uploaded image

The attached text was produced on an IBM Selectric III Compatible typewriter.

I know it is Letter Gothic and presumably at 12 pitch as that was the standard size for this font on the IBM - but here's my problem:

I'm trying to recreate this font on a PC but having difficulty.

1) Using the font 'lettergothicstd.otf' is very similar, but the original text is much more condensed...

2) The weight of the font in the original is much heavier than I can create. Bolding up lettergothic.otf is still not as heavy as the original.

Does anyone know why I can't get the original look of the IBM Selectric in terms of how the font is condensed and its weight?

Many thanks

This is a bit tricky because your sample is not very sharp and suffers from compresion. After cleaning it up a bit I found one that comes close, the URW Letter Gothic Bold. No match though, compare the f.

Using this one seems to be no match at all:


(a word screendump)

But the screen enlarged to 150% produces something reasonably cose:



Hope this helps.

Edit kk:
Out of curiosity I superimposed the URW Letter Gothic Bold over your image.



As you can see the match is not perfect, your caps height is just a fraction higher but I wonder whether you will get very much closer.

Success.

Thanks kk, you've put a lot of effort into trying to find me an answer... very much appreciated.

I'm kind'a thinking that the condensed letter spacing is just a function of the IBM typewriter it came from, and the only way to replicate it would be change the kerning of 'lettergothicstd.otf' on a PC to match.

Also, I think the such heavy weight of the typeface is something acheived at the printers.

Many, many thanks again kk