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Monotype Italian Failure
Posted by Quemadura in
8 Feb 2013 — 6:00am
8 Feb 2013 — 6:00am
Hello everyone.
I'd like to buy whatever digitization of Italian Old Style most closely resembles that in the attached jpeg.
However, the Monotype Italian Old Style available digitally looks nothing like it. Lanston's does, but it lacks small caps and old style figures.
Thanks in advance for the guidance.
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8 Feb 2013 — 7:20am
I’m afraid there aren’t any small caps and old style figures digitally available. If you want them to be made here is one person you can talk to.
8 Feb 2013 — 7:27am
Thanks, JW.
Out of curiosity: how is it that a digital face called "Monotype Italian Old Style" would bear no resemblance to a hot metal face named "Monotype Italian Old Style"?
8 Feb 2013 — 7:49am
Out of the many different type sizes of the original hot metal version they chose one size (probably for phototype setting) that is by reproduction not the same as the originally printed in text size on coated paper. Plus the recreation of old faces for phototype usually was a bit sloppy, due to enormous time limits.
8 Feb 2013 — 7:58am
You should hear what happened to Garamont! :-)
As Jürgen says, if your budget matches your discrimination :-) commission a customization.
hhp
8 Feb 2013 — 8:13am
It goes way beyond just type weight - the W is different than the one shown in the sample in Goudy's Type Designs (complete) by Frederick W. Goudy. Other glyphs appear to be altered as well, such as the shape of the dots on i and j etc.
8 Feb 2013 — 8:37am
Here is Goudy's Sample
8 Feb 2013 — 8:44am
Here is digital Italian Old Style in Goudy's form:
10 Feb 2013 — 1:04pm
Actually there are Small Caps and oldstyle figures available digitally: They are contained in Richard Beatty’s digitization called «Goudy Italian Old Style»:
It’s available at FontShop.
There are some notable diffences to the scan from the Monotype metal version though, e.g. the width of the W, which probably had to be narrowed to fit the Monotype unit system.