Category: Press and typeface identification
Later topic: What kind of presses are these?
Earlier topic: wooden type indentification

Does anyone know what these two typefaces are?

Hi all,

I have two boxed lead typefaces, and would like to know what they are. If anyone in this forum could help (see the photos), that would be very much appreciated. Also, how do I measure/ determine what the font size is?

Thanks in advance to anyone who can help.

R.

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Here are the photos…

image: secondset.jpg

secondset.jpg

image: firstset.jpg

firstset.jpg

The second one looks very much like the Gill Sans type face.

Definitely Gill Sans, and the top is Dorchester Script from Monotype, too bad without its lower-case children!

  • Geoffrey
  • on 21 Oct 21 (21:13)
  • Updated 21 Oct 21 (21:14)

To determine what the font size is: take one of the pieces of type out and hold it with the letter facing you. Hold a line gauge (printer’s ruler) along the side of the piece, vertically. That distance is the size. If your line gauge has a point scale, you can read the size in points directly. If it has a pica scale, measure in picas and multiply by 12. If you don’t have a printer’s ruler and you use an inch ruler, measure in inches and multiply by 72 to get an approximation. If you have a dial caliper or micrometer, measure in thousandths of an inch and divide by .0138.

One bit regarding type usage: script type such as yours is generally designed to be set in upper and lower case, not in all caps. In all caps it is not very legible, and the spacing of the letters doesn’t work out well. You can use it for initials, and for a decorative letter at the beginning of a paragraph, however. Keep an eye out for some Dorchester Script lower case. You might find some.

Thank you so much for your help. What a great forum!

I am envious of you folks who can ID a typeface just by looking at it.

The Gill looks very worn out…

Top one is Dorchester Script.