How was Sheet music printed ?

sev112

I know how newspapers and books are/ were type set

But how was sheet music printed ?

even if if was reverse type set, they need to get all of the bars ending at the same point on the page 
and getting the spacing between hdmi Demi semi quavers etc must be v tricky

plus the6 need to out ff pp rallentando symbols and words etc 


anyone know ?

EricTheWeary

Engraved plates I believe. If you think of old newspapers they would have drawings rather than photos because you could engrave a plate with a line drawing.So, same kind of process. Bit like making potato prints. 

sev112

Wow that must have been such a skill

EricTheWeary

Sheet music was big business at points. I don’t know, for example, how early on big pieces like scores for symphonies were printed or wether they continued to be hand copied.  But engraving and printing something relatively simple like the latest music hall hit would have been quickly profitable I guess. 

Photoengraving rather than hand engraving was around for a long time but I suspect wouldn’t have been detailed enough to create sheet music during it’s heyday.

fretmeister

Don’t forget music typewriters,

https://www.thisiswhyimbroke.com/uk/music-typewriter/

sev112

Is that real?  Wow, that’s amazing if so 

fretmeister

Yup - I've wanted one for a long time. Just because they are so cool.

Funkfingers

Something like the music typewriter for origination.

Repro camera.

Photosensitive film and coated plates.

Offset lithographic printing press.