Archived entries for Berthold
Gimme a Sign
12 line Signal Black
The identity of this face has eluded me for two years – thank God for The Encyclopedia of Type Faces! The genius of this classic is in the organization under three main sections: Romans, Lineales (Sans Serifs), and Scripts. I had been unable to locate Signal in McGrew’s American Metal Typefaces of the Twentieth Century because it’s buried in Appendix II: Popular Imports. I assumed, rather naively, that a face cut into wood probably originated in the States (hello. . . Futura!?). According to Jaspert, Berry, and Johnson, Signal was designed in 1931 by W. Wege for the great Berlin based type foundry, Berthold. I will sleep much better tonight having solved this mystery.
This nearly-monoline capital G is cut into the side grain; unfortunately, no manufacturer’s imprint is present.