Category: Press and typeface identification
Later topic: typeface with unusual 'e'
Earlier topic: Font Book

1930s Commercial printing

Hello,

I’m new here to this forum, and I am so glad that I found this website as it is an incredible resource!

I am looking to find what kind of printing machine made these labels. I think it was a two step process: the background design was printed and then the model number, “1 St. 343 K” in this case, was printed or stamped after.

Is it possible to identify what kind of machine printed these labels just by looking at them? If it helps any, these labels were originally printed in the late 1930s in Germany.

Thanks in advance,

Klaus

image: white-label-1930s_small.jpg

white-label-1930s_small.jpg

Log in to reply   4 replies so far

Also…does anyone know the font in which the “1 St. 343 K” was printed?

Klaus

It is probably hand-drawn. Take a close look at the “Made in Germany” line below it. That was definitely hand-drawn. On second look it IS hand-drawn. The two “3”s are different.

Rick

Hello Rick,

Thanks for your comments. Can you explain more about it being “hand-drawn.” Surely these labels were printed on a very large scale and couldn’t all be hand-drawn. Was the printing block hand made?

You’re right, the two “3”s are different within each label, but across the two labels, the differences are the same which would support a single print block making these labels.

Best regards,

Klaus

By ‘hand-drawn” I mean that the lettering was hand drawn and then an engraving was made so that it could be printed. Just as the artwork for a drawing on an object would have been made into an engraved block.

Rick