Music fonts were developed by shaping metal into the shapes necessary to produce a metal punch. The punch was tempered and used to make a matrix in which molten metal was poured to produce the type. The type included notes, staff lines, and other music symbols. The following examples are taken from Grande Musicque by Hendrik van den Keere (1577).

Fig. 1 - A steel punch is made.

Fig. 2 - A matrix is punched with the steel punch into copper or another metal. Molten metal is poured onto the matrix.

Fig. 3 - When the metal cools, the type is removed, polished, and ready for use.

Fig. 4 - Pieces of other type were added to place the notes on different parts of the staff.

Fig. 5 - Examples of music moveable type.