Before the mid-to-late 1970s, when retailers started to embrace UPC (universal price code) technology on a grand scale, pricing merchandise took on many forms. One method especially popular with variety stores (such as Woolworth's, McCrory's, Kress, etc.) were pre-printed price tags that came in small pads and were inserted into metal holders. Shelf Tags JNL recreates a vintage price tag based on examples seen online, and allows the user different ways to create their own vintage-style price tags. You can either utilize the round pen nib style numbers and price marks to place on any size or type tag, or type out prices using the reversed characters (white on black) along with the two end caps provided to form a complete tag unit. For the more adventurous, a complete blank tag is also provided in case the desire is to print a solid color tag background and [using the regular numbers] crate prices in custom colors. Two sets of smaller number (for "floating" cents prices) are also provided in regular numbers and reverse panels. As an extra bonus, there is a set of 1 through zero, dollar sign, cents sign and decimal point individual black-on-white outlined panels for making individual pricing numbers. The keyboard layout for the various characters is as follows: asterisk key - regular cents sign (no panel) dollar sign key - regular dollar sign (no panel) period key - regular decimal point (no panel) left and right parenthesis keys - panel end caps (to form price tags) colon key - reverse decimal point on black panel 1 thru 0 keys - regular numbers (no panels) A through J keys - small regular numbers (no panels) K and L keys - truncated [shorter width] end caps M through Y keys - individual price numbers (black on white with black border a through j keys - reverse numbers on black panels k key - reverse dollar sign on black panel l key - reverse cents sign on black panel m through v keys - reverse small numbers on black panels w through z keys - blank rectangular panels of varying widths equal sign key - full black panel price tag hyphen key - blank rectangular black panel based on the width of most number panels

Based on informal pen handwriting. A set of Western characters and two bold weights were added in 2011 by Gennady Fridman. For use in advertising and display typography.