Here's a new, softer take on the classic typeface Koralle, released by Schelter und Geisecke in 1913, and as fresh today as it was then. Both versions of this font support the Latin 1252, Central European 1250, Turkish 1254 and Baltic 1257 codepages.

American Type Founders released the pattern for this typeface under the name "Thermotype". In the days of cast-metal foundry type, copyfitting headlines could prove problemmatic at times; this typeface, with a wide uppercase and narrower lowercase of exactly the same “color”, allowed stacked lines of type to be composed with uniform width. Clean, crisp and practical. Both versions of the font include 1252 Latin, 1250 CE (with localization for Romanian and Moldovan).

Here’s the follow-up to my Route 66 series, patterned after the typeface used on signage on the U.S. interstate highway system for fifty years. The numbers and uppercase letters are true to the original, while a number of the lowercase letters show the influence of the new Clearview type. Both versions of the font include 1252 Latin and 1250 CE (with localization for Romanian and Moldovan) character sets.

Lewis F. Day, in his Alphabets Old and New, presented these letters as examples of rustic Roman lettering of the first through third centuries, AD. An uppercase-only typeface, most of the lowercase positions are occupied by letterform variants. It should be noted that the name does not refer to a savory dish made from a nocturnal American marsupial; it’s Latin for “I can dance”. Both versions of the font include 1252 Latin, 1250 CE (with localization for Romanian and Moldovan).

This elegant face with a few semi-script flourishes is based on Morris Fuller Benton’s Announcement Roman, designed for American Type Founders in 1917. It’s perfect for invitations, programs and all kinds of formal ballyhoo. All versions of this font include the Unicode 1250 Central European character set in addition to the standard Unicode 1252 Latin set.

A collision between fine, fat caps developed by legendary letterer Alf Becker, and a squirrely, curly, uncredited lowercase uncovered by artist Leslie Cabarga produced this merry romp through the alphabet. 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.

In the 1921 work Letters and Lettering by Frank Chouteau Brown, these letterforms were offered as examples of typical medieval English fare. The font is all caps, but there are variant letterforms in all the lowercase positions. Both versions of the font include 1252 Latin, 1250 CE (with localization for Romanian and Moldovan).

Here's an unusual take on the classic Tuscan face of the 1880s. The unusual finials lend a slightly spooky feel to the face, hence its current name. Both versions support the Latin 1252, Central European 1250, Turkish 1254 and Baltic 1257 codepages.

This charming font, with its hints of the exotic, originally carried the rather prosaic name of Show Card Roman. It appeared in the book "Art Alphabets and Lettering: an encyclopedia of lettering including the most important standard alphabets and such classics as are in most demand for the use of engravers, designers, and all lovers of art" by the evidently rather verbose J. M. Bergling (1866-1933). As a nod to its exotic overtones, the font is named after the 1872 utopian novel of the same name by Samuel Butler.

This charming little number is based on a rubber-stamp alphabet set, sold in the early 1900s under the name "Perfection", which suits it well. Both versions of this font include the complete Unicode 1252 Latin and Unicode 1250 Central European character sets.

Introducing a series of decorative initials with a twist: each font contains two complete alphabets, A-Z, and numerous border elements in the numeral and shift-numeral positions. Classic, ornate, quaint and exotic, these fonts are essential tools for adding style and charm to your next project. Kudos Kaps Five features Jakob Erbar’s eponymous Initials in the uppercase slots, and Aldo Novarese’s Fontasi in the lowercase AND numeral slots. The font also includes three complete eight-piece borders, a two-piece accent set, two single border elements and an elegant penman dingbat.

This casual, carefree face is based on a showcard alphabet presented by Cecil Wade in his Manual of Lettering. Its extrabold weight, sketchy styling and playful letterforms make it perfect for attention-getting headlines. Both versions of this font contain the Unicode 1252 Latin and Unicode 1250 Central European character sets, with localization for Romanian and Moldovan.

Emil Rudolf Weiss's eponymous Rundgotisch of 1937 provided the pattern for this streamlined version of classic German blackletters. All versions of this font include the Unicode 1250 Central European character set in addition to the standard Unicode 1252 Latin set.

In Issue Number 84 of Push Pin Graphic, Seymour Chwast offered up this rather odd variant of his own extrablack, superbold in-your-(type)face, Blimp. Not recommended for body copy, but makes interesting and unusual headlines. Both versions of the font include 1252 Latin, 1250 CE (with localization for Romanian and Moldovan).

The letterforms of Lucien Bernhard's stylish, if somewhat anorexic, Bernhard Fashion were beefed up and complemented with thick-and-thin stroke variation to create this elegant family, available in normal and bold weights. Additionally, Bernhard's variant forms have replaced several of the letters which commonly appear in other revivals. 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.

This bouncy little number is based on handlettering often found on greeting cards in the 1950s and 1960s, and often the work of Alan Denney. Wild and wacky (and maybe a little bit tacky), this monocase font is a sure attention-getter. This font contains the complete Latin language character set (Unicode 1252) plus support for Central European (Unicode 1250) languages as well.

This exuberant face was suggested by a piece of French sheet music from the 1930s for the song Sur un Air de Shimmy, The name comes from an Australian song from the 1950s about a noncompliant boomerang. Both versions of this font contain the Unicode 1252 (Latin) and Unicode 1250 (Central European) character sets, with localization for Romanian and Moldovan.

This quirky charmer appeared in the 1898 specimen book of the Cleveland Type Foundry, under the name of "Litho", so it's no mystery where it got its name. It's a perfect choice for engaging headlines, anytime, anywhere. 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.

Here's another collection of ornate border elements gleaned from the 1888 specimen books of James Conner's Sons United States Type Foundry in New York City. Refer to the PDF guide for detailed, yet simple, instructions for constructing nine delightfully different border patterns.

An uncredited typeface from Photo-Lettering Inc. named Palisade Graphic was the inspiration for this Art Deco fantasy. Bold and brash, it adds undeniable impact to period-themed headlines. Both versions include the complete Latin 1252, Central European 1250 and Turkish 1254 character sets, with localization for Lithuanian, Moldovan and Romanian.

Type designer Friedrich Poppl is perhaps best known for his classic text faces and elegant scripts, but it seems he had a playful side as well. This frisky face is based on Dynamische Antiqua, which Poppl did for the Stempel foundry in 1960, but which was never released. Bright, bold and bouncy, it’s the perfect choice for headlines with impish impact. Both versions of this font include the complete Unicode Latin 1252 and Central European 1250 character sets.

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).