IBM Selectric type ball
physical object
Identifier
2023..17
Description
The 88-character typeball was originally released with the IBM Selectric typewriter in 1961. The 'golf ball' shaped device strikes an ink ribbon on a typewriter to create text, this particular ball is the font Dual Gothic 12. Type balls were easy to remove from a typewriter allowing a user to clear and repair a typewriter easily, in addition to switching between fonts.
Related Term
Magnetic Disk Typewriters (describes)
