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Typo: A Monthly Newspaper and Literary Review, Volume 3

Recent Specimens

page 3

Recent Specimens.

Herr Julius Klinkhardt, Leipzig, sends us a copy of his fourteenth specimen-book, representing something over a year's work in the production of novelties. A remarkable book it is, containing 48 large quarto pages, closely filled with specimens, and adorned with elaborate borders, besides three large folding sheets of finely-engraved poster-cuts. The two outside pages, in three colors, are remarkable specimens of intricate and artistic composition, The first few pages contain specimens of English and American styles of job-letter; these are followed by an original design— « Merkur-Kanzlei » —a very pretty and novel sloping German Text, in two series, light and heavy-faced, six sizes each. The « Miniature » border, 59 pieces, is one of those neat and minute designs in which German printers delight and which are the English comp's special aversion. Nearly one-half the sorts are on half-nonpareil body. It is very effectively displayed in the specimen sheet. In marked contrast, a sheet of poster and handbill borders, for one and two colors, follows—bold and handsome designs. « Altdeutsche » initials come next, in five sizes, 16- to 120-point. The style (which we do not admire) is heavy black scroll-work, relieved with an interlaced pattern. As an example of German thoroughness, this series is worthy of note. To correspond with these initials, we find in other parts of the book, every class of book-work ornament—head-pieces, tail-pieces, and corners, large and small. Several double pages are entirely occupied with this « old-German » style of scroll ornament, nearly a hundred pieces in all being shown. So that a large book could be decorated throughout with these initials and ornaments, all in perfect harmony, without repeating a single character. Some pretty Gothic initials for two colors follow, and next we have a page of typographic ornaments, 87 in all—the prettiest thing in the book. It contains every variety of the little vignette ornaments now so much in favor—turn-down and pinned corners, cobwebs, flowers, fans, cupids, birds, perched and flying, insects, medallions, and little silhouette figures. Every piece is a study, and the series is the most complete and useful of the kind yet produced. We have next a page containing twenty-four of Professor Strohl's head-pieces on a smaller scale than the original series. These ornaments have been in the hands of the trade for eight years, and the issue of a second series is sufficient proof that they are still popular. There are several pages of sketchy and artistic vignettes produced by the zinco-engraving process; fine electrotype portraits, in two sizes, of the new German emperor and empress, of the dowager empress, of the kings of Saxony, Denmark, and Sweden, and the prince-regent of Bavaria, of the Pope of Rome, of Bismarck, and von Moltke; and some hundreds of newspaper and jobbing vignettes. The book is a fine example of artistic skill and business enterprise combined.

Messrs Schelter & Giesecke have come out with an original set of « Amoret » initials, for one and two colors—one of the prettiest sets yet designed, with a background of foliage. So far as they are shown there is but one figure to each initial. The series differs from all preceding ones in the use of letters of the missal style instead of plain roman.

From James Conner's Sons, New York, we have a large quarto specimen book. Most of the new faces have been already noted in our pages. A noticeable feature in the title-page is the neat and accurate manner in which a groundwork has been cut away to admit a medallion. Such effects as these are out of the question with the appliances of an ordinary printing office, besides involving a waste of material which it requires the resources of a foundry to supply. The book opens with admirable roman faces, modern and old style.

Among the styles new to us is a fat-faced « Backslope Titles, » two sizes. « Belgrave » is a pretty heavy-face square-footed ornamental style, with lower-case. « Stylograph » is something like MacKellar's « Grolier, » but neater, and with more restraint exercised in the form of the caps. « Stylograph Text » is an upright script, with caps approximating to the old English character. « Curved Egyptian » has a good effect, though some of the individual letters are ugly. « Nubian Condensed » is a quaint and pretty fancy style, with lower-case, which will commend itself to tasteful printers everywhere. « Light Mediæval » is an ornamented roman, flourished too much to be readily legible. « Puritan, » caps and small caps, is a good eccentric, something in the « Mother Hubbard » style, but lighter. « Grotesque Ornamented » is irregular, but effective. Three original series of Greek, Hebrew, and Rabbinical, are new to us. The Greek is sloped, and is too light-faced for our fancy. The Hebrew and Rabbinic are well cut; the former in eight sizes—nonpareil to 2-line english.—The Messenger for the last quarter of 1888 contains a heavy narrow letter called « Nero, » in four sizes, 36- to 72-point, with caps, lower-case, and small-caps. It reminds us of several recent American designs, but has a character of its own. « Metropolis, » with lower-case, is not unlike « Cosmopolitan, » by the same foundry, but is not so freely flourished. On an enclosed card we have the latest novelty, « Alden, » a pretty light ornamented condensed style, in four sizes, 10- to 24-point. « Utility » ornaments, in two series, consist of ornamented corners and centre-pieces, some of which are neat and effective. A good many of the sorts of series No. 1 are repeated in No. 2.

The Printers' Bulletin, representing the Boston and Central Foundries, contains several novelties. The « Quincy » script is shown in two smaller sizes, 36- and 24-point. « Coburg » is an exaggerated old-style expanded roman with lower-case—three sizes. « Venus » is a shaded tint-faced roman; « Raphael, » the same with the addition of lower-case. « Mantua » is a hair-line roman with lower-case, the only characteristic feature of which is, that the points of the A, V, and W are rounded. « Dürer » and « Rubens » are very heavy solid condensed letters with lower-case—the latter nearly as tall as the caps.

Marder, Luse, & Co. shew « Trinal » —three eccentric founts, caps only, intended to work together. The larger sizes have extra sorts with straggling processes from top or bottom, which extend above or below the other sizes when used as small caps. « Rule ornaments, » like Barnhart's « Wave, » are in imitation of rule-twisting, and much more economical.

The Lindsay Typefoundry, New York, show in four sizes—12- to 36-point—a new condensed ornamented style with lower-case, called « Gretchen. » It is quaint and graceful, and will be an acquisition to the job printer.

Farmer, Little, & Co. send us a complete supplement to their specimen-book of 1885. All the new job styles it contains have been reviewed in former numbers of this paper.

The Patent Typefounding Company show an original condensed style with lower-case called « Holbein. » It is neat and striking, in an American style now much in vogue. The same firm have also brought out some very plain and pretty initials—condensed latin letters in white on stippled ground.

The value of trade exhibitions in centres where members connected with any industry regularly come together is being better recognized every day. Our friends of the paper, printing, and stationery branches are invited by the Middle German Paper Union to send contributions to the trade exhibitions which are now held in Leipzig at Easter and Michaelmas on the occasion of the celebrated Leipzig fairs. As Leipzig is the recognized centre of the continental book and paper trades, there can be no better opportunity for bringing colonial productions immediately before the eyes of our continental friends. Mr G. Hedeler, of Leipzig, who is a member of the Exhibition Committee of the Union, has undertaken to furnish information and assistance to intending exhibitors from these colonies.