Mark sense
Encyclopedia
Electrographic is a term used for punched card and page scanning technology that allowed cards or pages marked with a pencil
to be processed or converted into punched cards. That technology was sold by IBM
, its developer, under the term mark sense. A "mark sense pencil lead" sold by IBM
would meet federal specifications for "electrographic lead."
Mark sense was a trade name used by IBM
for electrographic forms and systems. It has since come to be used as a generic term for any technology allowing marks made using ordinary writing implements to be processed, encompassing both optical mark recognition
and electrographic technology, because the user of a mark-sense form cannot generally tell if the marks are sensed electrically or optically. The term mark sense is not generally used when referring to technology that distinguishes the shape of the mark; the general term optical character recognition
is generally used when mark shapes are distinguished. Because the term mark-sense was originally a trade name, the Federal Government generally used the term electrographic.
In the 1940s, 50s, and 60s, mark sense technology was widely used for applications like recording meter readings and recording long distance telephone calls. Many thousands of pencils were made expressly for mark sense applications by the Dur-O-Lite Pencil Company
and by the Autopoint Company
. Many of the pencils made for the "Bell System
" were stamped "MARK SENSE LEAD" and for the Federal Government, "US Government Electrographic."
Reynold Johnson
was a teacher who set out to develop an automatic test scoring machine. The result of this work was the IBM 805 Test Scoring Machine
. IBM
hired Johnson as an engineer, and he went on to develop a range of electrographic mark-sense machinery. The first large-scale use of the IBM 805 was by the American Council on Education's Cooperative Test Service in 1936; In 1947, the Cooperative Test Service became part of the Educational Testing Service
.
Various IBM equipment could be used with mark sense cards including the IBM 513
and IBM 514
Reproducing Punches, the IBM 557
Alphabetic Interpreter, and the IBM 519
Electric Document Originating Machine.
Pencil
A pencil is a writing implement or art medium usually constructed of a narrow, solid pigment core inside a protective casing. The case prevents the core from breaking, and also from marking the user’s hand during use....
to be processed or converted into punched cards. That technology was sold by IBM
IBM
International Business Machines Corporation or IBM is an American multinational technology and consulting corporation headquartered in Armonk, New York, United States. IBM manufactures and sells computer hardware and software, and it offers infrastructure, hosting and consulting services in areas...
, its developer, under the term mark sense. A "mark sense pencil lead" sold by IBM
IBM
International Business Machines Corporation or IBM is an American multinational technology and consulting corporation headquartered in Armonk, New York, United States. IBM manufactures and sells computer hardware and software, and it offers infrastructure, hosting and consulting services in areas...
would meet federal specifications for "electrographic lead."
Mark sense was a trade name used by IBM
IBM
International Business Machines Corporation or IBM is an American multinational technology and consulting corporation headquartered in Armonk, New York, United States. IBM manufactures and sells computer hardware and software, and it offers infrastructure, hosting and consulting services in areas...
for electrographic forms and systems. It has since come to be used as a generic term for any technology allowing marks made using ordinary writing implements to be processed, encompassing both optical mark recognition
Optical mark recognition
Optical Mark Recognition is the process of capturing human-marked data from document forms such as surveys and tests.-OMR background:...
and electrographic technology, because the user of a mark-sense form cannot generally tell if the marks are sensed electrically or optically. The term mark sense is not generally used when referring to technology that distinguishes the shape of the mark; the general term optical character recognition
Optical character recognition
Optical character recognition, usually abbreviated to OCR, is the mechanical or electronic translation of scanned images of handwritten, typewritten or printed text into machine-encoded text. It is widely used to convert books and documents into electronic files, to computerize a record-keeping...
is generally used when mark shapes are distinguished. Because the term mark-sense was originally a trade name, the Federal Government generally used the term electrographic.
In the 1940s, 50s, and 60s, mark sense technology was widely used for applications like recording meter readings and recording long distance telephone calls. Many thousands of pencils were made expressly for mark sense applications by the Dur-O-Lite Pencil Company
Dur-O-Lite Pencil Company
The Dur-O-Lite Pencil Company was a Chicago, Illinois, United States company that manufactured mechanical pencils from the 1920s into the 1990s. The company registered the "Dur-O-Lite" trademark in 1927. John P. Lynn was a founder of the company and was long associated with Dur-O-Lite...
and by the Autopoint Company
Autopoint Company
The Autopoint Company was a manufacturer of pencils and desk top accessories in Chicago for about 50 years from the 1920s to around 1970. During that period Autopoint sold millions of pencils advertising companies large and small all over the country....
. Many of the pencils made for the "Bell System
Western Electric
Western Electric Company was an American electrical engineering company, the manufacturing arm of AT&T from 1881 to 1995. It was the scene of a number of technological innovations and also some seminal developments in industrial management...
" were stamped "MARK SENSE LEAD" and for the Federal Government, "US Government Electrographic."
Reynold Johnson
Reynold B. Johnson
Reynold B. Johnson was an American inventor and computer pioneer. A long-time employee of IBM, Johnson is said to be the "father" of the disk drive...
was a teacher who set out to develop an automatic test scoring machine. The result of this work was the IBM 805 Test Scoring Machine
IBM 805 Test Scoring Machine
The IBM 805 Test Scoring Machine was a machine sold by IBM beginning in 1937. The device scored answer sheets marked with special "mark sense" pencils. The machine was developed from a prototype developed by Reynold Johnson, a school teacher who later became an IBM engineer...
. IBM
IBM
International Business Machines Corporation or IBM is an American multinational technology and consulting corporation headquartered in Armonk, New York, United States. IBM manufactures and sells computer hardware and software, and it offers infrastructure, hosting and consulting services in areas...
hired Johnson as an engineer, and he went on to develop a range of electrographic mark-sense machinery. The first large-scale use of the IBM 805 was by the American Council on Education's Cooperative Test Service in 1936; In 1947, the Cooperative Test Service became part of the Educational Testing Service
Educational Testing Service
Educational Testing Service , founded in 1947, is the world's largest private nonprofit educational testing and assessment organization...
.
Various IBM equipment could be used with mark sense cards including the IBM 513
IBM 513
The IBM 513 Reproducing Punch was a card punching machine developed by IBM. The machine could perform these functions:* Reproducing all or part of the data on a deck of punched cards.* Gang punching—copying punched information from a master card....
and IBM 514
IBM 514
The IBM 514 Reproducing Punch was a card punching machine developed by IBM. The 514 was manufactured from 1949 to 1978. The machine could perform these functions:* Reproducing all or part of the data on a deck of punched cards....
Reproducing Punches, the IBM 557
IBM 557
The IBM 557 Alphabetic Interpreter allowed holes in punched cards to be interpreted and the Hollerith punched card characters printed on any row or column, selected by a plugboard control panel. The machine was a synchronous system where brushes would glide over a hole in a punched card and...
Alphabetic Interpreter, and the IBM 519
IBM 519
The IBM 519 Document-Originating Machine, introduced in 1946, was the last in a series of unit record machines designed for automated preparation of punched cards...
Electric Document Originating Machine.