Olivetti Lettera 32 User Manual & Ribbon Replacement Guide

Olivetti Lettera 32 User Manual & Ribbon Replacement Guide

I. Preparation & Setup

  1. Unlock the Carriage: Lift the carriage lock lever. Press the carriage release lever (located on both the left and right sides) to ensure the carriage moves freely.
    ⚠️ Important: Always hold the carriage when pressing the carriage release lever; otherwise, it will slide rapidly to the left!
    Note: Very early series models use the opposite orientation—down is unlocked and up is locked.
  2. Insert Paper: Feed your paper behind the platen roller and turn the right platen knob away from you to bring the sheet forward. Ensure the front edge of the paper is flat and smooth to prevent jams.
  3. Straighten Paper: Pull the paper release lever forward to align the paper edge perfectly straight, then close the lever to lock it in place.
  4. Deploy Paper Holder: Flip up the fold-out paper support wings behind the platen if needed.
  5. Set Margins: Press down and slide the left and right margin stops along the rear bar. Slide the carriage back and forth using the carriage release lever to confirm your typing width.
  6. Select Ribbon Color:
    • Blue = Black / Main ink
    • White = Stencil mode (disables ribbon lift)
    • Red = Red ink
  7. Set Line Spacing: Adjust the selector lever on the left:
    • 0 = Disengaged
    • 1 = Single spacing
    • 2 = 1.5 line spacing
    • 3 = Double spacing

II. Operating Your Typewriter

  1. Typing & Margins: Move the carriage to the left margin stop and begin typing. When you reach the end of the line, press the Margin Release key if you wish to complete a word past the stop limit.
  2. New Line: Sweep the Carriage Return Lever fully to the right to advance to the next line and return to your starting margin.
  3. Corrections & Spacing: Use the Backspace key to move back one character at a time, or use the carriage release lever for longer distances. If you make a typo, simply type XXX or --- over it to cover it up.
  4. Uppercase & Shift Lock: Press either Shift key for uppercase letters. Press Shift Lock to type continuously in uppercase; press the standard Shift key once to unlock.
  5. Touch Control: Adjusts key tension and typing force. The control location and operation vary depending on the model series:
    • Early Series (Bottom Image): Located on the left. Push the lever downward to increase key tension.
    • Later Series (Top Image): Located underneath the top cover. Lift the metal tab upward to increase key tension.
  6. Variable Platen Release: Push the left platen button inward to disengage the ratchet gear. This allows free manual rotation for fine line adjustments or filling out pre-printed forms.
  7. Unloading Paper: Open the paper release lever to pull the page out smoothly, or turn the platen knob away from you until the page rolls out completely.
  8. Locking for Transport: Lift the carriage lock lever and slide the carriage slowly from right to left until you hear a click. The lock pin sits underneath the small opening beneath the carriage to prevent it from moving while carried.

III. Tabulation System

To Set a Tab Stop:

  1. Move the carriage to your desired location.
  2. Push the TAB SETTER / ERASER switch UP.
  3. The next time you press TABULATION, the carriage will stop at your desired location.

To Remove a Tab Stop:

  1. Press TABULATION to move the carriage to the tab stop you wish to remove.
  2. Push the TAB SETTER / ERASER switch DOWN.

IV. Ribbon Care & Replacement Guide

Step-by-Step Ribbon Replacement:

  1. Press Shift Lock to lower the type basket.
  2. Turn the color selector to RED so the ribbon vibrator lifts up high, giving you enough clearance to work around it.
  3. Press the letters G and J at the same time so they jam slightly to prop up the ribbon vibrator.
  4. Unscrew the metal screws on top of the ribbon spools and remove the old ribbon.
  5. Put the new spools on, making sure the Black ribbon half is on top and the Red half is on bottom.
  6. Use tweezers to carefully thread the ribbon around the post, through the forks, and into the center ribbon vibrator. Make sure the ribbon eyelet or knot is not visible on the active typing line.
  7. Tighten the silver metal screws against the spools again.
  8. Confirm that the ribbon reversal forks point away from the empty spool and toward the full spool. The yellow arrows show the correct fork position, while the green arrow indicates the direction of ribbon movement. Finally, unjam the typebars, release Shift Lock, and switch back to your desired ribbon color.

📌 Essential Olivetti Ribbon Rules:

  • Spool Compatibility: Olivetti typewriters use a special size of ribbon spools. When buying new ribbons, always look for ones that are Olivetti-compatible (GR4).
  • Keep Original Metal Spools: If your machine comes with the original metal spools, keep them—they're no longer being made! Buy standard or universal ribbon that is 1/2 inch (13 mm) in width and wind it onto the original spools yourself (wearing gloves is recommended).
  • Spool Screws Are Required: Always keep the silver metal screws that hold down the ribbon spools on the machine at all times. Make sure they are tightened and holding the spools down—without them, the ribbon winding mechanism will not work. The only exceptions are early series machines (where ribbon spools are held down by internal springs) and very late models (which use built-in drive pins to hold and advance the spools).
  • Auto-Reversal & Forks: Toggle the metal reversing forks to manually change ribbon direction; they will last through many passes from spool to spool. The eyelet at the end of the ribbon automatically trips these forks so the ribbon reverses direction. If your new ribbon has no eyelet, you can tie a small knot near each end to trip the mechanism.

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