This roly-poly romp through the alphabets is based on a showing from Carl Holmes' 1950s book, ABC of Lettering, published by art-for-the-masses magnate Walter T. Foster. Named as an apt companion to my East Coast Frolics.

The basic letterforms for this typeface were found on a 1920s French poster for Les Arts de Feu by an unnamed artist. The stark geometric forms have been dressed up with an outline treatment, a drop-up shadow and a non-traditional small cap arrangement to make it even more striking, in a spooky kind of way. Both versions of the font include 1252 Latin, 1250 CE (with localization for Romanian and Moldovan).

This lively script is based on a handlettered offering from The Hunt Brothers, which they called simply "Ornamental Italic". Ornamental, yes, but there’s also a lot of action and attitude in this typeface. Please note that, due to the extreme slant of the characters, spacing in the font has been optimized for upper- and lowercase use. Both versions of this font contain complete Unicode 1252 (Latin) and Unicode 1250 (Central European) character sets, with localization for Romanian and Moldovan.

This decorative delight is based on a typeface discovered within the pages of "Schriftatlas: Alphabete von A bis Z," and originally named Pygmalion. The swash caps and plain caps in the lowercase positions allow for wide-ranging creativity in the composition of dramatic headlines. Both versions include the complete Latin 1252, Central European 1250 and Turkish 1254 character sets, as well as localization for Moldovan and Romanian.

Bongo drums at the ready! Freeman Craw's archetypal beatnik typeface Ad Lib provided the inspiration for this indubitably eccentric excursion in coolsville typography. Both versions of the font include complete Latin 1252, Central European 1250 and Turkish 1524 character sets, with localization for Moldovan, Romanian and Turkish.

A font with a strong architectural feel, inspired by those great commercial emporiums of a bygone era. To cap the crossbars, use [brackets] to enclose uppercase letters, {braces} to enclose lowercase letters, and the upright bar | between upper- and lowercase letters. Both versions of the font include 1252 Latin, 1250 CE (with localization for Romanian and Moldovan).

The basic letterforms of this typeface were found in a lettering book, Rotalución Decorativa, published in Barcelona in the 1940s. Add a lowercase and a few flourishes suggested by a hand-painted sign seen at a neighborhood tavern on Staten Island, and you have a seriously fun face. To add even more spice, the font also contains alternate characters in the Logical Not, ASCII circumflex and tilde positions. It also contains a few alternate characters in the ASCII circumflex and tilde positions to perk things up. Both versions of the font contain characters to support all major European languages.

A stylish retro script where I have completely redone the spacing to make the text look more even. All of the diacritics have been redone, too - and the character set expanded in our usual fashion. So now this little gem from Nick Curtis is ready for the big time! Nick Curtis says: “This font is basically a design exercise, influenced by a number of contemporary fonts, but unique in its own way. The gentle, fluid motion reminded me of diner lettering from the 30s and 40s, hence the name.” ALL fonts from CheapProFonts have very extensive language support: They contain some unusual diacritic letters (some of which are contained in the Latin Extended-B Unicode block) supporting: Cornish, Filipino (Tagalog), Guarani, Luxembourgian, Malagasy, Romanian, Ulithian and Welsh. They also contain all glyphs in the Latin Extended-A Unicode block (which among others cover the Central European and Baltic areas) supporting: Afrikaans, Belarusian (Lacinka), Bosnian, Catalan, Chichewa, Croatian, Czech, Dutch, Esperanto, Greenlandic, Hungarian, Kashubian, Kurdish (Kurmanji), Latvian, Lithuanian, Maltese, Maori, Polish, Saami (Inari), Saami (North), Serbian (latin), Slovak(ian), Slovene, Sorbian (Lower), Sorbian (Upper), Turkish and Turkmen. And they of course contain all the usual “western” glyphs supporting: Albanian, Basque, Breton, Chamorro, Danish, Estonian, Faroese, Finnish, French, Frisian, Galican, German, Icelandic, Indonesian, Irish (Gaelic), Italian, Northern Sotho, Norwegian, Occitan, Portuguese, Rhaeto-Romance, Sami (Lule), Sami (South), Scots (Gaelic), Spanish, Swedish, Tswana, Walloon and Yapese.

Lewis F. Day, in his book Alphabets Old and New, offered this typeface as an example from sixteenth-century England of lettering incised in wood. The font is essentially monocase, but there several lowercase letters are alternate letterforms. Please note that, due to the ornate nature of the letterforms, this font does not contain math operators, fractions or superior numbers. Both versions of the font include 1252 Latin and 1250 CE (with localization for Romanian and Moldovan) character sets.

Here's another experiment in minimalism, using just three basic shapes to fashion an alphabet. Use it liberally when you want an air of intrigue, or to send secret messages. This font contains the complete Latin language character set (Unicode 1252) plus support for Central European (Unicode 1250) languages as well.

Here’s a workman-like collection of border elements gleaned from the specimen books of various American manufacturers of woodtype from around 1840 to 1885. Refer to the PDF guides for detailed, yet simple, instructions for constructing various border patterns, all with Victorian grace and charm.

Handlettering on a piece of sheet music from 1903 was the inspiration for this little whimsical wonder. The font features a very sinuous S and teddy-bear bookends in the {brace} positions. This font contains the complete Latin language character set (Unicode 1252) plus support for Central European (Unicode 1250) languages as well.

Just in time for the Holiday Season, here's a FREE font with word art, clip art and border elements to dress up your next project. Enjoy!

This unusual penscript is based on letterforms discovered in the classic Zanerian Manual of Alphabets and Engrossing. The economy and the sinuous quality of the pen strokes, combined with the severe backslant, suggest--without mimicking--the grace and beauty of fine Arabic calligraphy. The Opentype, Truetype and Windows Postscript versions of this font contain both the Windows 1252/ANSI character set and the 1250/Central European character set.

The original release notes from England’s Stephenson Blake Type Foundry say it all: “a type of some waywardness in design, judged from any typographical standard…a type that seems unable to decide whether to be a roman or a script." Stephenson Blake called their release "Recherché"— sought after or in great demand, which seems quite appropriate. Both versions of the font include 1252 Latin, 1250 CE (with localization for Romanian and Moldovan).

Avast, me hearties! Here be a serious pirate font, based loosely on several of Victor Hammer’s uncial typefaces, designed between 1925 and 1953, and liberally weathered and corroded for that authentic barnacle-encrusted look. The bullet character is suitable for marking where the treasure is buried, and the section mark is a Jolly Roger. Both versions of the font include 1252 Latin, 1250 CE (with localization for Romanian and Moldovan).

This assertively Art Deco face is based on Cubist Bold, designed by John W. Zimmerman for Barnhart Brothers & Spindler in 1929, and takes its name from one of the co-founders—with Pablo Picasso—of the Cubist Movement. Both versions of this font contain the complete Unicode 1252 (Latin) and Unicode 1250 (Central European) character sets, with localization for Romanian and Moldovan.

This typeface appeared in the William H. Page Woodtype specimen book as Gothic Tuscan Condensed Reversed—quite a mouthful. Banner elements appear in the brace and bracket positions, and reversed spaces can be found in the underscore and bar positions. Both versions of this font support the Latin 1252, Central European 1250, Turkish 1254 and Baltic 1257 codepages.

This engaging headline face is based on a rather pudgy typeface named “Bullion Shadow”, which was originally released somewhere on the cusp between the hippie and disco eras, and was equally at home in both. Now available in shaded and plain. Both versions of this font support the Latin 1252, Central European 1250, Turkish 1254 and Baltic 1257 codepages.

An old favorite from the venerable Letragraphica series, named Yankee Shadow and designed by Tony Geddes, provides the pattern for this sporty font. For this version, the outlines have been beefed up, and the shadow has been moved in an easterly direction. Both versions of this font include the complete Latin 1252 and CE 1250 character sets, with localization for Romanian and Moldovan.

Morris Fuller Benton's 1917 typeface named Invitation provided the pattern for this elegant and endearing face. Classic Engravers Roman style caps are exquisitely balanced with a sinewy lowercase, adding warmth and charm. All versions of this font include the Unicode 1250 Central European character set in addition to the standard Unicode 1252 Latin set.

Letterforms from the 30s, inspired by Bauhaus Bold, combine with super 70s styling to create this disco-era delight. The bold characters, rendered by prismatic multilines, create striking headlines with a strong architectural feel. Both versions of this Pro Series font contain the complete Unicode Latin A character complement, along with extended ligatures and fractions.

Bold geometric shapes, softened with graceful finishes, characterize this jazz-age offering first proposed by lettering artist Eric Matthews. Best used as upper- and lowercase. Both versions of this font contain the Unicode 1252 Latin and Unicode 1250 Central European character sets, with localization for Romanian and Moldovan.

I have improved and added diacritics to this elegant alphabet, and generally cleaned it up to a professional standard. It is well suited to logos, menus, invitations and other things wanting a touch of elegance. Nick Curtis says: "I came across this particular treatment for swash caps in an old book on letterhead design. The original had been handlettered, but I though it might be convenient to have a ready-made font to accomplish the same effect, and here it is. As an extra added feature, the “§” sign is an ampersand with a long tail." ALL fonts from CheapProFonts have very extensive language support: They contain some unusual diacritic letters (some of which are contained in the Latin Extended-B Unicode block) supporting: Cornish, Filipino (Tagalog), Guarani, Luxembourgian, Malagasy, Romanian, Ulithian and Welsh. They also contain all glyphs in the Latin Extended-A Unicode block (which among others cover the Central European and Baltic areas) supporting: Afrikaans, Belarusian (Lacinka), Bosnian, Catalan, Chichewa, Croatian, Czech, Dutch, Esperanto, Greenlandic, Hungarian, Kashubian, Kurdish (Kurmanji), Latvian, Lithuanian, Maltese, Maori, Polish, Saami (Inari), Saami (North), Serbian (latin), Slovak(ian), Slovene, Sorbian (Lower), Sorbian (Upper), Turkish and Turkmen. And they of course contain all the usual “western” glyphs supporting: Albanian, Basque, Breton, Chamorro, Danish, Estonian, Faroese, Finnish, French, Frisian, Galican, German, Icelandic, Indonesian, Irish (Gaelic), Italian, Northern Sotho, Norwegian, Occitan, Portuguese, Rhaeto-Romance, Sami (Lule), Sami (South), Scots (Gaelic), Spanish, Swedish, Tswana, Walloon and Yapese.

A 1928 poster for a café by German artist Karl Bauer informed the creation of this charming and expansive typeface. This font hops, bops, flip-flops and never stops, and is named after a fictitious café which offers cool jazz and fast service. Both versions contain the complete Unicode 1252 (Latin) and Unicode 1250 (Central European) character sets, with localization for Romanian and Moldovan.

Of the many lettering gurus who published chapbooks on handlettering during its heyday, one of the most prolific was H. C. Martin. This quirky poster face was offered in one of his many Idea Books, and it remains as fresh and frolicsome today, some seventy years later, as when it first appeared. Both versions of this font include the complete Unicode Latin 1252 and Central European 1250 character sets.

The family tree of this friendly face runs deep. Its primary inspiration is Twentieth Century, designed by Saul Hess as a monoline version of Paul Renner’s Futura. The design was reinterpreted by Herb Lubalin as Avant Garde in the 1970s. This version softens the harsh geometry of the original designs with rounded line endings: the result is a warm, inviting face that is elegant, confident and inviting. All versions of this font include the Unicode 1250 Central European character set in addition to the standard Unicode 1252 Latin set.

Here's an Art Deco classic with a bit of an edge. This typeface is based on a somewhat less refined but more energetic version of Broadway, designed by Morris Fuller Benton for ATF in 1928, originally named Broadway Poster. Both versions of this font contain the complete Unicode 1252 (Latin) and Unicode 1250 (Central European) character sets, with localization for Romanian and Moldovan.

Walter Foster art books strike again, this time with a bouncy script based on the work of Al Mack, from his Lettering: Brush & Pen in the Single Stroke. Light and lively, this typeface proves that it don't mean a thing if you ain't... The Opentype version of this font supports Unicode 1250 (Central European) languages, as well as Unicode 1252 (Latin) languages.

A thoroughly fun font based on handlettering found on a travel brochure for IMM Steamship Lines, circa 1927, and named after a fictitious girl who likes kissing alot.

A quirky semiscript, derived from lettering in an 1930 ad for the beauty salon of Kathleen Mary Quinlan on New York's Fifth Avenue. The Opentype version of this font supports Unicode 1250 (Central European) languages, as well as Unicode 1252 (Latin) languages.

This simple, charming script is based on the handlettering of Carl Holmes, from Walter T. Foster art book entitled ABC of Lettering. Elementary! Both versions of this font include the complete Latin 1252 and CE 1250 character sets, with localization for Romanian and Moldovan.

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.

A charming series of 26 holiday “type warmers” based on the works of Carl S. Junge for the Barnhart Brothers & Spindler type foundry in the 1920s. Single-color cuts are in the uppercase positions, while 13 of the cuts suitable for two-color usage occupy the lowercase in adjacent pairs; e.g., a and b, c and d, and so on.

A collection of design elements used in logotypes and calling cards from the Victorian era. A PDF file included in the package shows how to construct the various elements

Round, firm and fully packed, this unusual yet elegant headline font with its multiline treatment is best used in large sizes. Both versions of this font contain the Unicode 1252 Latin and Unicode 1250 Central European character sets, with localization for Romanian and Moldovan.

A Nick’s Fonts original, strongly influenced by the “futuristic” lettering styles of 1930s science fiction, most notably Flash Gordon and Buck Rogers. Both versions of this font contain the Unicode 1252 (Latin) and Unicode 1250 (Central European) character sets, with localization for Romanian and Moldovan.

By the time that the 13th edition of the Speedball Text Book appeared in 1938, silent movies were a thing of the past; nonetheless, intrepid author Ross F. George included this typeface, originally intended for title cards, in the volume. Elegant and inviting, the occasionally quirky letterforms feature subtle diamond-shaped accents that add just the right touch of sparkle. The PC Postscript, Truetype and Opentype versions contain the complete Latin language character set (Unicode 1252) plus Central European (Unicode 1250) languages as well.

Handlettering on a 1930s travel poster for the Canadian Pacific Railway provided the pattern for this distinctive Deco typeface. A strong dropshadow treatment has been added so you can create can't-miss headlines easily. Both versions of the font contain characters to support all major European languages.

Inspired by handlettering used on many WPA posters of the 1930s, this monocase display font has stylish lines and graceful curves that will add period charm to any project they grace. Available and normal and bold weights. The Opentype versions of these fonts support Unicode 1250 (Central European) languages, as well as Unicode 1252 (Latin) languages.