Propaganda in a poodle skirt? Another gem gleaned from Schrifti Alphabeti, a book of Cyrillic alphabets published in Kiev (now Ukraine, then USSR) in 1979. Flouncy, bouncy, perky and quirky, this typeface will add sass and charm to any project it graces. Both versions of this font contain the Unicode 1252 Latin and Unicode 1250 Central European character sets, with localization for Romanian and Moldovan.

The inspiration for this typeface was found tucked away in what is arguably the worst book of advertising clip art ever published (cleverly entitled The Advertising Cartoon Clip Art Book from 1971). It’s so bad, it’s good—at least at getting your attention. Both versions of this font include the complete Latin 1252 and CE 1250 character sets, with localization for Romanian and Moldovan.

A Victorian face named Oakwood provided the pattern for this decorative little number, with its swirls and curls guaranteed to delight boys and girls, saints and churls, and dogs and squirrels…well, maybe not the last pair, but you get the idea. All versions of this font include the Unicode 1250 Central European character set in addition to the standard Unicode 1252 Latin set.

This playful Art Deco classic was inspired by one of many posters produced by the WPA by anonymous artists during the 1930s. An inline version has been added to spice up the visual interest and add a touch of class. Both versions of the font include complete Latin 1252, Central European 1250 and Turkish 1524 character sets, with localization for Moldovan, Romanian and Turkish.

One of countless variations possible from the modular lettering system called "Super Veloz", developed by Spanish type designer Joan Trouchut-Blanchard in the 1930s. The name is a play on the old G.I. acronymn FUBAR, translated politely as "fouled up beyond all recognition". Both versions of this font contain the Unicode 1252 Latin and Unicode 1250 Central European character sets, with localization for Romanian and Moldovan.

The letterforms for this typeface are pretty much standard block gothic, but its prismatic treatment features a twist: the letters appear to be lit from below rather than above, which is usually the norm. The result is a perfect choice for dramatic headlines. This font contains the complete Latin language character set (Unicode 1252) plus support for Central European (Unicode 1250) languages as well.

The Chromium Yellow family is based, very loosely, on Electro-type Serif, designed by John Wu of Hong Kong’s Archetype foundry. The rather quirky serifs have been removed and a few odd letter treatment have been amended to produce a smooth, techno-friendly family of faces. This font contains the complete Latin language character set (Unicode 1252) plus support for Central European (Unicode 1250) languages as well.

This elegant offering is based on a typeface originally called "Design", from Barnhart Brothers & Spindler’s Specimen Catalog Number 9, published in the first decade of the twentieth century. This version has been fine-tuned to set tight, and is suitable for headlines, subheads, and limited amounts of body copy. Both versions of this font include the complete Unicode Latin 1252 and Central European 1250 character sets.

Although not credited, the inspiration for this typeface, originally called "Dancer", has all the earmarks of the work of legendary lettering artist Alf Becker. Creepy and kooky, mysterious and spooky, but not in the least ooky, this monocase face is just what the doctor ordered; Dr Frankenstein, that is. Both versions of this font include the complete Unicode Latin 1252 and Central European 1250 character sets.

This bouncy beauty was inspired by Walnetto Casual, designed by Dave West for Photo-Lettering, Inc. in the 1970s, and takes its name from a mythical West Texas beastie. This version has been thoughtfully designed to use Contextual Alternates to avoid unsightly serif collisions for best possible visual effect. Both versions of this font include the complete Latin 1252 and Central European 1250 character sets.

This fresh face takes a number of design cues from Tomás Vellvé Mengual's eponymous design for Barcelona's Neufville Type Foundry in 1971. This version softens many of the lines of the original, and warms the design up overall with rounded terminals. Available in three weights, this font contains the complete Latin language character set (Unicode 1252) plus support for Central European (Unicode 1250) languages as well.

Fire up the incense and break out the love beads! A 1968 poster for a Doors concert by legendary artist Gary Grimshaw provided the inspiration for this wild, far-out and funky romp through the alphabet. Use it liberally to add a little trippy hippie charm to your next project. Both versions of the font include 1252 Latin, 1250 CE (with localization for Romanian and Moldovan).

Based on the 1932 typeface Newport, designed by Willard T. Sniffin for ATF, this Art Deco standard packs a lot into multi-line heads and subheads due to its very short descenders, cleverly accomplished by “fudging the baseline” on the g, p, q, and y. All versions of this font include the Unicode 1250 Central European character set in addition to the standard Unicode 1252 Latin set.

This is a new and improved version of an old freeware font named Materhorn, hased on a design originally called Fanfare, designed by Louis Oppenheim in 1927 for H Berthold AG. The outlines have been completely redrawn, the entire font has been thoughtfully hand-kerned, and OpenType features have been added. Additionally, the font contains not only the complete Latin language character set (Unicode 1252) plus also support for Central European (Unicode 1250) languages

A rather droll unicase typeface, discovered in a 1970s chapbook of suggested lettering for Soviet propaganda posters, inspired this bouncy beauty. Way more fun than a barrel of Volga Boatmen. The PC Postscript, Truetype and Opentype versions contain the complete Latin language character set (Unicode 1252) plus Central European (Unicode 1250) languages as well.

This bold yet elegant script is patterned after the logotype lettering from a 1927 issue of the French film magazine named, not surprisingly, Ciné Miroir. Ornate without being fussy, this font’s large x-height gives it a strong color, a commanding presence and a remarkably contemporary feel, even after more than three-quarters of a century. Both versions of this font contain the Unicode 1252 Latin and Unicode 1250 Central European character sets, with localization for Romanian and Moldovan.

One in the series of fonts called Whiz-Bang Wood Type, intended to be set large and tight. Ouachita Way is an ultrabold and boxy caps and small caps font, especially well-suited for commadning headlines. Based on nineteenth-century “Grecian” fonts, the name comes from a forest and a river in Arkansas. Both versions of this font contain the Unicode 1252 Latin and Unicode 1250 Central European character sets, with localization for Romanian and Moldovan.

One in the series of fonts called Whiz-Bang Wood Type, intended to be set large and tight. Spindletop’s ultra-condensed letterforms allow a lot of information to be packed into little horizontal space. Named for a famous East Texas oil field that made a lot of people rich in the early part of the twentieth century. Both versions of this font include the complete Unicode 1252 Latin and Unicode 1250 Central European character sets.

An unnamed scroll typeface featured in the 1869 MacKellar Smiths and Jordan specimen book provided the pattern for this font. You may begin and end the scrolls with parentheses, braces or brackets, and employ the space bar as you normally would to construct headlines "in a pretty box". Both versions of this font contain the complete Unicode 1252 (Latin) and Unicode 1250 (Central European) character sets, with localization for Romanian and Moldovan.

This elegant monocase design is based on a nineteenth-century offering from Britain’s Stephenson Blake Foundry named "Fry’s Ornamented No. 2". Stylish, witty and debonair, it will add grace and charm to any project. The font features bracketed fleurons in the greater than and less than positions, and no math operators. Both versions of this font contain the Unicode 1252 (Latin) and Unicode 1250 (Central European) character sets, with localization for Romanian and Moldovan.

An unnamed scroll typeface featured in the 1869 MacKellar Smiths and Jordan specimen book provided the pattern for this font. You may begin and end the scrolls with parentheses, braces or brackets, and employ the space bar as you normally would to construct headlines "in full-flowing draperies". Both versions of this font contain the complete Unicode 1252 (Latin) and Unicode 1250 (Central European) character sets, with localization for Romanian and Moldovan.

A 1990s-vintage Radiohead poster by Jermaine Rogers provided the go-by for this tight, trippy techno face. Jermaine's design, it turns out, was an adaptation of a Ray Larabie font, Dignity of Labour. This version cleverly combines stark geometry with Art Nouveau sensibilities to produce a kind of Digital DNA feel. This font contains the complete Latin language character set (Unicode 1252) plus support for Central European (Unicode 1250) languages as well.

An unusual handlettered alphabet from the 1922 chapbook Modern Show Card Writing, by Joseph Bertram Jowitt, provided the pattern for this whimsical face. Its letterforms, as well as its name, conjure up visions of faraway places, and is sure to add a unique charm to your next project. This font contains the complete Latin language character set (Unicode 1252) plus support for Central European (Unicode 1250) languages as well.

Another addition to the Whiz Bang Woodtype series, this typeface is a double-wide, extrabold version of the so-called Tuscan style of lettering, popular at the end of the nineteenth century. Named after a small town in Texas, which the locals pronounce "meh-HAY-a." Both versions of this font contain the Unicode 1252 Latin and Unicode 1250 Central European character sets, with localization for Romanian and Moldovan.

This unusual penscript is based on letterforms discovered in the classic Zanerian Manual of Alphabets and Engrossing. The economy and the sinuous quality of the pen strokes, combined with the severe backslant, suggest--without mimicking--the grace and beauty of fine Arabic calligraphy. The Opentype, Truetype and Windows Postscript versions of this font contain both the Windows 1252/ANSI character set and the 1250/Central European character set.

This rough-and-ready display face is based on El Greco Antique, released by the Fundición Richard Gans of Madrid in the 1930s. Distressed but not distressing, rough yet charming, ragged around the edges but curiously refined. Named after a village in Greece which is the ancestral home of the forebears of the Curtii. Both versions of the font include 1252 Latin, 1250 CE (with localization for Romanian and Moldovan).

Here’s a new take on the hand-lettered alphabet Oswald Bruce Cooper used in ads for the Packard Motor Company, later converted into a metal typeface by the Barnhard Brothers & Spindler foundry. This version has smoother outlines and an increased x-height, but retains all of the elegant charm of the original. Both versions of this font include the complete Unicode Latin 1252 and Central European 1250 character sets.

This Deco delight is based on logotype lettering for Crosley Radios from the 1930s. By aLtErNaTiNg upper and lowercase letters (brackets and braces, too), you can maintain the flow of the lightning bolts through the letters. Additionally, inline hyphens can be found at the ASCII circumflex and ASCII tilde positions. This font contains the complete Latin language character set (Unicode 1252) plus support for Central European (Unicode 1250) languages as well.

Of the many lettering gurus who published chapbooks on handlettering during its heyday, one of the most prolific was H. C. Martin. This quirky poster face was offered in one of his many Idea Books, and it remains as fresh and frolicsome today, some seventy years later, as when it first appeared. Both versions of this font include the complete Unicode Latin 1252 and Central European 1250 character sets.

The typeface which inspired this offering was originally called "Chaucer", not because it is typical of lettering of Chaucer’s time (which it is not) but, more likely, because it’s pretty funny, even if the humor is low. Another purveyor of low humor, Mack Sennett and his Keystone Kops, suggested this version’s name. Both versions of this font include the complete Unicode Latin 1252 and Central European 1250 character sets.

This typeface is an amalgam of Edwardian and Art Deco letterforms: the lowercase letters come from a turn-of-the-twentieth-century typeface named Amsterdam, and the uppercase letterforms come from a 1930s logotype for the Théâtre Moderne in Paris. Like its namesake, this typeface is not easily overlooked. This font contains the complete Latin language character set (Unicode 1252) plus support for Central European (Unicode 1250) languages as well.

Here's another mosaic marvel from the New York subway system, to complement Midtown Tessie. This style is based on signage at the 34th Street station, with connections to Brooklyn. A full tile background is available at the bar position, and a marvelous meander can be found at the German double-s spot. Both versions of the font include 1252 Latin, 1250 CE (with localization for Romanian and Moldovan).

This unusual display face is another in a series of works based on the work of lettering artist Samuel Welo. The sinewy curves and radiant inline decoration give this typeface a cozy, warm and inviting charm. Named after the informal radio addresses popularized by Franklin Delano Roosevelt in the 1930s. Both versions of this font include the complete Latin 1252 and CE 1250 character sets, with localization for Romanian and Moldovan.

This rollicking romp through the alphabet is based on an offering from the irrepressible M. Draim, seen in La Lettre dans le Décor & la Publicité Modernes, published by Monrocq Frères of Paris in 1932. Its animated and friendly demeanor will add personality to any headline it graces. Both versions of this font contain the Unicode 1252 (Latin) and Unicode 1250 (Central European) character sets, with localization for Romanian and Moldovan.

Here’s the follow-up to my Route 66 series, patterned after the typeface used on signage on the U.S. interstate highway system for fifty years. The numbers and uppercase letters are true to the original, while a number of the lowercase letters show the influence of the new Clearview type. Both versions of the font include 1252 Latin and 1250 CE (with localization for Romanian and Moldovan) character sets.

Suitable for headlines, subheads and short copy blocks, this decidedly Deco number is based on Willard T. Sniffin’s Hollywood, designed for American Type Founders in 1932. A few of the fussier details have been modified from the original to render a clean, streamlined and sophisticated face. All versions of this font include the Unicode 1250 Central European character set in addition to the standard Unicode 1252 Latin set.

A random scan from a late nineteenth-century German type specimen book, encountered on the internet, provided the pattern for this surprisingly contemporary face. Although all of the characters are parallel to the baseline, the unusual dimensional treatment tends to give the impression that they slant upward to the right. Both versions of this font include the complete Unicode 1252 Latin and Unicode 1250 Central European character sets.

Here’s a not-often-seen variation of Milton Glaser’s 1968 creation Baby Teeth, distributed by Photo-Lettering Inc. as Baby Teeth Baroque. Actually, the sinuous swirls suggest, rather, an Art Nouveau influence, which is why this version has its name. Well, that, and the original design didn’t need any fixing. This font contains the complete Latin language character set (Unicode 1252) plus support for Central European (Unicode 1250) languages as well.

This bold, bodacious blackletter typeface is based on an offering from the 1832 Boston Type Foundry catalog. Although it generally appears to be a sober Old English font, there are a few quirky turns here and there, which make it a lot of fun. 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.

Handlettering on a 1934 WPA poster promoting skating in Central Park provided the pattern for the uppercase letters of this typeface, while the lowercase letters take their inspiration from Paul Renner’s Steile Futura. The result is a warm, friendly face that is both quaint and modern. Available in Roman and Italic versions. Both versions of the font include 1252 Latin, 1250 CE (with localization for Romanian and Moldovan).