Theater posters of the 1930s were often exuberant exercises in Art Deco lettering sensibilities, and the handiwork which inspired this typeface is no different. Big, bold and oddly elegant, this face is an excellent choice for enticing and commanding headlines. Both versions contain the complete Latin 1252, Central European 1250, Turkish 1254 and Baltic 1257 character sets, with several language-specific localizations.

This “very elegant and British alphabet” was originally released in the 1920s as "Richmond Oldstyle" by the Blackfriars Type Foundry of London. Touted as highly artistic and graceful, it is exceptionally “at home” wherever style and charm are called for. Both versions of this font contain the complete Unicode Latin A character complement, with support for the Afrikaans, Albanian, Basque, Bosnian, Breton, Catalan, Croatian, Czech, Danish, Dutch, English, Esperanto, Estonian, Faroese, Fijian, Finnish, Flemish, French, Frisian, German, Greenlandic, Hawaiian, Hungarian, Icelandic, Indonesian, Irish, Italian, Latin, Latvian, Lithuanian, Malay, Maltese, Maori, Moldavan, Norwegian, Polish, Portuguese, Provençal, Rhaeto-Romanic, Romanian, Romany, Sámi, Samoan, Scottish Gaelic, Serbian, Slovak, Slovenian, Spanish, Swahili, Swedish, Tagalog, Turkish and Welsh languages, as well as discretionary ligatures and extended fractions.

Among many of Alf Becker’s contributions to Signs of the Times magazine was 1 1935 offering named Chicago Modern Thick and Thin, which provided the inspiration for this face. It’s a perfect choice for friendly headlines with an Art Deco vibe. Both versions include the complete Unicode Latin 1252, Central European 1250 and Turkish 1254 character sets, as well as localization for Lithuanian, Moldovan and Romanian.

The ATF syndicate released the inspiration for this quaint charmer in its 1884-1885 series of specimen books under its current name. Its warmth and unassuming naivete make it perfect for headlines seeking to evoke simpler times. Both versions of this font include the complete Latin 1252, Central European 1250 and Turkish 1254 character sets, along with localization for Lithuanian, Moldovan, Romanian and Turkish.

Another tip of the hat to master draftsman Samuel Welo. His famous Studio Handbook was hand-lettered throughout, and provided the inspirations for many of Nick's favorite fonts. This little number is based on the unnamed style Mr. Welo used for much of his paragraph text. Use it when you want to convey homespun warmth and a handmade feel. Both versions of this font include the complete Unicode Latin 1252, Central European 1250 and Turkish 1254 character sets.

This quintessential nineteenth-century offering is based on a typeface from the 1912 American Type Founders catalog called Lining Central Antique. Quaint, yet crisp and clean, it is equally suitable for headlines or body copy. Both versions of the font include 1252 Latin, 1250 CE (with localization for Romanian and Moldovan).

This curious little gem is patterned after a typeface named "Bloomsbury", released by P. M. Shanks & Sons, Ltd. of London in the 1920s. Its gentle curves and somewhat quirky construction combine to create a warm and friendly, if slightly offbeat, antique charm. Both versions of the font include 1252 Latin, 1250 CE (with localization for Romanian and Moldovan).

A 1947 timetable for—who’d a-thunk it?—Arizona Airways provided the pattern for this unusual, yet endearing, face. Its Art-Deco-meets-Apache vibe ensures that your headlines will be warmly received. Both versions include the complete Unicode Latin 1252, Central European 1250 and Turkish 1254 character sets, as well as localization for Lithuanian, Moldovan and Romanian.

This statuesque semiscript is based on Mirabelle, an in-house design from the German foundry of Wagner & Schmidt, released in 1926. Round, firm and fully-packed, it's sure to get attention anywhere it's used. The PC Postscript, Truetype and Opentype versions contain the complete Latin language character set (Unicode 1252) plus support for Central European (Unicode 1250) languages as well.

This charming, disarming, roly-poly typeface is based on handlettering discovered on a Sabena Airlines travel brochure of the 1930s. Include it in your next project, and a good time will be had by all. Both versions of this font contain complete Unicode 1252 (Latin) and Unicode 1250 (Central European) character sets, with localization for Romanian and Moldovan.

This decidedly Deco offering is based on a rather unconventional stencil lettering treatment offered by F. A. Pearson in his 1923 tome, Ticket and Showcard Designing. Strong and stylish, the design has aged remarkably well. Both versions of the font include 1252 Latin, 1250 CE (with localization for Romanian and Moldovan).

Based on a typeface named "Viola Flare", issued by Franklin Photolettering in the 1970s, this version has been kerned for every possible letter combination, so you can mix the swash uppercase letters with the lowercase as you please, creating distinctive and delightful headlines. Both versions of this font include the complete Unicode Latin 1252 and Central European 1250 character sets.

Another entry in the trusty old "Schriftatlas" named Phoenix—original source and designer unknown—provided the inspiration for this bouncy bit of alphabetical tomfoolery. Its animated typeforms, definitely retro chic, will put some bounce in the step of any headline it graces. Both versions of the font include complete Latin 1252, Central European 1250 and Turkish 1524 character sets, with localization for Moldovan, Romanian and Turkish

Duck! There’s a cream pie headed your way! This wild and wacky face is based on the title card lettering for the original Soupy Sales TV show, a lasting testament to my misspent youth. Both versions of this font contain the complete Unicode Latin A character complement, with support for the Afrikaans, Albanian, Basque, Bosnian, Breton, Catalan, Croatian, Czech, Danish, Dutch, English, Esperanto, Estonian, Faroese, Fijian, Finnish, Flemish, French, Frisian, German, Greenlandic, Hawaiian, Hungarian, Icelandic, Indonesian, Irish, Italian, Latin, Latvian, Lithuanian, Malay, Maltese, Maori, Moldavan, Norwegian, Polish, Portuguese, Provençal, Rhaeto-Romanic, Romanian, Romany, Sámi, Samoan, Scottish Gaelic, Serbian, Slovak, Slovenian, Spanish, Swahili, Swedish, Tagalog, Turkish and Welsh languages, as well as discretionary ligatures and extended fractions.

Handlettering in an ad from the 1920s for a Chicago engraving company provided the inspiration for this fine, fat, flowing face, full of fun and antique charm. Both versions of this font include the complete Unicode 1252 Latin and Unicode 1250 Central European character sets.

This unusual Gothic face was found in the 1882 McKellar, Smiths and Jordan specimen book under the name Borussian, a then-current variant of “Prussian”. This version is true to the original, so please note: a few of the uppercase characters—notably E and G—are rather unusual, so proceed with caution. All versions of this font include the Unicode 1250 Central European character set in addition to the standard Unicode 1252 Latin set.

The 1912 American Type Founders specimen catalog carried the pattern for this typeface, under the rather unimaginative name of "Pen Print". Its irrepressible insouciance makes it equally suitable for downtown or down home applications. Both versions of this font include the complete Latin 1252 and CE 1250 character sets, with localization for Romanian and Moldovan.

Here’s another gem pulled from the pages of one of the many editions of Pen and Brush Lettering by the Blandford Press. Cascading bubbles add a somewhat 70s feel to a distinctly Deco font, and provide its name as well. Both versions of the font include 1252 Latin, 1250 CE (with localization for Romanian and Moldovan).

In his book of Showcard Alphabets, Dan X. Solo called this one Funhouse, and we couldn't agree more. Wild, wacky and slightly tacky, but suitable for the whole family. The Opentype version of this font supports Unicode 1250 (Central European) languages, as well as Unicode 1252 (Latin) languages.

An undeniably Art Deco font with some unexpected twists and turns, this typeface is based on a design originally called "Dignity Roman", a product of the fevered imagination of the rather unconventional 30s lettering artist Alphonse E. Tripp. Both versions of the font include the 1252 Latin and 1250 CE character sets (with localization for Romanian and Moldovan).

Here's an unusual take on a "modern" typeface, based on a 1936 release from England's Stephenson, Blake foundry, which serves well for interesting headlines. Both versions of this font support the Latin 1252, Central European 1250, Turkish 1254 and Baltic 1257 codepages.

A typeface from the 1873 Miller & Richard of Glasgow specimen book of 1873 named Cuban provided the inspiration for this festive face. Its graceful curves and open stance gently whisper nostalgia, with traces of both the quaint and the exotic. Both versions contain the complete Latin 1252, Central European 1250 and Turkish 1254 character sets.

This elegant yet playful offering is based on the typeface Domino designed by Alfred Riedel for the German foundry Ludwig & Mayer in 1954. Its large x-height and subtly sinuous curves make it a natural choice for headlines which are both warm and compelling. Both versions of the font include 1252 Latin, 1250 CE (with localization for Romanian and Moldovan).

Franklin Type Foundry's 1897 specimen book offered the patter for this face. Numerals maching the lowercase are standard but, if you want numbers to match the uppercase letters, activate Stylistic Alternates in OpenType-savvy applications. Both versions support the Latin 1252, Central European 1250, Turkish 1254 and Baltic 1257 codepages.

The specimen book Alphabete: ein Schriftatlas von A bis Z identified the pattern for this typeface as Stymie Black Flair. Although neither the designer nor the original foundry is identified, it bears a strong resemblance to the work of Dave West for Photolettering in the 60s and 70s. Big, beautiful and bodacious, it’s a natural choice for attention-grabbing headlines. Many alternate characters available: see the full character map. The PC PostScript, TrueType and OpenType versions contain the complete Latin language character set (Unicode 1252) plus support for Central European (Unicode 1250) languages as well.

Chamfer, released by Barhart Brothers & Spindler in the late nineteenth century, provided the pattern for this simple, elegant headline face. Both flavors of this font feature the 1252 Latin, 1250 Central European, 1254 Turkish and 1257 Baltic character sets.

This typeface is an amalgam of two cut-paper typefaces, as presented by Margaret Shepherd in her book, Calligraphic Alphabets Made Easy. Also included are a glue bottle at the bar position, and round-edge scissors at the dagger and double-dagger positions. Both versions of the font include 1252 Latin, 1250 CE (with localization for Romanian and Moldovan).

This rather quirky typeface is based on a design by Collette and Dufour, originally called "Independant", for the Maison Plantin foundry of Belgium. Ultramodern (by 1930s standards, at least) and ultrabold, it takes up a lot of real estate, and commands a lot of attention while doing so. Both versions of this font include the complete Unicode Latin 1252 and Central European 1250 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.

Speedball pen master Ross George presented this face as D-nib Display. Its wide stance and quaint attitude make for some unavoidable whimsy. Both versions of this font support the Latin 1262, Central European 1250, Turkish 1254 and Baltic 1257 codepages.

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 quaint little charmer was found under the same name in the 1893 Cleveland Type Foundry specimen book. Slightly quirky and naively elegant, it's the perfect choice for everything from invitations to headlines. It also contains a few alternate characters in the ASCII circumflex and tilde positions to spice up your layouts. Both versions of the font contain characters to support all major European languages.

An unnamed alphabet from wacko lettering artist Otto Heim’s 1925 opus, Farbige Alphabete, provided the pattern for this delightful, if slightly deranged, typeface. Use it any time you want to add mirth and merriment to a project. Both versions include the complete Unicode Latin 1252, Central European 1250 and Turkish 1254 character sets, as well as localization for Lithuanian, Moldovan and Romanian.

Based on a old standard, Tudor Black, this version offers a dramatic inline treatment that adds sparkle and grace. The typeface takes its name from Ford Motor Company's old designation for a sedan. Both versions of the font include 1252 Latin and 1250 CE (with localization for Romanian and Moldovan) character sets.

This late Victorian typeface flirts with Art Nouveau sensibilities, as evidenced by the graceful curves and the decorative crossmembers in several of the uppercase letters. The result is a font that combines simple, understated elegance with a no-nonsense, workmanlike stance. Both versions of the font include 1252 Latin, 1250 CE (with localization for Romanian and Moldovan).

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.

Baby Fat, designed by Milton Glaser in 1964, saw a lot of action during the psychedelic poster phase. This little dumpling is based on that workhorse, and takes its name from a phrase that also got around a lot in the 60s. Both versions of the font include 1252 Latin, 1250 CE (with localization for Romanian and Moldovan).

This cheerful charmer is based on Glass-Antiqua, designed by Franz Paul Glass for the Genzsch & Heyse foundry of Hamburg in 1912. Great for engaging headlines with a playful twist. Both versions feature the complete Latin 1252, Central European 1250 and Turskish 1254 character sets, with localization for Lithuanian, Moldovan and Romanian.

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).

The pattern for this delightful gem was found in Dan X. Solo's "Rustic and Rough-Hewn Alphabets" book under the name "Antique No 14." For this font, the rough-hewn lines have been cleaned up, but the underlying fun remains.