Abstract: A typesetter with a continuously rotating character drum that places lines of character images on thin transparent tape, equalizes line lengths for margin justification by stretching the tape, and places the lines on transparent film in a form suitable for direct imposition in making positive-working plates for lithographic printing. It provides multiple type fonts and fonts of different typographic size on-line simultaneously, proportional spacing by lands on the character drum that advance the tape the requisite amount for each character depending on its length, and margin justification controlled by optical mark reading.