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1890s type
Posted by LeGrys in
28 Apr 2011 — 1:46am
28 Apr 2011 — 1:46am
Hello! Long time lurker, first-time poster...
I am designing a book where I want the pages to have the feel of a book from the 1880s and 1890s. I am looking for a good typeface to use for the body copy that has a slight irregular, letterpress feel to it.
So far I have found: Old Times American
but this seems more in keeping with a newspaper or periodical than a book.
And: Archetype
which I like a lot but I am not sure whether it is from the right era
Does anyone have any thoughts or suggestions?
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28 Apr 2011 — 2:30am
Archetype has similarities to the Janson type by Nicholas Kis, which he made around 1690.
28 Apr 2011 — 4:47am
Have a look at Nick Shinn’s Scotch Modern, which reflects the era you’re after.
28 Apr 2011 — 5:05am
Wow. Scotch Modern is perfect in terms of letter shapes. A great recommendation.
I think for my needs it may be a little too perfect in execution as it lacks the slightly irregular quality I am seeking. Although my printed page will obviously not have the texture of a letterpress-printed page I want it to suggest at first glance that it may have been printed on a Victorian press, with the slightly irregular baseline and all that entails.
28 Apr 2011 — 5:13am
Try GLC fonts. They are all named by date and seem to have all the irregularities of early printing you're after
4 May 2011 — 6:18am
I know it's a much earlier font but there is a free resource for the Fell types online
http://iginomarini.com/fell/ it has a very irregular outline but is fantastically readable
30 May 2011 — 9:11am
This sounds like a job for Founders Caslon.
hhp