Method and system for inter-character space modification to adjust the length of a line of copy to fit an allotted line length

Claim 1

In a phototypesetter wherein characters in a rotating-type font are selected by selectively strobing a flash means to expose the chosen character on a photosensitive medium and where the medium is advanced a variable linear distance according to the space allotted to each character of the type font and to space between words to provide inter-character and inter-word spacing and thereby set a line of copy longitudinally along the length of the medium, the improvement comprising: means to advance the photosensitive medium for each character a distance which changes the linear space normally allotted for each character in a line of copy to thereby change the intercharacter spacing within each word of the copy which includes: means to determine first data related to the point size of the characters to be used to set the copy on the medium, means to determine second dAta relating to the amount of advancement for the photosensitive medium for each character exposed on the medium, means responsive to the first and second data to obtain third data representing the distance the medium is to be advanced for that particular character, means responsive to the third data to advance the photosensitive medium a linear distance represented by said data, means to determine data representing the amount of space which is to be subtracted or added to the space for each character, means responsive to said data to inhibit the advance of the photosensitive medium an amount corresponding to said data when space is to be subtracted from each character in a line of copy and to advance the medium an amount corresponding to said data when space is to be added to the space allotted for each character in a line of copy prior to selection of the next character to be exposed, and wherein the means to determine first data includes switch means which are responsive to the position of a lens turret carrying a plurality of magnifying lenses to indicate the particular lens of the turret being used to magnify the characters selected from the font for exposure on the photosensitive medium in a predetermined point size, and wherein the means determining the second data includes the photoelectric means responsive to data manifestations carried by the rotating font.