ffi |
fl |
5m |
4m |
’ |
k |
e |
1 |
2 |
3 |
4 |
5 |
6 |
7 |
8 |
$ |
@ |
# |
Æ |
Π|
æ |
œ |
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j |
b |
c |
d |
i |
s |
f |
g |
ff |
9 |
A |
B |
C |
D |
E |
F |
G |
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? |
fi |
0 |
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H |
I |
K |
L |
M |
N |
O |
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I have a vintage Hamilton letterpress cabinet with various typefaces, I have been asked to sell on eBay.
I do not know a lot about this so was hoping someone may be able to help identify a few typefaces, & tell me how to tell what number of points they are. I can email more pictures.
PA170547.JPG
Hi Roddy,
the type you show is a sans serif face, possibly Gill Sans, Kabel, Futura, or a derivative face like San Serif (Kabel) or 20th Century (Futura).
There are a few things keeping you from getting a clear response:
1. you appear to be showing mixed sizes and not enough of the type to identify it. Try to put together an A-Z/a-z of the 52 upper and lower case characters in a single size. That will help us look for key characteristics of the face that my only occur on a single character like a lower case g or upper case M…
2. you might be able to help us identify the type by looking on the face of the lower case m or upper case H for a tiny set of numbers. IF there are numbers there, we can identify the face rapidly.
3. To get correct sizes, I’d suggest laying them against a pica rule for the picture if you have one with the printing cabinet. Printers work in 1/72 of an inch rather than standard measurements. 1/72 is a point, 12 points is a pica, etc… Also, type is measured from the bottom to the top of the face rather than side to side of the face as shown in your image.
If you don’t have a pica rule, do this:
measure from the bottom to the top of the face of the type in 1/100’s of an inch. Say that you get 16/100’s. Go to google.com and enter “0.16 inches to points” in the google box. In this case it comes back 11.52 points. Type is commonly sold in sizes 6, 8, 10, 12, 14, 16, 18, 24, 32, 36, 48, 72, so round to the nearest number (in this case 12) and you’ll have it.
Best,
Alan
p.s. looks like 10 and 12 point based on an estimate from the picture. Looks like you have a pica rule in the picture, it is just measuring the wrong direction.
The type looks corroded. If so, it’s probably not salable. If it has a lot of white flaky and/or powdery stuff on it, that’s lead oxide, which is toxic. Please wear gloves and a mask when handling it.
If it’s only a bit corroded, and the corrosion is not on the face of the type, it might be possible to make it usable. I’ve had some success with this by soaking the type in vinegar, brushing it with a soft toothbrush, rinsing, drying, and spraying it with a mixture of mineral spirits and a bit of 3-in-1 oil. This may not be worthwhile if the type is worn in addition to being corroded. You can examine it for wear by looking at the face under a magnifying glass. The edges of the characters should not be rounded over, and there shouldn’t be any dings or scratches.
Barbara