I

Letter by letter, line by line, the characters came together on

a device known as a COMPOSING STICK. Once the letters

were arranged in a desired, functional order, they were

transferred and locked into a rectangular steel frame called

a CHASE. The chase was placed on the letterpress where the

characters would perform their service.

By the late 20th century the hard consistency of form had
completely degenerated into a collection of illuminated dots

that are as malleable as a lump of soft clay...