Scoop’s Views

I spent several years running my fingers from one slot to another in California Job Cases. Sadly, they are mostly gone in today’s computer-based world of printing.

In the late 1980s, though, as PageMaker and QuarkXPress were vying for placement on newsroom computers as a desktop publishing tool, sometimes replacing actual Linotypes, other times replacing old tape-based typesetting machines, I developed an even stronger appreciation for good design in font families.

In my younger days, hanging out in print shops, spending time learning how to use a Linotype, setting print jobs using individual pieces of type from California Job Cases, I loved playing with the variety of fonts, but I loved learning about each font.

As fonts became digitized, things began to change. Using electronic tools, anyone could suddenly develop a font. For awhile, actually, especially in the early-to-mid 1990s, it seemed as if everyone was developing their own font. Everything from fake “Times New Roman” to phony and pathetic imitations of Caslon Antique were everywhere.

Sure, there were a few places to buy quality fonts. Like today, if you want the real thing, you will pay a fair price.

Today, while browsing some shots at Flickr, I found a list of Flickr groups for font lovers. Be sure to check out the Found Type group for a complete list of groups discussing various things related to fonts and type.

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