Arboret Ornaments

Just to show off how nicely Arboret's ornaments are packaged at Skyline Type Foundry.

That is a wonderful method: all pieces labeled, and the label itself dated. Thanks, Sky!

I ordered two boxes of ornaments, not knowing if they'd ever be cast again once Sky runs out of the original casting. I laid them into the California Job Case with the two sizes (12 & 14 pt) of type. It would be awkward to store two boxes of ornaments separately from their designated typeface. I added labels so I can tell which ornaments are which.

As you can tell, I am a big fan of the "cordwood" type arrangement. It prevents delicate kerns from breaking, and the face itself from scratches caused by other sorts.

Since Arboret is a caps-only face, I laid the actual 12 and 24 point letters in the lower case sections of this California case. This leaves plenty of room for the ornaments to inhabit the upper case section.

Can't resist

A printers "hellbox" is where old type goes to die. Thrown into a convenient receptacle because it's worn or damaged, hellbox type finds new life only by being traded to the typefounder, who melts it down to make brand new type.

After the Wayzgoose in Phoenix, we traveled to Skyline Type Foundry in Prescott. I had a reasonably full hellbox to trade in-- but this pic shows the granddaddy hellbox of them all. It's from the International Printing Museum, where I volunteer once a month.

Even after the feeding frenzy of the Goose, and our new purchases at Sky's, could any of us resist pawing through it? Might there be good sorts? There were a few still-wrapped fonts in there!

Thanks to Tom Parsons for this shot.

Victorian Dreams

When I began letterpress printing 26 years ago, very few fonts were available to me, and none at all which captured the exuberance and style of the Victorian era I so love. Fast forward to the revival of revival type foundries-- and my prayers are answered. Skyline Type Foundry has reproduced some decorative fonts long unavailable for purchase, including one of my favorites, Arboret. To get a better view of this beauty, please double click to biggify. You won't be sorry!

PS Not the best pic, but still!  :)

The friendly proprietor and me

Ornamental

Showed you the fonts, now for the ornaments. Three packages full, but identical packages. I wanted to have enough of any ornament I chose to use. So here is more deliciousness from Skyline:

REAL Fonts

I mentioned committing typographic excess. Here's the (literal) proof! More literarily, here are the proofs:

 Concave

 Keynote

 Rustic

 Spread

Victoria Italic

All of the above are from Skyline Typefoundry in Arizona. Except for Keynote, all are 19th century designs. Sky has the matrices to cast these great old faces and many more. Needless to say I am a delighted customer.