#chromatic type

Typography Tuesday

Here are some examples of chromatic wood type borders from an untitled and undated specimen catalog of the Luzern, Switzerland, wood-type manufacture Roman Scherer (1848-1922), produced ca. 1905. Scherer founded Holztypenfabrik Roman Scherer in Luzern in 1877, designing and manufacturing wood type using wood from local fruit trees. Scherer’s company was the first and probably the only Swiss wood-type manufacturer, operating until the late 1970s. 

The business remained prosperous after Scherer's death, but in the mid-1960s the foundry had to shut down because of the construction of Swiss Autobahn 27, and in 1966 the company was acquired by the Haas Type Foundry and moved to Münchenstein near Basel. Manufacture of wood type slowed and in 1976 production was moved to Gedi-Schriften of the Diller brothers company in Bamberg, Germany. Today, Scherer type catalogs are much sought after.

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Typography Tuesday

Here are another set of initials used by Theodore Low De Vinne's (1828-1914) De Vinne Press in New York in the early 20th century. The last two images are of chromatic initials to be printed in two or three colors.

These examples come from Types of the De Vinne Press, published in New York by the De Vinne Press in 1907. Theodore De Vinne founded his press in 1883. He was also a co-founder of the prestigious Grolier Club and one of the leading commercial printers of his day, whose enterprise had a profound influence on American printing and typography. This book was intended as a promotional specimen book “for the use of compositors, proofreaders, and publishers,” to demonstrate the wide variety of typographic possibilities that could be available to their clients.

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Typography Tuesday

Here are some more specimens of wood type from an untitled and undated specimen catalog of the Luzern, Switzerland, wood-type manufacture Roman Scherer (1848-1922), produced ca. 1905. Founded in Luzern in 1877, Scherer’s company was the first and probably the only Swiss wood-type manufacturer, operating until the late 1970s. 

Below are a couple of specimen pages of Scherer chromatic wood type.

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Typography Tuesday

For this St. Patrick's Day edition of Typography Tuesday we present some Irish-themed chromatic wood type (sorry, only three-leaved clovers) from an untitled and undated specimen catalog of the Luzern, Switzerland, wood-type manufacture Roman Scherer (1848-1922), produced ca. 1905. Scherer founded Holztypenfabrik Roman Scherer in Luzern in 1877, designing and manufacturing wood type using wood from local fruit trees. Scherer’s company was the first and probably the only Swiss wood-type manufacturer, operating until the late 1970s. 

Happy St. Patty's Day!!

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Typography Tuesday

Last month, the Milwaukee Public Library's Arts & Media Department held its first Art Book Club session. Intended as an informal art book appreciation club that meets once a month in the Art, Music, and Recreation room, each session explores a different theme by looking at the wide variety of art materials in the collection. The collection is historical, non-circulating, and vast. I attended and spent an hour and a half mesmerized by the array of luscious materials presented.

There was design, architecture, fashion, and much more. As a type nerd, I was especially drawn to the several late 19th- and early 20th-century type specimen books on the tables. Here, for example, are some pages of chromatic initials by various European and American companies from Schriften Atlas, compiled by Ludwig Petzendorfer and published in Stuttgart by Julius Hoffmann in 1898.

MPL held its second Art Book Club session on the theme of "Animals" last night, but I missed it because I was conducting an evening instruction session. Dang! But I'll be attending future sessions when I can and I'll keep y'all apprised.

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Typography Tuesday

This week we bring you some examples of chromatic wood type from a newly acquired, untitled and undated specimen catalog from the Luzern, Switzerland, wood-type manufacture Roman Scherer. We think the catalog was produced ca. 1905. Scherer founded Holztypenfabrik Roman Scherer in Luzern, the first and probably only Swiss wood-type manufacturer, which operated from the about 1880 to the late 1970s. 

We don’t have much information on the company, except that in the mid-1960s the foundry had to shut down because of the construction of Swiss Autobahn 27, and in 1966 the company was acquired by the Haas Type Foundry and moved to Münchenstein near Basel. Manufacture of wood type slowed and in 1976 production was moved to Gedi-Schriften of the Diller brothers company in Bamberg, Germany.

If anyone has more information, we’d love to know about it!!

View more posts with wood type.

chromatic type YES!

Brim Narrow: November Sale

Perfect for posters, packaging and logotypes, Brim is currently climbing the Hot New Fonts list, Brim Narrow is 30% off over November only.

Its various styles stack together creating a variety of decorative combinations. Warm and tactile, Brim produces punchy headlines and decorative titles.