This dotty delight, with its exceptional x-height, is based on handlettering presented in one of Hal Martin’s many Idea Books for Signmen, Artists and Displaymen, published in the 1930s. The ball terminals on several letters in the original alphabet have been enlarged to punctuate the page with dancing dots, suggesting the game which gives this typeface its name. Both versions of the font include 1252 Latin, 1250 CE (with localization for Romanian and Moldovan).

This willowy wonder is based on Morris Fuller Benton’s Stymie Obelisk, one in a series of typefaces he designed for American Type Founders in the 1930s. An obvious choice when real estate is at a premium, its classic forms will add just the right amount of punch to any headline it graces. Both versions include complete Latin 1252, Central European 1250 and Turkish 1524 character sets, with localization for Moldovan, Romanian and Turkish.

The distinguishing characteristics of this typeface were suggested by cover artwork for the May 1930 issue of Inland Printer: a combination of caps based on Breda Gotisch, released by H. Berthold AG in 1928, and a lowercase based on Goudy Text. The result is a remarkably elegant and retro-stylish blackletter face. Both versions of the font contain the complete Latin 1252 character set plus support for Central European (Unicode 1250) languages as well.

This family takes its inspiration from two early Art Deco faces from Germany. The Normal version is based on Dynamo, designed by K. Sommer for Ludwig & Mayer in 1930, while the Narrow version is based on Stadion, designed by Erhard Grundeis for Die Schriftguß AG in 1929. Their common design motifs epitomize the Age of Streamline. Both versions include the complete Latin 1252, Central European 1250 and Turkish 1254 character sets, with localization for Lithuanian, Moldovan and Romanian.

Lettering on a menu from a Pennsylvania hotel, circa 1930, provided the inspiration for this happy-go-lucky take on the alphabet. Lowercase letters are variants of the uppercase and kerning has been applied to every possible letter combination, so feel free to double-clutch the shift key to create a truly handlettered feel with this font. Both versions of this font include the complete Latin 1252 and CE 1250 character sets, with localization for Romanian and Moldovan.

This in-yer-face kinda face is based on a broad brush font from "The New ABC of Showcard & Ticketwriting" by C. Milne, published in Australia in the late 1930s. Brought to my attention by Ms. Kat Black, and named in honor of Ms. Kat's grannie, to whom the book originally belonged. The Postscript and Truetype versions contain a complete Latin language character set (Unicode 1252); in addition, the Opentype version supports Unicode 1250 (Central European) languages as well.

The name comes from a British expression about two things that couldn't be more different, and it suits this offering to a tee. The uppercase of this typeface is based on 1930s lettering by French poster artist Charles Loupot, and the lowercase is based on 1910s lettering by German plakatmeister Ludwig Hohlwein. Oddly, the two seem to play together well. Both versions of the font include the 1252 Latin and 1250 CE character sets (with localization for Romanian and Moldovan).

Cadmus Pro is the newly remastered and greatly expanded version of a Jim Rimmer design based on a type originally done by hand lettering artist Robert Foster. Foster’s type, named Pericles, was published by ATF in the 1930s, and used in lettering magazines and advertising headings. The design is based closely on early inscriptional Greek. Cadmus Pro comes with over 1130 glyphs, covering pretty much all Latin languages (including Vietnamese) as well as Cyrillic, Greek and Hebrew. OpenType features include stylistic alternates, automatic fractions, ordinals, and small figure ranges for superiors and inferiors. Proceeds from this font will be put towards a variety of Canadian typography education causes.

Decorative type in style of 1930s.

Decorative type in style of 1930s.

Statistics Prove. Near and Far. That Folks Who Drive Like Crazy. Are! Burma-Shave. In the days before the Interstate Highway system, you were likely to encounter a series of signs like this, somewhere in the backwoods between the large and small towns connected by the U.S. Highway system. The fonts in this series are based on the typefaces used on U.S. Highway signs from the 1930s to the 1950s. Included in each font are a sign shield in the backslash position, and a Burma-Shave logo in the section mark position. The Truetype and Opentype versions contain the complete Latin language character set (Unicode 1252) plus Central European (Unicode 1250) languages as well.

A revival, based on a 1930’s design.

Broad pen script typeface from 1930s magazine advertising.

Broad pen script typeface from 1930s and 40s; magazine advertising.

Broad pen script typeface from 1930s and 40s; magazine advertising.

Broad pen script typeface from 1930s and 40s; magazine advertising.

F. H. Schneidler’s ‚Kontrast‘, released by Weber in 1930, revived.

A 1930s casual Art Deco type style with as much influence in 1970s graphic design as in its day was found within the pages of the 1930s French publication L'Art du Tracé Rationnel de la Lettre. Discotheque JNL is available in both regular and oblique versions.

Metropolica is a plakkat font, inspired in titglings from advertises from 1930's

Designed by R.H. Middleton for Ludlow, circa 1930. Digitally engineered by Steve Jackaman.

Oakland is a Streamline era design inspired by some hand-drawn lettering on a 1930's French poster advertising a certain brand of Car (Automobile for our American cousins). It's ideal for giving poster and design work that late 1930s to mid 1950s feel. Make a bold statement with this all capitals typeface!

typeface based on old lettering by an 1930's advertise lettering in a Flight Magazine

The Erbar font was designed by Jakob Erbar for the Ludwig & Mayer/Neufville foundry in 1930.

The Erbar font was designed by Jakob Erbar for the Ludwig & Mayer/Neufville foundry in 1930.

Venecian Old Face fonts had a strong influence on typeface design in the 1930s and 1940s in England. Such influence is evident in the font Electra, designed by William A. Dwiggins for Linotype in 1935. Electra combines its classic roots with the Zeitgeist of the 1930s, also displaying characteristics of the Bauhaus and Art Deco styles.

Based on hand lettering from a January 26, 1930 ad for the 1930 Fox Studios film "Let's Go Places", the lettering is an ultra bold serif design with numerous ball terminals throughout the character set. The typeface is both formal, yet casual and playful in appearance. Going Places JNL is available in both regular and oblique versions.

Add a touch of class and bring back the elegance of the 1930s with Regal Suite JNL.

Ebbets JNL is a variant of Jeff Levine's Base Runner JNL, with more of a 1930s-1940s feel.

Vogue is extrapolated from some words in a 1930s brochure from Western Union called The Vogue of the Social Telegram.

Easy Living JNL is a bold Art Deco type face modeled from the name of a 1930s magazine entitled "Country Living".

Socialite JNL takes its cue from the Art Deco style of the 1930s with its clean, angular lines and stylized letter shapes.

The model for Bensonhurst JNL was a 1930s-era hand-lettered WPA (Works Project Administration) poster for the play "Hell Bent For Heaven". Although the basic style is a classic Art Deco "thick and thin" format, the design (in certain characters) starts to take on the feel of a 1970s revival style. With this in mind, Bensonhurst JNL is a bit of a hybrid between the 1930s and the 1970s.