Daniel Berkeley Updike seems to have stimulated the architect Bertram G. Goodhue to design the prototype in 1896 for Ingalls Kimball at the Cheltenham Press. Six years later Morris Fuller Benton at ATF developed it into the design and then the series that we know today. “Owing to certain eccentricities of form,” writes Updike, “it cannot be read comfortably for any length of time.” But he concludes: “It is, however, an exceedingly handsome letter for ephemeral printing.” Mergenthaler bought composing machine rights to the original design c. 1896, but bought the Benton design in 1904.

Sitting inside our offline vault and print catalogs for several years but still available for purchase, PF Signskript is part of a valuable triad of typographic gems which are finally re-released, fully updated and upgraded. Designed by Vladimir Radibratović, a foremost calligrapher, type designer and illustrator, this trilogy of script typefaces was recently revamped by our design team with full support for Latin, Greek and Cyrillic. Initially released between 2000 and 2003 these typefaces manifest a human, hand-crafted feel. Designed to excel particularly within casual and natural contexts, their names reveal their exact identity. The nostalgic charm of PF Signskript, the unique vintage and rough appeal of PF Rafskript or the organic Mediterranean essence of PF Mediterra have all attracted attention to these popular typefaces for brands on the supermarket shelves, wine labels, packaging, quotes, stationery and vintage lettering.

Iowan Old Style was designed for Bitstream in 1990 by noted sign painter John Downer. Iowan Old Style is a hardy contemporary text design modeled after earlier revivals of Jenson and Griffo typefaces but with a larger x-height, tighter letterfit, and reproportioned capitals. Iowan Old Style Titling was designed by John Downer and added to the Iowan Old Style family in 2002. The cap-only character set includes several ornaments and fleurons, broadening the appeal and functionality of the typeface family. Iowan Old Style was originally designed for Bitstream in 1990 by Downer, a noted sign painter. Iowan Old Style is a hardy contemporary text design modeled after earlier revivals of Jenson and Griffo typefaces but with a larger x-height, tighter letterfit, and reproportioned capitals. Expert and old style figure font sets were added in 2000.

Sitting inside our offline vault and print catalogs for several years but still available for purchase, PF Rafskript is part of a valuable triad of typographic gems which are finally re-released, fully updated and upgraded. Designed by Vladimir Radibratović, a foremost calligrapher, type designer and illustrator, this trilogy of script typefaces was recently revamped by our design team with full support for Latin, Greek and Cyrillic. Initially released between 2000 and 2003 these typefaces manifest a human, hand-crafted feel. Designed to excel particularly within casual and natural contexts, their names reveal their exact identity. The nostalgic charm of PF Signskript, the unique vintage and rough appeal of PF Rafskript or the organic Mediterranean essence of PF Mediterra have all attracted attention to these popular typefaces for brands on the supermarket shelves, wine labels, packaging, quotes, stationery and vintage lettering.