American Type Founders was established in 1892 and led to the extinction of many of our early type foundries. They became the leading American manufacturer of metal type from 1892 until at least the 1940s. With the invention of composing machines like the Linotype machine, the ATF profits began to decline in the 1920s. They filed for bankruptcy in 1934 but continued to manufacture metal type until 1986, when the Kingsley company purchased the remaining business. ATF Kingsley continued to operate until 1993, when they close down the operation.

Another legacy of ATF is its typographic museum and library, which it operated for many years before finally transferring the collection to Columbia University in 1936. The books are integrated into the main Columbia collection, but there is an archive of ATF materials as well in Columbia's special collections. The specimen books produced by ATF, particularly the 1912 and 1923 editions, are masterpieces of printing as well as showcases for the diversity of font designs. Type designers and printing historians continue to study these sources as inspirations for font design and digital typography technology.

Some of the early type foundries acquired by American Type Founders included: Binny & Ronaldson, Boston Type Foundry, Central Type Foundry, Cincinnati Type Foundry, Dickinson Type Foundry, Farmer, Little & Co, Bruce Type Foundry, and Barnhart Brothers & Spindler . There was a total of 23 early type foundries that merged into the ATF campany.