The Art & Practice of Typography / A Manual of American Printing, Including a Brief History up to the Twentieth Century, with Reproductions of the Work of Early Masters of the Craft, and a Practical Discussion and an Extensive Demonstration of the Modern Use of Type-faces and Methods of Arrangement

by Edmund G. Gress

EXAMPLE 289
Letterhead for a storekeeper selling a general line of goods

EXAMPLE 290
Panel treatment that suggests the business. By Arthur Nelson

EXAMPLE 292
Unique arrangement of a distinctive heading. By Harry A. Anger

Example [281].—Successful treatment of a heading like this depends upon the typographer’s ability so to arrange the copy, without resorting to letterspacing, that all lines are the same length. It is necessary also to use all capitals of an old-style face of dark tones in which the letters set fairly close together, a result such as can be had with Old-Style Antique or Cloister Oldstyle. The decorative device in its shape harmonizes with the formation of the group of type lines above it. The liberal blank space that surrounds this heading is an important factor in its attractiveness. The original was on brown paper.

Example [282].—When the printer receives copy as brief as that used for this letterhead he experiences difficulty in producing an effect that will be attractive. With the customary engravers’ type-faces nothing very satisfactory is possible, but by using a type-face of character, such as Caslon Oldstyle in its original form, as was done here, artistic interest can be added. Two sizes of capitals, spaced, were used for the firm name. Italic was selected for the word “Grocers,” with a swash or decorated capital that accompanies the old Caslon type-face. Capitals and small capitals were utilized for the date line. A touch of decorative interest was added to the heading by the use of a rule, on each end of which was placed a dagger, such as is usually a part of book fonts. This treatment could be made even more effective by printing the letterhead on a white bond paper of good quality.

Example [283].—This letterhead is offered as a suggestion for artistic treatment when not much copy is furnished and it is possible to use a small decorative device. The type-face should have old-style qualities of an artistic nature and should be slightly letterspaced. The lantern device on this heading is really a monogram, cleverly designed. The original was in black and orange on buff-tinted paper, and as shown by the reproduction, the heading was placed very high on the sheet.