Wednesday, March 2, 2011

Font?

Does anyone know what font was used for the bold song titles on the Sandie Shaw Hand In Glove and Smiths Heaven Knows I'm Miserable Now and William It Was Really Nothing sleeves?

See here.

I was able to fudge it for Hand In Glove but after hours of work I'm giving up on Heaven Knows and I'm going to have to reset the type. I can get close, but can't get it exact, and none of my usual resources are able to identify it.

This is what I get for wanting to show the correct track listing (a la New Order Recycle), as opposed to just faithfully replicating the original sleeve (a la Joy Division Recycle).

9 comments:

  1. looks like a variation of Trade Gothic Bold... very close.

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  2. actually it looks like a version of ITC Newtext? newtext demi, expanded to about 120%?

    http://new.myfonts.com/fonts/itc/newtext/

    the version on the records looks like the really fine serifs could have been slightly softened/dulled due to mechanical reproduction of the era (either rub-down type or photo-lettering, stat camera, offset printing etc).

    ps. love the Recycle blogs, keep up the great work!

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  3. I was thinking Copperplate but the serifs are facing the wrong way. C'mon font nerds, help this fella out!

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  4. Heaven Knows... = Univers 67 Condensed Bold

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  5. Chad - THANK YOU! It's definitely Newtext Demi.

    Now, none of my usual resources have that font. Is anyone reading this able to help me out?

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  6. yep.... sending

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  7. I thought Univers as well

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  8. I used to spec type at my old job, and I'm a big Smiths fan. What does that mean? I already had a list ready. A quick guide to Smiths Singles typefaces:

    Glove:
    Optima (Bold, Regular)

    Charming:
    Optima (Bold, Regular)
    Univers (Regular, Bold Condensed, Condensed)

    What DIf:
    Optima (Bold)
    Univers (Regular, Bold Condensed, Bold)

    Sandie Shaw:
    Univers (Regular, Bold, Condensed, Bold Condensed)
    ITC NewText (Manually Extended)

    Heaven Knows:
    Grotesque MT
    ITC NewText (Manually Extended)

    William (Green):
    Optima (Bold)
    ITC NewText (light) (Manually Extended)
    Univers Condensed (Bold)

    William (Purple):
    Belwe Bold
    Belwe Bold Condensed

    William (Yellow):
    ITC Symbol (Black Italic)
    How Soon is Now (UK):

    Futura BT Medium (Manually Condensed)
    Gill Sans
    How Soon is Now (US 12" ):

    Engraver's LH
    Univers Condensed

    How Soon is Now/Shakespears Sister (US 7"):
    Linotype Erbar (Condensed Bold)

    Shakespears Sister:
    Futura Bold Condensed
    Futura BT Medium (Manually Condensed)
    Gill Sans

    Barbarism:
    Futura Bold Condensed
    Futura Bold
    Grotesque MT

    Headmaster Ritual:
    LTC Jefferson Gothic Regular
    AkzidenzGrotesk (Bold, Light)
    OL London Black Italic

    That Joke:
    ITC NewText (Bold) (Manually Condensed)
    ITC NewText (Bold)

    Boy With the Thorn:
    Helvetica Neue (Light Italic)
    ITC Symbol (Black, Light, Light Italic)

    Bigmouth:
    Concorde (Regular, Bold)

    Panic:
    ITC Symbol (Black Italic)
    Antique Olive (Regular, Nord)

    Some Girls:
    ITC Eras (Ultra)

    Ask:
    ITC Symbol (Black Italic, Medium Italic, Bold italic)
    ITC Eras (Ultra)

    Ask (Yellow):
    ITC Garamond

    Ask (France):
    ITC Crillee Italic
    ITC Eras (Bold)

    Shoplifters:
    ITC Novarese (Bold, Bold italic)
    Zapf Dingbats

    There is a Light (France):
    Optima (Italic, Bold Italic)

    Sheila:
    Garth Grahic Black (with manual outline)
    Zapf Dingbats

    Girlfriend:
    Times New Roman (Manual Small Caps)

    I Started Something:
    LTC Kennerly (Medium, Medium Italic, Bold Italic)

    Stop Me:
    ITC Quorum Black

    Last Night:
    Cheltenham (Book Ultra)

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  9. Thanks very much for that, Gurgle! I've looked all over for some sort of list. I was able to use WhatTheFont quite a bit when working on the New Order sleeves, but wasn't having any luck identifying Newtext there. Identifont also wasn't able to narrow it down.

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