Title: Typo: A Monthly Newspaper and Literary Review, Volume 5, Issue 60 (26 December 1891)

Editor: Robert Coupland Harding

In: Typo: A Monthly Newspaper and Literary Review, Volume 5

Publication details: Robert Coupland Harding, 1891, Napier

Part of: Typo

License: Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 New Zealand Licence

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page 151

Type Specimens.

As we mentioned last month, we have received a copy of the latest specimen-book of the Dickinson Foundry, Boston, and sample fonts of some of their recent designs in job-letter. The latter have all been referred to more or less fully in our pages; but we take the present opportunity of illustrating them, especially as some of them are closely allied to still later productions of the same house. First, as a typical style, we will select one which we do not consider by any means a model job-letter, but which has thoroughly taken the fancy of the American printers, the Quaint. It was designed by one of the partners of the firm, Mr J. W. Phinney, and so great has been the demand for this letter and for its complementary style, the Quaint Open, which works with it in register as a two-color letter, that many tons have been sold, and three casting-machines are still constantly employed in turning it out. Elsewhere we show a synopsis of the characters. Two forms of the N (as may be seen by specimen lines above) are supplied with the larger sizes. It is cast in seven sizes, 10· to 48·. Closely resembling this style is the Jagged, cast only in three sizes, all on 12· body. It differs chiefly from the Quaint in having a somewhat lighter line. Lighter still—in fact, a hair-line style, though still maintaining the same general character, is the Outing, in seven sizes, cast to line, four on nonpareil and three on pica bodies. No. 43 works as small caps to 42, 44 to 43, and 45 (about 3· size), as small caps to 44. Admirers of this style can have a very similar letter with lowercase, the Erratick, which is somewhat expanded. It is cast from 6· to 48·, and like the others has several characters duplicated. As in the case of the Quaint, a full series of open letters are cast, either to be used independently, or to register in color-work. The series is closed with Virile, new to us—a condensed letter of similar character, also with lowercase, in seven sizes, 12· to 60·. Another condensed style, but much more regular and less fanciful, is the Herald, five sizes, 18· to 60·. Very similar, but extraordinarily condensed, is Globe, which must be one of the thinnest letters made. Complete with lowercase and figures, in four sizes, 24· to 60·, The Algonquin is a bold and handsome letter, in three sizes, 42· to 60·. 60· Algonquin. 60· Algonquin Ornamented. The Algonquin Ornamented works with it in color, with fine effect. When thus used, it is necessary to put a uniform thin space between the solid letters. Proper spaces are put up with each font. One more letter we illustrate—the Skjæld—a style very different from any of those that we have been considering. It originally came out in nine sizes, under the name of Typothetæ, caps only; but became at once so popular that lowercase was added. It is cast from 8· up to 60·. The first half of the book shows a fine collection of plain faces, sanserifs, and modern and old-style romans. Stenograf (12· only), is a light type-writer face, perfectly regular in alignment, as is warranted by the late improvements in type-writing machinery. In ornaments, there are the numerous Elzevir Borders and Bands that we lately noted; also four series of Elzevir Florets, on bodies of 12· to 36·. Group D (in outline) contains nine characters complementary to those in Group C, with which they may be printed in register in color-work, and they may also be used independently with good effect. Six groups of ornaments, some very good, are also shown under the name of Happy Thoughts. Card, Draught, and Chess fonts are also shown, the latter adapted to 13-em measure; and also a double-move draught font, new to us, adapted to 13 ems, the squares about 9·.