Comments on: Looking for Inter Set’s Quoin

By: Jerry Hayes

Jerry Hayes — Mon, 26 Oct 2009 19:38:07 +0000

Hey David,

If you are still looking for the keyboard, dongle and software with manuals, we are about to remove these from our storage room and recycle them. We have 2 keyboards, 2 dongles (one may not be working if I remember correctly), two sets of software packages, and manuals in boxed sets. Let me know if your interested.

This was a very precise typesetting Software/Keyboard system for the Mac (in it’s day), but had a long and complex learning curve. Most desktop users today, that have had little or no experience with traditional systems will find it difficult at best to learn.

Jerry

By: Geoff

Geoff — Thu, 11 Dec 2008 13:20:54 +0000

Its been a while since I heard the name ‘Quoin’.
We used it quite extensively for a short period of time in the early 90’s. It had nothing on today’s software obviously, basically it was code with a preview of what your page would look like, with limitations and slowness.
If you were to try and set it up now I should point out that you will need a dongle, probably best to get the actual keyboard that went with it too!
Funny how software/hardware we were so keen to bin all those years ago can be someone’s desire nearly 20 years later!
Good luck!

By: Cat Ketelsen

Cat Ketelsen — Wed, 10 Dec 2008 20:13:13 +0000

Hi, I read you are looking for a typesetting program that controls type more accurately than the desktop publishing programs we use today.

Quoin was only popular with MAC. Superior to that and any other hard-driven programs with finite kerning and tracking capabilities was the Magna system. In the very early 90s it came out with a desktop setup, but easily could switch to the key coded version if you, like I am, accustomed to coding it all yourself! I’m not sure if this company is still in business, Ventura CA. Probably extinct as a Dinasor.

You might have some luck getting in contact with vendors by calling pre-press or off-set printing companies since they are pretty much the only companies who would use this type of equipment.

Contact Linotype in Hauppauge, Long Island, NY They would know!

By: Dirk Becker

Dirk Becker — Sun, 07 Dec 2008 14:07:30 +0000

I found two references in german language via Google.

First is a google cache from the 1991 archives of Computerwoche. An Apple dealer announced a german version of Quoin. Features: kerning editor for upto 1024 pairs per font, automatic justification, vertical spacing, form and contour setting, true tables with automatically extended lines, vertical alignment of text fields. Supports postscript and other typesetters.

The other is a U2U forum request in MacWelt magazine, 2002. The poster “Grufti” introduces Quoin as developed by two brothers together with their 3B2 (!) system, and he was searching for dongles in that post – apparently he already has an old installation running. He quotes estimates of about 70 installations in Germany. I just invited him to this thread via the private mail function of the forum.

Maybe you follow the trail of 3B2 / Arbortext / PTC?

By: David Blatner

David Blatner — Sat, 06 Dec 2008 17:39:57 +0000

@Maciej: Thank you for the links; that led me to many other links, but all dead ends. Frustrating! I will keep searching.

By: David Blatner

David Blatner — Sat, 06 Dec 2008 17:33:55 +0000

@GregB: Yes… I have a few real quoins around here, too, along with a huge drawer of metal type. But no printing press yet. In the meantime, I’m still a software guy.

By: GregB

GregB — Fri, 05 Dec 2008 02:29:16 +0000

Remember way back in the leterpress days when a quoin was something to lock-up a chase

By: Lauren

Lauren — Thu, 04 Dec 2008 20:41:48 +0000

@David: The links that Maciej just posted have addresses, I wonder if you can track it down that way somehow? They aren’t there anymore obviously, but it could possibly be a start, right?

By: Gary GOod

Gary GOod — Thu, 04 Dec 2008 17:42:32 +0000

That brings back memories. Back around 1990 or ‘91, I went to a two-day graphics art event in San Diego. We visited several local companies (typesetters, art studios, color separators, etc.)

At one of the locations, they showed a demo of Quoin. All the traditional typesetters in the group loved it. At that time, they were all worried that the desktop tools were going to put them out of business. After seeing Quoin, they started feeling like their jobs might be safe. Of course, that was short lived.

I also remember seeing a Sitex machine that cost close to $1 million. It didn’t do half of what today’s Photoshop can do.

Makes me think back to technical pens, waxers, and rub off type.

By: Maciej Haudek

Maciej Haudek — Wed, 03 Dec 2008 22:32:50 +0000

Two articles about Quoin in MacWeek: first and second