Sholes and Glidden typewriter length. The redesigned platen also introduced the modern spacing functionality (horizontal and axial movement providing letter and line spacing, respectively). The cylindrical platen became "an indispensable part of every standard [typewriter]". By the end of 1872, the appearance and function of the typewriter had assumed the form that would become standard in the industry and remain largely unchanged for the next century. Although the machine possessed a cylindrical platen and what was essentially a QWERTY keyboard, two design elements that would later become essential were lacking: the ability to write in upper and lowercase letters and "visible" print. Although the
Typewriter desk Typewriter desk A typewriter desk is an desk form meant to hold a typewriter at the proper height for the typist's hands while still allowing a seat height that is low enough to be comfortable for the typist's feet. This height is usually a few inches lower than the 29 inch (73.7 cm) height of the traditional desk. Without a proper typing desk or table, professional or student typists would sit on cushions or thick telephone books. The first generations of typewriters, in the last quarter of the 19th century and the first decades of the 20th, spurred the invention