Jump to content

What typewriter "font" size do you most prefer to write with? To read in a letter?


kealani

Recommended Posts

What typewriter "font" (type size) do you most prefer:

1. . . when you write letters?

2. . . . and prefer to read?

"Pica" (12 cpi), "Elite" (10 cpi), or something else?

 

**For example: now. . "vintage" manual or manual/electric assist typewriters made by Olympia, Smith Corona, Royal, etc, come with various "type slugs" that range  most commonly from "Pica" at 10 characters per inch (CPI) or the smaller "Elite" type slugs at 12 CPI.

Later electronic "typewriters" like the IBM Selectrics with switchable "type balls" and others with switchable "DaisyWheel" types also had variable "fonts".

 

**So, if writing or reading a typewritten . . .not laser printed from a computer. . .  what font do you prefer to "type with" and what font would you prefer to read from others that might have sent you a "type written" letter using a "typewriter".

 

Thanks for your helpful and positive input.

k

(1929 Royal P - types great)

This has type slugs that imprint a "font" slightly smaller than "Elite" at 12 cpi.

fullsizeoutput_199e.jpeg

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Replies 14
  • Created
  • Last Reply

Top Posters In This Topic

  • corniche

    3

  • 51ISH

    2

  • antares1966

    2

  • kealani

    2

Top Posters In This Topic

Posted Images

Long time I haven't had access to a typewriter. But when I did, I used the only typeface it came with. At the time typefaces were not interchangeable, but fixed.

 

If you are to be ephemeral, leave a good scent.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

@Kamuela  I'd be intersted to know how you change typeface on your 1929 Royal.  Please share.

Add lightness and simplicate.

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Interesting, I am not esentially interested in any syze or type of fonts or letters but I feel a penchant or love for metal typewriters from the thirties and forties with some letters worne out, originals a la Raymond Chandler or Dashiell Hamet.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Many moons ago I was the proud owner of an IBM Selectric II. My preferred “type ball” was “Elite”, would sometimes use “Pica” and absolutely hated the one that tried to simulate cursive (I forget the name).

Link to comment
Share on other sites

6 hours ago, carlos.q said:

Many moons ago I was the proud owner of an IBM Selectric II. My preferred “type ball” was “Elite”, would sometimes use “Pica” and absolutely hated the one that tried to simulate cursive (I forget the name).

Selectric II is what my high school had for typing class, back when that was a thing...before that I took a typing class in middle school and they had big ol' tanks of standard size manuals.  I could really zing along on that Selectric though.  Preferred the higher CPI of Elite.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

1 hour ago, antares1966 said:

Selectric II is what my high school had for typing class, back when that was a thing...before that I took a typing class in middle school and they had big ol' tanks of standard size manuals.  I could really zing along on that Selectric though.  Preferred the higher CPI of Elite.

Why do you prefer Elite?

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

2 hours ago, Kamuela said:

Why do you prefer Elite?

 

I  think it's just a little narrower, more upright style, there's honestly not a ton of difference between the two, it's more type size than an actual difference in font I think.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

On 3/16/2023 at 4:28 PM, txomsy said:

Long time I haven't had access to a typewriter. But when I did, I used the only typeface it came with. At the time typefaces were not interchangeable, but fixed.

 

 

+1

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I still use a Royal Scriptor with a Bookface Academic print wheel; I usually set it on Pitch 12.

 

I also have print wheels for Letter Gothic, Old English and Prestige.

 

The latter is what it came with; Old English is great for the Christmas Season.

 

I love my typewriter... I wouldn't want to be without it. :thumbup:

 

- Sean :)

https://www.catholicscomehome.org/

 

"Every one therefore that shall confess Me before men, I will also confess him before My Father Who is in Heaven." - MT. 10:32

"Any society that will give up liberty to gain security deserves neither and will lose both." - Ben Franklin

Thank you Our Lady of Prompt Succor & St. Jude.

 

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

On 3/17/2023 at 6:44 AM, carlos.q said:

 and absolutely hated the one that tried to simulate cursive (I forget the name).

 

Those are usually referred to as "Script."

 

- Sean :)

https://www.catholicscomehome.org/

 

"Every one therefore that shall confess Me before men, I will also confess him before My Father Who is in Heaven." - MT. 10:32

"Any society that will give up liberty to gain security deserves neither and will lose both." - Ben Franklin

Thank you Our Lady of Prompt Succor & St. Jude.

 

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

My old manual typewriter from high school and college didn't have a selection of fonts.  My guess that the font on it was "Courier" 12 point.  (My laptop no longer has that as an option, having only "Courier New" and "American Typewriter" as anything remotely close).  

These days, my preferred font is "Palatino", but that's not an option here ("Georgia" is probably the closest substitute, but it's just as easy to use the default -- even though I'm not overly enamored of non-serif fonts in general).

Ruth Morrisson aka inkstainedruth

"It's very nice, but frankly, when I signed that list for a P-51, what I had in mind was a fountain pen."

Link to comment
Share on other sites

27 minutes ago, inkstainedruth said:

My old manual typewriter from high school and college didn't have a selection of fonts.  My guess that the font on it was "Courier" 12 point.  (My laptop no longer has that as an option, having only "Courier New" and "American Typewriter" as anything remotely close).  

These days, my preferred font is "Palatino", but that's not an option here ("Georgia" is probably the closest substitute, but it's just as easy to use the default -- even though I'm not overly enamored of non-serif fonts in general).

Ruth Morrisson aka inkstainedruth

 

Oh goody it's another 'learning day'!! :thumbup:  I had to google 'serif' and 'non serif'. :blush:

I'll leave it there as this is a typewriter thread and all my fonts refer to my laptop... 🏃‍♂️

 

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

1 hour ago, inkstainedruth said:

These days, my preferred font is "Palatino"

Ah Ruth, you have good taste in type!  I wrote (a won) many a grant proposal in my time and always used Palatino but set it at 13 points. My rationale was that the 13pt. type was hardly recognizable as being larger than the standard 12pt. but would be easier to read by the (likely aging) review board.

...............................................................

We Are Our Ancestors’ Wildest Dreams

Link to comment
Share on other sites

20 hours ago, OCArt said:

Ah Ruth, you have good taste in type!  I wrote (a won) many a grant proposal in my time and always used Palatino but set it at 13 points. My rationale was that the 13pt. type was hardly recognizable as being larger than the standard 12pt. but would be easier to read by the (likely aging) review board.

 

Hi OC, that's a good idea with the 13pt. size. :thumbup:

 

I typically used 11 or 12pt. I didn't use Palatino, though; I used Book Antiquia or another one I can't remember the name for, I think it started with a G, but I preferred the look of the Book Antiquia, but I always used serif fonts. Even with my Dymo label maker, I switch it off the default Arial font and use Roman.

 

- Sean :)

https://www.catholicscomehome.org/

 

"Every one therefore that shall confess Me before men, I will also confess him before My Father Who is in Heaven." - MT. 10:32

"Any society that will give up liberty to gain security deserves neither and will lose both." - Ben Franklin

Thank you Our Lady of Prompt Succor & St. Jude.

 

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now


  • Most Contributions

    1. amberleadavis
      amberleadavis
      43844
    2. PAKMAN
      PAKMAN
      33494
    3. Ghost Plane
      Ghost Plane
      28220
    4. inkstainedruth
      inkstainedruth
      26627
    5. jar
      jar
      26101
  • Upcoming Events

  • Blog Comments

    • Shanghai Knife Dude
      I have the Sailor Naginata and some fancy blade nibs coming after 2022 by a number of new workshop from China.  With all my respect, IMHO, they are all (bleep) in doing chinese characters.  Go use a bush, or at least a bush pen. 
    • A Smug Dill
      It is the reason why I'm so keen on the idea of a personal library — of pens, nibs, inks, paper products, etc. — and spent so much money, as well as time and effort, to “build” it for myself (because I can't simply remember everything, especially as I'm getting older fast) and my wife, so that we can “know”; and, instead of just disposing of what displeased us, or even just not good enough to be “given the time of day” against competition from >500 other pens and >500 other inks for our at
    • adamselene
      Agreed.  And I think it’s good to be aware of this early on and think about at the point of buying rather than rationalizing a purchase..
    • A Smug Dill
      Alas, one cannot know “good” without some idea of “bad” against which to contrast; and, as one of my former bosses (back when I was in my twenties) used to say, “on the scale of good to bad…”, it's a spectrum, not a dichotomy. Whereas subjectively acceptable (or tolerable) and unacceptable may well be a dichotomy to someone, and finding whether the threshold or cusp between them lies takes experiencing many degrees of less-than-ideal, especially if the decision is somehow influenced by factors o
    • adamselene
      I got my first real fountain pen on my 60th birthday and many hundreds of pens later I’ve often thought of what I should’ve known in the beginning. I have many pens, the majority of which have some objectionable feature. If they are too delicate, or can’t be posted, or they are too precious to face losing , still they are users, but only in very limited environments..  I have a big disliking for pens that have the cap jump into the air and fly off. I object to Pens that dry out, or leave blobs o
  • Chatbox

    You don't have permission to chat.
    Load More
  • Files






×
×
  • Create New...