Type Specimens.

The finest specimen-book of the year has come to us from the foundry of Wilhelm Woellmer, Berlin, followed by a parcel of specimen lines so varied that more than five pages of this issue are devoted to their display. All the examples shown are original designs of the house, and they are but a fraction of those shown in the book. We have also received two supplementary books showing that the firm keeps fully up to the times, and, causing one to wonder, as we often do, where a sufficient market is found for all the novelties. At the head of this page is shown the fine Maurische combination, on 48· body. It consists of three characters only, all on square body, and is cast for one, two, or three-color work. There are two quite independent borders. The first character, numbered 1-2-3, is equally appropriate as running-piece and corner, and, when printed in a light tint, it forms a good ground-pattern, readily composed. The characters 4-5-6, 7-8-9, are respectively running-piece and corner. Both borders are exhibited above. The initial at the head of this column is one of a series for one and two colors called Ceres Initials, made in three sizes. In the two smaller sizes the initial is solid; in the largest size, as will be noted, an artistic effect is produced by softening off the lower part of the letter in a graduated tint. A combination, in great favor with German printers, is the Shield border, from which an endless variety of tablets may be composed, from a plain double-rule panel to the most ornate shield. Out of twenty-eight characters we show eleven. One of the finest and most elaborate combinations of this firm is the Renaissance, in five sections, from 6· to 48·. The original series has a white design on solid ground, and the five series comprise 188 characters, the full font (which would only be required in a large office) weighing nearly a hundredweight. As if this exhaustive combination were not sufficient, the sorts are duplicated in a second series, the Light Renaissance, in which the solid background is omitted, and which many printers will prefer. We show specimens of both in this column, and further examples, as well as headpieces electrotyped from the design, elsewhere. There are vertical as well as horizontal characters; and effective sidepieces, as well as panelled borders, are readily composed. On another page, our readers will find several examples of the fine Rococo combination; also electro headpieces constructed from the same, some of which we annex. This design contains in all eighty characters, some of them very large and beautiful. A later and very pretty series is the Ranken Border, containing four characters, and cast for one or two colors. The terminal piece is a very effective and useful feature of this design. A series of Silhouette Ornaments (known in America as « Pointers »), contains a large variety both in size and page 2design. We show half-a-dozen out of a series of thirty-four. For gold and color work the bold series of Borders, 13 to 16, is not easily surpassed. It is on 48· body, and includes in all eighteen characters. Series 13 contains eight, arranged for horizontal and vertical designs; series 14, two, running-piece and corner; and 15 and 16, four each. We show the complete series on page 10. All these designs are also supplied on 24· body. A long article might easily be entirely devoted to the series of Free Ornaments, containing 156 characters, they are so numerous and varied. They range in body from 3· to 48·, and the complete synopsis would fill a column. Primarily intended for use in conjunction with brass-rule, they include all kinds of ornaments suitable for the free decoration now in vogue, and contain pieces suitable for terminal and corner ornaments, running borders, and groundworks. As in several other recent combinations a charming effect is produced by the gradual softening off of the pattern, as in the examples we show. There are some excellent brass terminals and centres for various faces of rule, and numerous free and flourished ornaments of great beauty. Some of the pieces are on oblique and curved bodies, two of the characters being on the eighth part of a circle. An ingenious idea is a band divided obliquely for a ribbon or panel to cross. It is arranged to correspond with other characters in the design, so that the band may be continued to any extent. Many of the characters are appropriate to groundwork patterns. On page 8, we show some of Woellmer's recent styles in job-letter, nine in all, in various sizes. They are all in the modern fashion, and suitable for general job-work. The Lined Renaissance is a clean-cut face of the Latin style, moderately condensed, a touch of ornament being added by the fine, shade-line at right and foot of the letter. Eight sizes, 12· to 96·. The Light Renaissance is wider, a white letter with heavy shade, in six grades, 14· to 48·. Fantasia is a pretty and useful ornamented style, bold, legible, and durable. In six sizes, 16· to 60·. Mignon is lighter in face, and neat in design. Three sizes only, 10·, 12·, and 16·, all shown. Circular Schrift is a very pretty style, between roman and ronde in character. Three grades, 16·, 20·, and 28·. Japonia is more fanciful, and is cast in five sizes, 12· to 36·. Barnum is a somewhat striking style—a heavy letter of the paint-brush character, banded with white. Four sizes, 20· to 48·. Cursive Ornamented is a fancy italic, in a style now very popular. In six sizes, 10· to 36·. Heavy Ronde is a good letter for handbills and magazine advertisements. Five sizes, 20· to 60·. On page 7 we show a few of the ornamental brass-rule faces which are a specialty of the house. In addition to these a variety of the now familiar Combination Rule Borders are manufactured. A few of the numerous electrotyped vignettes and headpieces of the house are also shown. They are accurately mounted, and show signs of having been carefully gone over with a graver—a precaution often neglected. We defer notice of the novelties in the supplementary specimen-books recently to hand, merely noting in the meantime a new series of job-letter called Staffeta. This style is apparently identical in face as well as in its four sizes with the Barnum, except that the white band is absent, the letter being solid. The two fonts could in that case be used effectively in register color work. The Staffeta, however, has duplicate forms of the e, h, and s, which we do not see in the Barnum specimen-lines.

Of late we have received very few specimen sheets from Messrs. Schelter & Giesecke, the last to hand including the ambitious and magnificent Raphael combination, which would require more than one article to do it justice. A small parcel of specimen types has reached us, including two novelties. One of these is a flight of Swallows, a favorite motive in German ornament, and the series will be found a very useful one. There are ten characters, consisting, as will be seen, of five pairs. The other design is a series of Rule Terminals, adapted to standard faces of brass rule. We show the whole scheme. There are 21 characters in all: nine pairs, and three which can be used either right- or left-handed.

The Inland Foundry, Chicago, has produced an elegant series entitled Skinner. It is a medium-faced latin, with minims, and is produced in eight sizes, from 6· to 30·. The effect in actual use is very clean and attractive. Being cast, like all the faces of this foundry, to unit set, justification is easy and accurate, while its other feature, standard line, enables it to be used with any other font by the same makers without card adjustment, and it ranges correctly with their leaders and leader-rule. The advantage of this latter feature when the letter is used in program or tabular work, is clear. The Bruce, caps only, is a letter of very similar character, less wide in set.

Hansen Old-style, by H. C. Hansen, 24 Hawley Street, Boston, is one of the latest additions to the rapidly-increasing family of « Jenson » faces, and is a good letter of its class. It is shown in ten sizes, 8· to 48·.

The American Typefounders' Company show in ten sizes, 6· to 60·, Doric Italic, closely resembling the similarly-named face by Caslon (see p. 12). Taylor Gothic, six sizes, 10· to 48· (others in preparation), is not easily described. It is a kind of old-style sans, the thick and thin strokes well discriminated. Some of the letters are not to our liking, but the general effect is good.