1990 lol he was shocked said it looked rather modern. Anyway, I think it's just a well rounded machine with a great dark print and great Word Processing features. Whatever you got, I look forward to hearing what happened. Thanks. 👍

[@meursault7030]

I've just gone onto Ebay and bought a Typestar 80. I really don't want to use a laptop. I need a completely offline machine that only types, so a lot of the time I use a typewriter. But I also want something I can use in, say, a coffee shop without getting looks from everone. This seems perfect! Thanks for the suggestion.

[@unknowncreation020]

Ever since I was a kid I’ve loved the aesthetics of typewriters. You’re videos are so informative and the key clacks are heaven to my ears! Keep up the great work!

[@LTHanlon]

I love using my Typestar 4 and 5 - but I wish there were a way to turn off the hot-zone beep. In the darkest hours of the night, that beep sure can carry!

[@sheelachattopadhyay]

@Joe Van Cleave The Sears 300 thermal typewriter is a rebranded Brother EP-20 thermal typewriter. It works the same, except for needing to set the tabs and margins each time you turn it on because it doesn't seem to store it in the settings. I managed to snag one on eBay for $30 in the last month because I tend to do late night typing and needed something quieter to work with. Works well and the same dot matrix look as the Brother EP-20 so far.

[@General_Cap]

I've seen a lot of manual typewriters lying in flea markets and antique shops over the years, but it was only recently that I learned of modern typewriters such as the still manufactured electronic swintec model that uses a daisy wheel. One of the most interesting things about typewriters to me is how modern they became before they were overall abandoned by the market. Typewriters with screens and even floppy disk slots were something most people would not have known existed. These thermal typewriters are also something most people probably never knew about because of how short lived their relevance was. Thermal printers, and printers in general have long since been a solution to the typewriters, but there's something interesting to be seen with these kinds of machines. I might just buy one to try it out.

[@gamingchinchilla7323]

"...some people don't like the aesthetic of these 1980s plastic computer looking typewriters." Quiet the contrary, sir! I think they'd make a great tool for writing a lengthy 1980s-esq Cyber Punk epic just by that aesthetic alone. :D

[@dennysmangas4937]

I really like your content, I discovered your channel recently, and thanks to you I discovered that I could use thermal paper in my CANON. Thanks. from Brazil.

[@ZekeGraal]

This is the first time I have heard of these machines, but what a neat little unit! I'll have to keep an eye out for one!

[@thethriftyfawn]

So sweet how cognizant you are of your household and family members at nighttime! 😍

[@takeshifukugawa8180]

I have a TypeStar 6 and while I like typing on it, the position of the right shift key next to Return (as shown in this video for the TS4) means I all too often hit the return key and as my unit has an issue feeding paper after trying to go back where I was I just don't use it anymore. Instead I use the lighter Brother EP-20 when going thermal (the small size is great for travel too!), and while it lacks many niceties of the Typestars (especailly the 6) it is still fun to type on when print quality isn't important. I also love being able to tear the thermal sheet right on the EP-20 whereas on the Typestars you really can't do that and have to use something else. I'd like to try other thermals, but I have too many typewriters already, and I've only been using typewriters for a little over two years! (You're channel hasn't helped limiting my typewriter collecting!)

[@jessicabirk7673]

Where do you get your ribbon from for the typeStar 6 and how much is it?

[@takeshifukugawa8180]

@@jessicabirk7673 I don't, I just use thermal paper since the thermal cassettes aren't made any more and the prices for NOS were more than I'd want to spend on them.

[@BokBarber]

I've seen one of these banging around the thrift store near me and ignored it until now. I might go back and pick it up after watching this.

[@typepals]

Manual typewriters are nostalgic, but thermal typewriters are MAGIC! Long live fax paper!!!

[@solitairepilot]

Ah yes, the everlasting internal conflict of style against efficiency. It’s things like this that will cause me to set my Olympia Reporter next to my Royal 10 and choose which to type on this session! :P

[@LTHanlon]

Is there an indent setting? I ask because there's an INDENT field at the right side of the LCD display. Maybe it uses a setup that required those supplemental stickers. I'll have to locate the user guide.

[@derecwilsom4546]

is that an Andreas Spiess swiss youtuber microcontroler finger pointer i see at 9:26?

[@robertbuck5399]

Thanks for encouraging me to track down my college typewriter, a Brother EP-45, to give thermal printing a try. I'm eager for the replacement machine to arrive (I don't know what became of my original, purchased at JCPenney back in 1985 or '86). Anyway, as for archival longevity of thermal fax paper, I have a roll dated May 30, 1990, from my days as a journalist, and the body text is quite legible, though my Epson printer/scanner couldn't copy it; the text showed up fine in iPhone photos. The fax has been stored rolled up in my desk drawer for over 30 years!

[@Joe_VanCleave]

That’s a good data point as to the paper’s longevity, thank you!

[@Linus007]

I have used much thicker fax paper that does not curl as much when using the thermal typewriter.

[@LukeForward]

Rightio! Ill use the LCD on my Typestar 220-II and EP-20😆

[@charlesk1655]

Wow. Thanks so much for this video Joe. My wife came home from the thrift store with a pretty mint Typestar 7. I think this is such a good example of bridge technology between typewriters and computers. 😊 When I first saw it I thought it was a little laptop. Lol

[@Joe_VanCleave]

That is awesome!

[@evancousor7674]

the shift lock actualy works like my old 1993 ibm keyboard

[@snax_4820]

You will find a better 3d-printed thermopaper holder on Thingiverse specific made for the Typestar.

[@8BitRetroJournal]

Hi Joe, just got a Canon Typestar 10-II. Three of the keys are stuck. I can push them back up but when pressed down, they don't even wiggle. Any idea what the issue is? Do they have springs that could have broken. Just want to have an idea before removing them. (I also have a Brother EP-22 and love it!).

[@Joe_VanCleave]

I've had to service the keyboards on several thermal machines. I can't accurately recall the Typestar keyboard construction, but I think it uses a rubber membrane, under the key caps, for springiness. The rubber membrane could be ruptured. Or it could be some gunk was spilled in it, causing it to be binding. Screws are removed from the bottom of the machine to allow the top half of the body shell to be removed. Care must be taken with disconnecting the fragile ribbon cable, to gain access to the keyboard. There are a number of screws under the keyboard that need to be removed in order to gain access inside.

[@8BitRetroJournal]

@@Joe_VanCleave Thank you...I'll take a look. I'll first try and remove the key caps to see if I can see what's going on. I saw a video of yours where you repair the Typestar 4 and pull the caps so it doesn't seem too difficult...just need the right tool. That is a nice little typewriter. Compared to the EP-22, the print is such high quality. I like the EP-22 since I can use it as a dot-matrix printer on my old retro computers. But I do like using a typewriter as is too.

[@8BitRetroJournal]

@@Joe_VanCleave So I took the problematic (stuck) keys off and was lucky I didn't break the first one as they are completely different from the Typestar 4 or any normal key-caps. It's a cylinder in the middle the size of pencil and the key has a slightly smaller cylinder (maybe size of a normal fuse) that slides inside. The way the keys are stabilized is two small, thin quarter inch long tabs on the top and bottom of the edge of each keys that snap into small slots on the plastic board. So if you pop them off traditionally, you put a lot of strain on those tabs and could break them. The way to remove them is to wedge something thin and wide (I used a butter knife) in on one side right next to the tab and gently push in the tab and then the key pops off on both sides as you slightly lean it to toward the other tab. Not the normal key caps that you see on computers (or the Typestar 4 which looked pretty normal from your video). It's a really cheap way of doing it as there are no additional plastic bits. You mold the base of the keyboard and then have these unique, specialized key-caps that pop in. And yes, it's a rubber key-mat. Surprisingly they work completely normal and have a good feel. Sorry for posting this long message under comments...you don't list an email otherwise I'd have taken it offline. Just thought you might be interested. I'll likely do a tear-down and comparison to EP-22 video at one point. Thanks again! Love watching your videos on typewriters...pretty neat!

[@Joe_VanCleave]

@@8BitRetroJournal The reason I haven't done more teardown videos of thermals is because they're a bit challenging to do right, I tend to focus on the repair job instead of camera angles. Maybe next time I need to service one I'll make a point of documenting it. Thank you for your feedback!

[@silvanaorizi5643]

Fascinating

[@williamscott1094]

Nice video. Do thermal typewriters like these require ribbons of any kind? I see ribbons for the Canon Typester 4 advertised. Maybe they are for correction only? Any info would be helpful to me. Thanks.

[@Joe_VanCleave]

They originally used ribbons to thermally transfer the film to conventional paper, but those cartridges have out of manufacture for decades and new old stock is expensive. So the current usage mode is typing direct to thermal paper without a ribbon. You can buy thermal paper in rolls or letter-sized sheets.

[@proletariennenaturiste]

As much as I prefer manual typewriters, what's good about that type of electric typewriter is that you don't need ink ribbons, thusly. I have a printing calculator from the '70s which I use everyday for any mathematical calculations I do, big or small, unless it's too complex, then I use an advanced scientific/engineering calculator, obviously this is not talking about typewriters, but still, whatever.

[@iamsemjaza]

So, I've painted a sheet of paper with lemon juice (based on that old "spy invsible ink" "heat under hair dryer to reveal" thing). I am waiting for it to dry and intend to see if it works at all as "thermal paper" in my Typestar 6. So far, the dry sections do not feel sticky, so that's a good sign.

[@iamsemjaza]

Ah. Seems no such luck.

[@Joe_VanCleave]

@@iamsemjaza Making your own thermal emulsion does sound interesting.

[@iamsemjaza]

@@Joe_VanCleave I'd like to figure out something "non toxic" and "house or garage friendly" even if the quality is lower or the color is off. To have a method that can be done at all, means that even if fax paper disappears, there's another alternative.

[@MillyToast]

I bought some thermal paper for an electric typewriter but it didn't work. Did I get the wrong kind?

[@Joe_VanCleave]

Is your machine a thermal typewriter or daisy wheel electronic? Also, thermal paper only has one side coated with thermal-sensitive chemicals.

[@MillyToast]

@@Joe_VanCleave it turned out I got mixed up. It was just electric. However, I've got a Canon Starwriter coming. I think that is. I can try the paper with that.

[@Nicole-lz3bb]

Thanks you so much! Same problem, was looking for a switch or something but this was the answer, flip the paper. Thank you!

[@aubreypage1338]

I want to get my kids each a typewriter. I need easy to use, easy to come by, easy to refill paper/ink, and compact. Any suggestions?

[@zethcader6478]

pretty much any portable mechanical type writer fits those needs, check availability of ribbons before purchasing though.

[@shawnyager]

Hi Joe- love what you're doing! Have you tried using regular copy paper? Did it work? That's the only drawback for me, not being to use regular paper.

[@Joe_VanCleave]

If you have the ribbon cartridges they’ll print on any kind of paper. With the ribbon, only on thermal paper.

[@UnionPacific2014_]

The cartridges are real expensive, I've heard

[@JMaxwell1000]

Great video! THE ULTIMATE typing / writing experience is to be had in complete darkness with the Alphasmart Neo2. It's instant on; you don't need paper; it saves all your work; and it gets ca. 700 hours of battery life!

[@antijack0]

I have a Neo2.. it has no backlight screen. I dearly wish it did. How do you use yours in "complete darkness"?

[@JMaxwell1000]

Touch typing. The "F" and "J" keys have tiny raised dots making it easier to find the home row in complete darkness. Once you hit the on button on the top left corner and wait just a few seconds, you'll know you're in the correct file. And then you can go to town, directly typing in your thoughts with ZERO visual distractions. @@antijack0

[@PELVIS361]

I like this one, an excellent little machine.

[@archygrey9093]

Looks pretty good for grocery lists

[@leonwaffla4088]

How much does this weigh with a case?

[@breebmp4]

i would kill to buy one of these right now

[@stormshadow5555]

How well or badly do the two kinds of thermal paper take marks from a pen or pencil?

[@Joe_VanCleave]

You can write on them easily, like receipt paper from a shop.

[@mobilitylink87]

How long do the thermal heads last on these?

[@Joe_VanCleave]

Most of these were made in the 1980s into the early 1990s, and of the handful of machines I have all but one are working fine.

[@saulysw]

OK. So guess what I just bought? Let's see if one works for me.

[@solitairepilot]

Where did you find it? I can’t seem to find them anywhere

[@saulysw]

@@solitairepilot In my case, eBay. The thing is, not all of them work, or include the power adapter or case. Mine works (with some issues), has the A/C but no case. YMMV. I went down the rabbit hole of trying to find the differences between all the Typestar models .. and came to the conclusion that probably the 4 or 5 are the best. The last model they did, which I believe is the 220 II, does have a larger display and does some basic graphics. That might be worth a play, but, the more I looked at it the more I felt I was into computer territory and leaving typewriters behind.

[@solitairepilot]

@@saulysw Thank you. I was personally thinking that something more like a Sharp PA 1050 would be more my speed. I suppose I will just have to keep a watchful eye over eBay to try and find one. I may not be able to find that, but it seems that sharp PA 3000s are absolutely everywhere.

[@solitairepilot]

@@saulysw Also, I just bought a Olympia Reporter while in the middle of trying to keep my collection more stagnant. I definitely need to stop and think and probably use one on my own before making yet another purchase!