Based on a rare specimen of an American Wood Types from the late 1800s, this condensed font conjures up 19th Century Americana but offers many potential design possibilities. The small caps font is based on a variation of the same basic design and was digitally modified to function as a small cap companion to the “regular” font. The exact origin and naming of 19th century wood-type is often confusing due to the hundreds of designs and variations offered. These fonts were originally made in wood by the William H. Page Type Company circa 1887. The main upper and lower case design was known as “15 line 513 Class M” and the small caps were based on “10 line No. 510” . The design is a condensed Tuscan with relatively subtle inward curves. An extra feature built into the digital P22 font is three sets of decorative brackets allowing for the creation of custom encapsulated words or phrases. To achieve the encapsulated brackets in WoodType and WoodType Small Caps use the () {} or [] keys to begin and end the word. When typing the word, follow each letter with the equals sign = i.e. [B=r=a=c=k=e=t=s]
Two fonts of “extras” are also included. The ornaments are based on some of the hundreds of wood type ornaments offered by the same companies that made the wood type alphabets. Included are over 150 linking borders, single words, pointing hands and other decorative elements.
The William H. Page Type Company was later acquired by The Hamilton Wood. Type company which still makes wood type to this day at The Hamilton Wood. Type Museum in Two Rivers Wisconsin.
Designed in 2003, 2004 by James Grieshaber exclusively for P22 type foundry/International House of Fonts. Thanks to Brian Maloney and Don Glickman for resource material assistance.
Woodtype is a set of four fonts based on 19th Century American wooden printing types. Woodtype Regular is a condensed Tuscan styled font with a lower case and full international character set. Woodtype Small Caps is a variation of the regular with small caps in place of the lower case. Woodtype Extras One & Two feature over 150 decorative borders, stars, pointing hands & other decorative embellishments. Perfect for evoking 19th Century printing & Americana at its most genuine.
