Printer, Typewriter, Handwrite?

[imoldernu]

Purely curiosity...
Ahem... for the younger folks, a typewriter was like a printer, only different.

So, when you address envelopes, fill in forms, or send paper notes to others, how do you do it? (other than computer printed stuff?) ... and, if handwritten, printed or cursive?

I bought a portable typewriter at a resale shop for $2, but can't find ribbons.
Do you still have a typewriter? Do you use it?

 

[Lsbcal]

I have an old typewriter from my Mother-In-Law's days still in the garage in its case. Might be an antique.

When I want to send a letter my first thought is to do it in Word and print it out. Occasionally I'll use the copier part of the printer to get a mark up sheet and then put in some writing. It is rare that I write more then a few words on a post-it to someone.

Once I was in a JC class and a young person complimented me on my cursive. My cursive is nothing to write home about. I think it is perhaps a dying art.

DW's Xmas card list has been getting shorter and shorter.

 

[davemartin88]

For the few envelopes a year that I send, address is usually handwritten, printed. I don't think the PO would be able to read my cursive anymore.

 

[gettingthere]

How much younger?

I am 60.

I hand-write - using a combination of printed and cursive, depending on my mood. (Always print if the form has those little boxes for each letter).

I do own a typewriter, but have not opened the case in umpteen years, and I am sure the ribbon must be dried up by now.

 

[Sarah S]

Always handwritten. Envelopes definitely printed. Personal letters cursive The rare occasion it is not personal printed. I make a big effort with my letters to be legible and not write like a doctor!

 

[omni550]

I do a mix of each (not in the same document).

BTW, I recently looked on amazon for typewriter ribbons (for a friend) and they carry some.

omni

 

[Meadbh]

I still have a few relatives and friends who expect paper Christmas cards. I write the cards in cursive and the envelopes in print. Printing addresses on envelopes using a computer is way too much work for small numbers. I hate those printed form letters that brag about people's achievements! (I once received one with an MRI image of the sender's knee).

All business or official correspondence that must be printed is done in Word. The advantage of this is that I can edit and format before sending. Forms are completed online if possible, and if there is a fillable form that needs printing, I complete it on the computer and print it if it cannot be saved and emailed directly.

Most of my written communication with friends is by email for long messages or text for shorter messages. I haven't written anything more complicated than a shopping list in cursive for some time. I used to have an app on my phone for shopping lists, but frankly, a piece of paper is simpler and perfectly efficient.

 

[rbmrtn]

My mother ( 92 ) calls my keyboard a typewriter

I only mail a couple of things in year, I hand write those in print.

 

[Sarah in SC]

I write quite a few letters, thank yous mostly. I hand write the letter in cursive, but block print envelopes using a curious method that I somehow gleaned from my father. I didn't used to do it that way, but just adopted it over the years and never connected it until I mailed him something a few years ago and he noticed. He has excellent penmanship in block print. I'm a lefty (INTJ, heh heh heh for Mick's benefit) so my cursive is pretty terrible.

I actually send business correspondence with the same block print addressing. My clients like it, as it is easy to spot something from me, so separating it from the junk mail.

 

[Gumby]

I have a Smith Corona manual portable typewriter (Sterling model). I still use it to fill out forms, address envelopes and sometimes write letters. I got new ribbons on-line. I also hand-address envelopes on occasion and always handwrite notes in holiday/birthday cards.

 

[Ronstar]

I'm 58 and have never written a single word in cursive since high school, or used a typewriter since the mid 70's. I hand print everything that I don't generate by computer. Cursive left the engineering field a long time ago. I fear that today's young people and future generations may not even be able to read cursive.

 

[Midpack]

I haven't written a "letter" in at least 15 years, not since email became available. When I send a special occasion card, it's hand written as is the envelope. But I use a printer to address most envelopes using Word (envelope wizard, it's very fast/easy) and there are several/many I also use Word with mail merge (from Excel DB) and label wizard. There's no way I'd hand address more than one envelope, and unlikely even for one usually. I do everything possible online, I wouldn't fill out any form manually that wasn't required, and I'd "ask" the sender when they're going online like everyone else...

Whatever floats anyone's boat...

 

[chilkoot]

I remember as a kid growing up in a household with an old (at the time) manual typewriter. I also remember my dad coming home one day with an IBM Selectric. Seemed like an amazing device back then.
I'm still recovering from a stroke, so my printing and curive are both at about a five year-old level. Generally, the more intimate I want something to appear, the likely it is to be handwritten. But like many here, I think it's probably a dying form.

 

[Brett_Cameron]

sometime in the last year I stopped using cursive when writing checks (except for signature) especially when writing out the amount. My cursive was non-legible. I am almost 58.

 

[Meadbh]

My email address has an "n" in it. When I write it in cursive, at least 50% of people assume that the "n" is an "r". If they only knew that I write my "r"s with a loop and a tail to distinguish them from "n"s! But there is no "r" in my meal address. So I have taken to rewriting it below in ALL CAPS for clarity.

I don't think this has anything to do with the fact that I used to be a doctor.

 

[Snowcat]

I finally separated with my typewriter as part of a de-cluttering activity. However, not long ago I came a crossed the ribbons.
I was planning on using my printer to address 80+ invites-and just as I was ready to print them, the printer had a non-recoverable breakdown. I had to hand write the invites. My hand was very fired after that. Must get a new one before Christmas.

 

[Alan]

I threw up into the lid of my sister's typewriter once. (long story, beer was involved).

I have a cousin in Australia that I still communicate with regularly by letter (she doesn't have a PC). I do the letters on the computer and print them out. Since she has an address I regularly send to I have a sheet of printed labels with her address on that I peel off and stick on the envelope. The Christmas cards I send each year also have printed labels that I print out each year. (I use MS Word and put sheets of blank labels into my printer and print them out, including return labels with our address on)

 

[Arifriekinel]

I do pretty much everything by computer. I believe the only thing I've written by hand since high school was when I filled out our rebates to the electric company recently for buying energy efficient appliances. I hand-wrote the address on the envelopes. Also the adoption papers for the dog we adopted two days ago, because there was no computer option.

We also keep a dry erase board up in our dining room, where we obviously hand write.

Otherwise, no physical objects are typically involved in correspondence. I don't come from a card family, they just seem like clutter. We can have a long, meaningful conversation online in the time it'd take to buy and ship one card.

I have written in cursive since middle school, because the boy I liked also wrote in cursive, but that's the only reason. I've yet to really understand the actual point of having multiple writing styles for the same language. But as mentioned, I haven't written much in the last couple of years, so it's not for me to understand

 

[Sarah in SC]

I threw up into the lid of my sister's typewriter once. (long story, beer was involved).

Prepare to be interrogated about the typewriter story should we ever have the good fortune to meet you in person!

 

[scrabbler1]

I have a portable, manual typewriter but I last used it in 1994 to write an official letter. That was the year before I bought my first PC with a printer (a dot matrix one, still). The ribbon is undoubtedly dried up by now.

As for writing notes and letters these days, most of the time when I write a note or letter to mail out or give someone I type it up and print it out on the PC and laser printer. I do, howver, have a writing pad of paper I use for shorter notes I don't need to store electronically.

Sometimes, but not always, when I am mailing out a large package and want to have the mailing address shown in big, block letters I will type it up on the PC so I can print it out. Ironically, the original dot matrix printer I had in the 1990s had an envelope feed I used to print out addressed envelopes which was a nifty feature. It worked well with the word priocessing software I had on my first PC (Works 3.0). Otherwise, I handwrite the envelopes but I have decals with my home address I peel and stick on.

 

[Lsbcal]

...(snip)...
I have written in cursive since middle school, because the boy I liked also wrote in cursive, but that's the only reason. I've yet to really understand the actual point of having multiple writing styles for the same language. But as mentioned, I haven't written much in the last couple of years, so it's not for me to understand

Why do girls seem to have the nicest cursive? In 3rd grade the little blond girl I liked had a very slanted writing style. Guess what my writing style is to this day.

DW has a nice rounded style of cursive.

I do a lot of drawing but still my writing is just not free flowing and easy. Weird wiring up there.

 

[Arifriekinel]

Why do girls seem to have the nicest cursive? In 3rd grade the little blond girl I liked had a very slanted writing style. Guess what my writing style is to this day.

I remember always being jealous of the others girls' handwriting, it was bubbly and pretty, and a heck of a lot more legible than mine. The day teachers started preferring electronic submissions was a very good one for me.

And ha. Glad I'm not the only one who made such a super important decision based on puppy love

My boyfriend's handwriting is also very difficult to read. We both think faster than our hands can move. He had the added issue of being left handed and smearing things up.

 

[martyp]

I very seldom have to send anything in an envelope. I hand print the address. At Christmas I can easily address the dozen or so cards we send out. I have adhesive printed return address labels as well as adhesive stamps. My typewriter went away when the computer arrived in the mid 80's.

I don't even carry a pen with me anymore. I take notes and pictures on my iphone instead of hand writing.

 

[Katsmeow]

So, when you address envelopes, fill in forms, or send paper notes to others, how do you do it? (other than computer printed stuff?) ... and, if handwritten, printed or cursive?

I bought a portable typewriter at a resale shop for $2, but can't find ribbons.
Do you still have a typewriter? Do you use it?

I haven't had a typewriter in probably 30 years.

I address envelopes by hand but rarely need to use one.

As for filling in forms, it depends. If the form is short (and I'm at home) I'll just fill it in by hand. If it is lengthy and I'm not required to use the original form. I will scan it in, open it in Adobe Acrobat and make it where I can type to fill in the form (electronic forms often directly allow this). I do have a printer, by the way.

I use both cursive and manuscript printing, depending on what it is.

 

[FIREd]

Last time I used a typewriter was in 1994, for a school report. I rarely handwrite anything and writing cursive feels very clumsy now. And I rarely even use a printer, maybe a dozen times a year at most.