Looks like Univers Bold.

- Lex

It's good old Helvetica. I once heard Peter Saville talking about this in an interview, he expressed his reluctance to include type anywhere on the outer sleeve... he got his wish for the front, but had to settle for 9pt Helvetica on the back.

"Unknown Pleasure" looks like Helvetica, but "Joy Division" looks like Univers. Look at the S.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ILR2pBi_0Ag

the best docu to have been on TV in a long time it's in 9 sections on youtube. Of course if your interested in Peter Saville or Factory records.

sweet, thanks for the help guys!

I'm really not sure about the Helvetica claim. It "feels" like Univers, but maybe that's due to the limited resolution. We should see this at a better resolution to be conclusive.

hmm, yeah, i don't have a bigger scan, i wish I did because it is really hard to tell whether it is Helvetica or Univers.

Hey Charles, on that interview, do you remember Peter Saville specifically saying it was 9pt Helvetica?

thanks,

josh

I'd say it is all Univers.

This is from the 1980 inner sleeve of the Joy Division 'Unknown Pleasures' US release.

Go to the YouTube I posted and see version 4 to hear about the cover design. Stockport is south Manchester and where I have spent lots of time.

Note the 'FACTUS 1' on it which means FACT US no. 1 as in the USA version 1.00 release the first US release by Factory Records.

It is not Helvetica because the lowercase 'a' right side goes straight down and does not have an extenstion like Helv. Also the figure 'one' in Helvetica doesn't have a straight top extenstion but a curved one. The parens are spot on Univers as is the lowercase 'g', comma, and numerals.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QSvuP8dnz84&feature=related

awesome Vince, thanks for clearing that up! I really appreciate you taking the time to help me out.

Hmmm... It was a while ago I watched the documentary, which was called, 'Factory- From Joy Division to Happy Mondays' on BBC. I definitely remember him saying about the reluctance to include type on the outer sleeve, but I can't be sure about the 9pt Helvetica comment, I may have just imagined this, or its a mis-informed comment I've heard somewhere?

Until now, I've always just presumed it was Helvetica, but never really studied it up close... so I was wrong to say it definitely IS without checking - sorry.

After more investigation, I now agree with Lex & Miss Tiffany - It's got to be Univers.

As I was checking my recently purchased 12" Remastered Vinyl (2007) it has thrown up an interesting point. The UNKNOWN PLEASURES title appears to be set in DIN or Akzidenz?

If you check out the next image, a sticker from the back, it claims to have 'original artwork' - I don't think so!

The sticker also reveals that the artwork was 're-editioned' by 'Something Else'... I think they have some explaining to do... I'm feeling a little cheated here!

So the USA one is Univers then so the UK FACT 10 is Helvetica, the US is FACTUS1 in Univers. Sorted then.

compare the lowercase 'y' and figure '2' Univers has a straight y and 2 not curved or with a hook ending.

enclosed is the sharper shot of the innersleeve of the 1980 original USA FACTUS1 LP.

This is the 1980 FACTUS1 original back cover.

on your recent one it probably only refers to the image as being a reproduction since most people don't call type 'artwork' so they probably 'remastered' the typography.

Again the figure 1, lc 'a' and 'y' and 'parens' are all Univers.

On your newly purchased 'remastered' one I like th (P) registered product symbol, you don't see that in fonts very much.

Also I doubt the US version was the same as the UK version since very few LPs or CD are the same since they are usually produced locally. I have many US and UK CDs that are the same and My wife who's a Manc has UK version of the ones I have as US. Her UK Suede Cds aren't the same as my US 'London' Suede (??? they are Mancs!) and the songs are different.

And to be honest I'm surprised I have the US version of Unknown Pleasures since most of the LPs I have from back then were 'Imported' since the first versions were never producted in the US until much later.