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Typo: A Monthly Newspaper and Literary Review, Volume 4

Recent Specimens

page 51

Recent Specimens.

Marder, Luse, & Co., the well-known typefounders of Chicago, to whom belongs the credit of the introduction of the point-system, send us a stout little specimen-book, neatly bound in scarlet cloth, and bearing date 1890. The title-page is artistically displayed in their new style known as « Banquet. » The first section of the book, of 180 pages, is a general illustrated price-list of every requisite for the largest business, with useful tables and practical hints to buyers. The second part consists of specimens of the original styles of type produced by the foundry, an outline sketch of the type showing the nick being given to all the body-founts. This is a very useful feature, and tends to prevent confusion in ordering sorts. The remainder of the book is occupied by a great variety of plain and fancy job letters, nearly all styles being represented. There is also a great profusion of borders, line-ornaments, cuts, rules, &c. We have noted so many of the novelties of this enterprising firm during the past four years, that we find very little of recent origin that we have not described. « Slocum seals, » in five sizes, printed in red, would give a very official appearance to a document, and could not be detached. « Foot-prints » three sizes, (6 characters) is a whimsical notion; but they resemble foot-soles rather than foot-marks. No matter what the printer's taste may be, he will find enough to gratify him in this little book.

The Central Typefoundry show in four sizes « University, » a plain broad and very light—almost skeleton—roman. By means of the point system, and the exercise of a little judgment in casting, all the sizes are made to line as caps and small-caps with the help of ordinary leads. This is a good and useful letter. Printers who can afford it should buy the whole series—but not on any account use the letter with heavy-faced type or in color-printing. « Webster » is a lighter-faced variety of the popular « Washington. » A novelty is the « labor-saving mailer type, » for addresses. It is on the principle of the « type-writer, » all the letters on en-set, requires no justification, and as beauty is not studied, the appearance is of no consequence. A galley of addresses may be very rapidly set in this letter. Other novelties of this foundry—the new style of loose accents and the railway figures—are noted in our column of inventions.

The Dickinson Foundry has produced another condensed heavy letter with lower-case, suggestive of the « Diirer » and the « Bubens. » It has a special feature, some of the more open letters, such as the L, T, f, r, and t, being relieved by light line ornaments, which obviate other-wise unsightly gaps between the letters. It is named « Grady, » after the late Mr Henry Grady of the Atlanta Constitution, for whom the type was originally designed. It is a useful and handsome letter, and (with the exception of the cap M) has no nonsense about it.

The Boston Typefoundry have brought out a condensed style of their popular « Facade, » differing only from the original in its exceeding compactness. It is one of the thinnest job-letters in the market, and is perfectly legible. Five sizes are shown, lining perfectly at head and foot.

The J. B. Mangan Printing Company, St Louis, show a large variety of pretty and effective vignettes and initials. They are sketchy and most artistic, in some eases introducing curious silhouette effects.

M. Gustave Mayeur, Paris, sends us by mail some late specimens, with sample lines of type. As one line only has reached us, out of three forwarded, we defer our notice, in the hope that the missing packet will arrive in time for our next issue.