Pages of As, Bs, Cs...

kristin19 May 2005 · 08:39

I have a vague memory of a book that was available on line (and may still be) whose purpose was to help in identificaton of fonts. Each page was set up with a grid of maybe 30 squares and in each square was a letter in 60 point or thereabouts. Underneath the letter was the typeface name. Apparently this book had pages and pages of cap As, then cap Bs, and so on.

I’m not referring to Rookledge’s International Typefinder. I have that book and find it useful. The book I’m vaguely recalling did not have one-line specimens for each typeface, it simply had various incarnations of each letter of the alphabet grouped together.

I never actually saw the book and have no idea if it would be helpful. However, one of our art directors is looking for info on the book and I seem to have misplaced the url or any information about it.

So can anyone help an old lady with her senior moment? What the heck was that book? Did anyone actually purchase it and/or find it useful?

Thanks!

Stephen Coles19 May 2005 · 12:15

“IdentaFONT” (Nancy Wansick, Don Wansick)

Personally, I don’t find it very useful because the selection is slim and outdated and there’s no logical order to the displays. It only really works when you’re trying to identify a single distinctive glyph.

bshaykin19 May 2005 · 12:15

I think I have that book:

Encyclopedia of Comparative Letterforms for Artists & Designers
by Norman S. Weinberger

It’s fun to look through, but I don’t know that I’ve ever actually used it....

kristin19 May 2005 · 12:28

I posted this also on the Type Identification board and got the answer I was looking for:

SjButton
Thu, 2005-05-19 12:19

www.namethisfont.com

Even just the specimines of this book are helpful.

The other books sound interesting as well.

Hrant H Papazian19 May 2005 · 13:25

Benjamin, could you please tell me/us more about that book?

hhp

bshaykin20 May 2005 · 08:54

Sure thing. It’s sounds like it’s actually quite similar to Kristen’s book.

The book is approx 10 1/2 x 8 1/2”, horizontal, hardcover, 416 pages.

Each page has a grid of 35 squares, each containing a capital letter or numeral, at about 72 points. There are 8 pages of each letter, so that’s 280 typefaces. Each square also has a small number which corresponds to a master grid index in the back, listing the typeface names and foundries.

Full lowercase alphabets are listed in a separate section, five to a page, again numbered to correspond to the grid index.

Threre’s also an alphabetical index at the back.

I can try to post some pictures later if you’re interested.

Hrant H Papazian20 May 2005 · 09:42

> I can try to post some pictures later if you’re interested.

Wow, that would be great.
Maybe some of the lc “g” action in there?

hhp

bshaykin20 May 2005 · 16:55

Actually, the lc pages aren’t at all as cool as the uc. They just show full lc alphabets (five to a page) like any other specimen book.

Could I interest you in some uc “G”s instead?

Hrant H Papazian20 May 2005 · 18:44

For UC, the “Q”s, please - thanks!

hhp

nathanjones23 May 2005 · 12:43

The entire font identification process could be greatly simplified if everyone would just agree to only use Hobo.

bshaykin23 May 2005 · 21:38

Hrant, some Qs for you.
And some more.

(These are from the 2-page overview, showing all 8 pages worth.)

Extra credit: Spot the Hobo!

antiphrasis24 May 2005 · 00:17

Benjamin,

Hobo Q is on page 168, row 2, and column 4. :)

bshaykin24 May 2005 · 09:29

Yup.

bshaykin24 May 2005 · 10:01

Anyone for a game of typeface bingo?

nathanjones24 May 2005 · 10:59

There is Hobo. Yeah, I think we should stick with that one. What a beautiful letterform.

Hrant H Papazian24 May 2005 · 16:16

Thank you Benjamin! That’s a keeper for sure.

BTW, what font is the second one from the left on the 4th row of page 164?

hhp

bshaykin24 May 2005 · 18:49

My pleasure.

That one’s listed as:

West, Dave
Behemoth Clarendon Italic Swash
5546c
Photo-Lettering, Inc.

Gunther28 May 2005 · 05:23

There is also the German book “ÜberSicht” (http://www.typografie.de/verlagsverzeichnis/typografie/230-9.html). It was published in 1991 and lists 1800 typefaces.

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