Recent Specimens.

Caslon's Circular, No. 42, autumn, 1886, is to hand. Two new sizes of the « Scribble » or handwriting script are shown, and this face is now to be had in two-line english, great primer, and pica. It is a good legible letter, with a decided character of its own; but to our mind, neither this style, nor any of the numerous American autograph scripts, equal in beauty the pioneer fount in this direction —Messrs Phelps, Dalton, & Co.'s admirable « Manuscript. ». Messrs Caslon & Co. have taken the lead in introducing into England the « interchangeable » series of type bodies, based on the national standard of measurement, now almost universal in America, and state that they have received most gratifying communications from the trade regarding the reform. It is only a question of time when all types used by the English-speaking race shall be cast to aliquot parts of the English inch.

Mackellar's Typographic Advertiser for the autumn season does not show as great a fertility of invention as some of the former numbers. The foundry has been engaged on the useful work of completing earlier series, hence there is much that at first sight looks like a repetition of the last issue. The « Master » script—a scratchy style, appears in new sizes; also the « Artistic » and « Cruikshank » ornamental founts. A useful light-faced lining gothic is brought out in larger sizes, completing the series. The new faces are a striking old-style Roman with lower-case, called « Ronaldson, » and « Tilted, » an eccentric letter, which in addition to oddity of form, is tipped over from the perpendicular.

The December number of the Pacific Printer shows some new scripts. The « Belle » script (? Cleveland foundry) on 2-line pica body, is exceedingly neat as regards the lower-case, of which there are two sizes. The first size would be rather small for an ordinary pica, the ascending and descending letters being unusually long. The second is larger, about the ordinary size of great primer. The caps are somewhat too free and flourishing for an English taste. With capitals more in keeping with the lower-case, this fount would be one of the best yet produced for visiting cards. A « Ladies' Hand » script in three sizes, bearing a very close resemblance to Bruce's « Penman, » is also shown.

Messrs Cattell & Co., of London, are showing a capital selection of process blocks in the B. and C. Printer and Stationer.

From Cowan & Co., Edinburgh, we have a sample book of lithographic printing and chromo papers, of excellent quality

The Albion Paper Company, Holyoke, Mass., send choice samples of animal-sized flat and super-calendered book papers.