Hand lettering used in the trailer for the 1943 movie musical “Broadway Rhythm” was the inspiration for Show Tune JNL, which is available in both regular and oblique versions.
A 1930s hand-lettered poster for the play "The Cradle Will Rock", put on by the WPA (Works Progress Administration) Federal Theater Project is the source material for Talent Show JNL; available in both regular and oblique versions. Originally, the "R" and "L" had fish hook bends, but those two letters were revised to be more traditional in structure. The obvious Art Deco influence, along with what sign painters refer to as "stovepipe lettering" (straight lines with curved [bent] corners) is a simple, clean approach to retro-influenced titling.
I was watching last episode of Tonight Show with Letterman when I develop NT Tonight Show. My idea, I want to make a font that represent showbiz industry. Voila, here's Tonight Show. A contrast, bold, versatile. With swash and alternate option.
Call the lettering French Clarendon Condensed, call it circus lettering, wanted poster type or Old West letters, the style of this typeface is one of the most recognizable and evokes all of the above images and more. Tent Show JNL was re-drawn from examples of a vintage set of wood type, and contains all of the eccentricities that are present in these hand-routed classic letter forms.
Inside the pages of the April, 1937 issue of the fan magazine “Hollywood Now” is an unusual bit of hand lettering used for the titles in a number of featured articles. A narrow thick-and-thin Art Deco alphabet with many stylized characters, this type design is now available as Now Showing JNL in both regular and oblique versions.
In the last scene of the movie trailer for 1937’s “Varsity Show”, the movie’s title is hand lettered in a bold, condensed chamfer font with semi-serifs. This is now available digitally in the namesake font “Varsity Show JNL” – in both regular and oblique versions.
Goudy Two Shoes is a digitization and expansion of a 1970s type called Goudy Fancy, which originated with Lettergraphics as a film type, then was released into the dry transfer (rub-on) arena, where it became really popular. This digital expansion of the original design contains many additional characters, including "plain" variants on the caps, as well as extra alternates and swashes, and even a few curly ornaments. Goudy Two Shoes comes in all popular font formats. The Postscript and True Type versions ship as 2 fonts, while the OpenType version is a single font programmed with features for OT-savvy applications.
Mystery Show JNL was modeled after the hand lettered titles found on various early episodes of the 1950s TV suspense program "Alfred Hitchcock Presents". The design emulates characteristics found in Frederic W. Goudy's Copperplate Gothic [a sans serif of equal stroke weights with tiny spurs added], but is considered a serif font by the addition of the spurs. Mystery Show JNL is available in both regular and oblique versions.
The lettering style of Show Biz JNL is a classic sanserif with Art Deco influences. Slight variations in some letter shapes set it off from similar releases. The basic inspiration for this font was a set of ceramic letters and numbers used for home movie titling, but a few touches were added to give the font its own style and flavor.
“9 Garcons...Un Cœur” (“9 Boys...One Heart”) is a 1948 French musical starring Edith Piaf. The hand lettered credits for the film are done in a condensed Art Deco sans alphabet, now available digitally as Stage Show JNL in both regular and oblique versions.
A 1911 movie poster for a film called “How Bella Was Won” from the Edison studios had the name “Edison” hand lettered in a bold, spurred sans serif design. These few letters became the basis for Movie Show JNL, which is available in both regular and oblique versions.
The design for Kiddie Show JNL is based on the hand lettering for a piece of sheet music from 1946 entitled "Wee Marionettes". While basically an Art Deco-flavored monoline typeface, it contains characters with intersecting lines and assembled parts that give it an eccentric, playful look. Available in both regular and oblique versions to add a bit of playfulness to your next project.
An ad promoting the 1919 silent film comedy “Back Stage” starring Roscoe “Fatty” Arbuckle was hand lettered in a thick-and-thin sans style with Art Nouveau influences. This lettering is now available digitally as Picture Show JNL, in both regular and oblique versions.
The 1933 sheet music compilation entitled "Kate Smith Memories Song Book" had the singer's name hand lettered in a bold, spurred serif typeface. This lettering design became the basis for Radio Show JNL, which is available in both regular and oblique versions.
We Love Nature Summer Flowers is a picture font inspired by a late summer visit to an organic flower farm in the south of England. The farm specializes in growing local seasonal flowers for lovely bouquets and arrangements. This picture font features 52 hand-drawn illustrations inspired by these flowers. The contemporary flower illustrations can used on their own or in combination with the other illustrations in the We Love Nature font collection to create striking designs.
A beautiful and stylish pen lettered alphabet appears within the pages of the 1921 publication “How to Write Show Cards” and its Art Nouveau stylings made it a perfect candidate for a digital revival. Pleasant Show Card JNL is available in both regular and oblique versions.
Alf Becker graced the pages of "Signs of the Times" magazine month after month for decades, presenting attractive and unusual hand lettered alphabets as inspiration for other sign painters and show card writers. From straightforward text faces to novelty ideas, Becker's talent as a master sign crafter was constant in his work. Show Card Casual JNL is one example of what is referred to as a "one stroke" alphabet (utilizing a single brush stroke in each direction to form the letter or number). Its casual look and playful charm allow for a message to be presented in an informal format that is pleasing to the eye. The type design is available in both regular and oblique versions. Special thanks to Tod Swormstedt of ST Publications for providing the reference material.
The title and credits for the 1951 Dick Powell and Rhonda Fleming film “Cry Danger” were hand lettered in a freehand brush lettering often seen on store signs and show cards. Serving as the model for Show Card Freehand JNL, this pleasant and casual typeface is available in both regular and oblique versions.
Art Nouveau serif capitals and numerals in the 1917 instructional book “A Roman Alphabet and How to Use It” were the inspiration for Show Card Roman JNL; available in both regular and oblique versions.
This quaint headline typeface is based on an offering from the Cleveland Type Foundry, originally named Oxford. The centered small caps treatment makes for unusual and alluring headlines. All versions of this font include the Unicode 1250 Central European character set in addition to the standard Unicode 1252 Latin set.
Show Card Sans JNL (available in both regular and oblique versions) is based on a chart showing the basic construction of sans serif lettering in the 1922 instruction book “Modern Show Card Writing”.
The 1920 edition of “How to Paint Signs and Sho’ Cards” by E. C. Matthews offered a number of examples of then-modern lettering styles for sign painters and show card writers. A bold display alphabet made with a round lettering nib is now available as Show Card Pen JNL, in both regular and oblique versions.
A playful, casual take on round nib pen lettering was spotted amongst some online scans from an old lettering book. The free-form and stylized shapes of the letters and numbers are reminiscent of old-time show cards, movie titles and signage in vogue around the early 1900s through the 1920s. Fancy Show Card JNL is available in both regular and oblique versions.
Just Shoes & Purses… from silly to sophisticated, a collection of 26 line drawings of shoes and purses and those same 26 with areas filled in. Lots of cute girlie stuff… if you need more check out Hat Doodles , Diva Doodles or Diva Doodles Too .
Show Card Deco JNL is a hybrid of examples from hand lettered titles found on various song folios from the Carl Fischer Music Library circa the 1930s and is available in both regular and oblique versions. This particular typeface lends itself perfectly to show cards, posters, headlines and display titling which captures the modern, streamlined design of the Art Deco era.
For decades, the National Show Card Writer Company of Minneapolis, MN produced sign making kits used by shopkeepers, schools, churches and many other types of organizations. The standard sets were comprised of two part stencils that when overlaid, produced finished lettering, or a buyer could choose the same type style designs with a standard stencil letter. From one of these templates comes Show Card Stencil JNL, in both regular and oblique versions. Take note that the U, V and W have the heavier vertical strokes reversed. As this was the way the original stencil design was manufactured, it has been retained for this digital type as well.
A poster for a Dutch stage revue from the nineteen-teens, designed by Willy Sluiter, provided the template for this warm, wavy and whimsical headline font. The Opentype version of this font supports Unicode 1250 (Central European) languages, as well as Unicode 1252 (Latin) languages.
One example in the 1919 instructional book “One Hundred Alphabets for the Show Card Writer” was for an elegant sans serif with a subtle Art Nouveau style to the letter forms. This is now available digitally as Show Card Elite JNL in both regular and oblique versions.
The very first Speedball-Lettering Book was published in 1915, and within its pages was a rough-hewn example of lettering with the name "Rapid Sho-Card Style". The design is now available as Antique Show Card JNL, in both regular and oblique versions.
A movie poster for the 1952 Dean Martin & Jerry Lewis comedy “Sailor Beware” had the text rendered in a casual style of brush lettering similar to that found on store show cards. This inspired Show Card Brush JNL, which is available in both regular and oblique versions.
A font of 31 wedding icons... bow tie, shoe, bouquet, cakes, invitation, cupcakes, bon bons, wedding dress, tux, ring bearer, flower girl, suitcases, congratulations banner, balloons, garter, gift, cuff links, wedding bands, diamond ring. Use for a wedding shower flyer or make your own gift card.
Julia Script is a playful calligraphic font designed by David Harris in 1983. It takes the viewer back to the flower power of the 1970s. Generous capitals with cheerful, rounded stroke beginnings and endings contrast perfectly with the narrower, closer, but nevertheless vibrant lower case letters. Characteristic of this typeface and similar to Candice is the marked increase in stroke width in the lower third of the figures. This detail is reminiscent of the platform shoes typical of the 1970s. Julia Script suggests freedom and fun and can often be found on party fliers and retro advertisements. Used sparingly in headlines and slogans, Julia Script will be sure to attract attention.