Sorry folks but typefaces are my passion.

If memory serves me correctly, it's one of Alanocu's interests as well. (I stand to be corrected)

Do you celebrate their birthdays as well?

I would if I could - there's no end to me

I like typefaces, too. It started with my love of books. I am one of those people that reads the blurb in the book about the type they used. It's like any other art, I suppose. A good typeface can move you along, whereas a badly chosen one can render even the most beautiful prose hard to appreciate.

Typography is an art form in itself and you’re quite right, the choice of an inappropriate typeface can spoil the item it appears on.
My love of typefaces began with my job. I began as a compositor in the 1960s and handled and made up case type every day. The illustration with the clip gives an idea of what part of the job involved in those days.

I began as a compositor in the 1960s and handled and made up case type every day

What an interesting job, Mickfinn. I've worked in marketing where I had to "undo" the screamingly bad typeface choices that others made. LOL. "Do you really want to have the type italicized AND underlined?" Oy!

Rofl! Yes, it’s like after the advent of Word and suchlike when people began to be their own printer. You know the sort of thing: a pub menu - three starters, six mains and three desserts. And 15 typefaces.

And 15 typefaces.

LOL! I know what you mean. There is a reason people actually go to school to learn about design and typography: not everyone can produce quality, no matter how easy the publishing software makes it.

You might enjoy this, the "Blog" of "Unneccesary" Quotation Marks. Kore7 introduced me to that gem.

Ah, Mickfinn! I love that book. It was really well written and quite funny. Thanks for the recommendation, even so. Hope you have a wonderful weekend.

Coffee, like Helvetica, is an acquired taste. To satisfy both habits, this white ceramic mug features four weights of the timeless font – in corresponding caffeinated shades – and a sensibly squared handle. Holds 15 ounces of your favorite beverage but, like the typeface that adorns it, has bottomless potential.

I love the copy as much as the idea Too bad it's out of stock.

@haraya:
Thanks. It's a handsome mug!
It'll be in stock later in the year so I'll treat myself.

Mickfinn, I can't clip this, but I thought of you when I saw it. This link will only point to the right comic today, so in case you miss this, search for the Jan. 31st comic.

@bnm:
Cheers for that - I loved it

You've probably seen this, but just in case, here you go.

Thanks a lot. I did see a film on British TV last year celebrating the anniversary but not sure now whether any of these was it, but I will follow them up.

Enbar’s clip is Déjà vu. ‘’In the late 1950s, the European design world saw a revival of older sans-serif typefaces such as the German face Akzidenz-Grotesk’’.

I knew it as Standard; it was still quite popular in the 1970s. Helvetica was also popular but we knew it as Neue Haas. Both were founder’s founts, i.e. case founts.

I have two personal letterhead styles. The layout is exactly the same in each case but the founts change. One is Gill Sans, the other is Neuzeit, which translates more or less from the German as ‘new age’ or ‘modern age’ (not bad for an 80 year-old!).

Mickfinn, I love reading your thoughts on typefaces. Thanks so much for sharing them.

You're very kind, and thanks.