N T I N I G The Monthly Magazine of the British Printing Society R P S O H C S I I E T I T R Y Small Printer B ISSN 0037 7236 August 2017 Vol.53 No.8 Small Printer Issue No. 632 August 2017 Published by the British Printing Society founded in 1944 by William Brace Executive Offi cers Non-Executive Offi cers President: Jean Watson Editor: Chris Green 19 Hillbrow Road, Bournemouth, BH6 5NT Noddyshall, Rockshaw Road, Merstham, 01202 429642 Redhill, RH1 3DB [email protected] 01737 644145 Vice President: Paul Hatcher [email protected] 256 Kingfi sher Drive, Woodley Reading, RG5 3LH SP Design: 01189 666124 [email protected] [email protected] Secretary: Peter Salisbury Membership: Margaret Rookes 4 Doran Drive, Redhill, RH1 6AX 57 Craiston Way, Chelmsford, CM2 8ED 01737 761861 01245 611484 [email protected] [email protected] Treasurer: Robin Munday Mailer: Tony Jewell Printer’s Patch,Dyke Hill,South Chard, TA20 2PY 51 Lynton Road South, Gravesend, DA11 7NE 01460 220819 01474 748532 [email protected] [email protected] Councillor: Libby Green Sales: Terry Shapland 01737 644145 Acorn Cottage, 28 Oak Street, Feltwell, [email protected] Thetford, IP26 4DD Councillor: Roderic Findlay [email protected] 01308 423720 Advertising: Ron Watson [email protected] 19 Hillbrow Road, Bournemouth, BH6 5NT Councillor: Ron Watson 01202 429642 [email protected] 01202 429642 [email protected] Web Master: Ron Rookes PG Councillor: Win Armand Smith 01245 611484 [email protected] 01258 830628 [email protected] Enquiries: John Easson 01828 628001 [email protected] Copy Deadline Librarian: Libby Green Copy must reach the Editor by 6.00pm on 01737 644145 the 13th of the previous month. [email protected] PG Chairman: Rachel Marsh Bundle Items 01409 281326 Members’ non commercial Bundle Items are [email protected] inserted free of charge. 320 copies should be sent to the Mailer by the 25th of the previous PG Mailer: Jean Watson month. Maximum size A5 or folded to same. 01202 429642 [email protected] www.bpsnet.org.uk 174 | From The Editor | | Chris Green (7614) | he name of Vincent Figgins may would be willing to do, I should be happy strike a chord with some of our to answer any questions you have about the Tmembers. task. Figgins was a notable punch-cutter and Odhams Press is a familiar name to type-founder; he is credited with designing many – the company published, among the first Egyptian (slab serif) typeface, other titles, the Ideal Home and Horse and which he named simply ‘Antique’. He was Hound magazines before it was taken over born in 1766 in Peckham (south London) by Fleetway Publications Ltd in 1961 and and died in 1844. The cover of this month’s then becoming part of the IPC Group two magazine shows an ‘Epitome of Specimens’ years later. A name that may not be familiar from his catalogue, courtesy of Bob is Greycaine, one of the several printing Richardson. and book manufacturing companies used by Some find his typefaces attractive; some, Odhams. If – as I suspect – the name means I am sure, would call them ugly. Others little to you, then you will learn much more would classify many of them as ‘outrageous’ from Adrian Towler’s article on page 186. and this, indeed, was the topic for the Book production again comes to the fore 2016 Publishing Group’s Annual. Claire with the Branch report from Essex Branch Bolton, one of our former members, is well on page 191. Indeed, both this and the qualified to review such a publication and following two Branch reports give a good she does so on page 178. This is preceded flavour of what members up and down by an introduction by Rachel Marsh, the the country are getting up to. I clearly PG chairman. Following the publication remember, during my earlier spell as of these two articles, I should not be at all Editor, criticisms of Branch reports as being surprised to see a substantial increase in little more than an elaborate description sales of the 2016 PG Annual! of what the host had provided in the way You may remember that several issues of refreshments. We have come a long way of Small Printer this year have carried since then! official EC notices regarding vacancies to Two more very interesting articles be filled. Response has been slow but the complete this month’s offerings: a visit to a posts of Mailer and Membership Secretary collection of Private Press books (a subject have now both been filled. Still outstanding, dear to the heart of some of our members), though, is the need for an Editor. I cannot and a potted history of what I may call carry on with this task after the end of the ‘Printing on Ice’. year, especially with my new responsibility, So, enjoy what we have here – and please so I urge you to consider whether this is ask yourself whether you have it in you to something you could take on. There’s no apply for the Editor vacancy. need to get involved with intricate layout details, as this is all taken care of; it’s more Views expressed by individual authors are a case of receiving articles from members not necessarily the views of the Society. and a little bit of proof-reading. If you do All advertisements are accepted in feel that this is possibly something you good faith, the Society cannot take responsibility regarding the condition of Cover Image: Bob Richardson’s page the goods sold from the advertisements from the 2016 PG Annual. See articles on nor can it vouch for the accuracy of any pages 176 and 178. statements in any advertisement. 175 | OutrageousFonts: | | Rachel Marsh (10663) | The 2016 Publishing Group Annual he topic of the 2016 Publishing happy discovery at St Bride’s springs Group Annual was ‘Outrageous to mind), others described the woes of TFonts’ – a subject that has eBay (Alan Brignull and Paul Hatcher), the potential to raise the hackles then there are the Figgins Ornamented of typography purists. Fortunately, Initial Fragments, allowing Victorian Publishing Group members are a broad- printers to ‘create his own typographic minded and eclectic bunch and the horrors’ (I want some!) plus fascinating subject was interpreted in the broadest insights on Pouchée and other delights possible manner and with a certain from St Bride Library (Bob Richardson). mischievous relish. In what other Many contributions point out that publication would it be possible to fi nd outrageousness is in the eye of the various egregious typefaces, alongside beholder, and that tastes change over swastika borders and baptismal fonts? time (Ron Prosser and John Easson). In When my copy of the PG Annual fact I rather like Mike Perry’s ‘Ugly Face’ Outrageous Fonts arrived I read it from – the typeface he uses in his title, I cover to cover with a broad grin on my mean! I also covet the nine-line fat-face face. It wasn’t just the humour, (though much beloved of Peter Criddle’s Ericius Katherine Anteney’s Harold set me off Press, which he prints beautifully at an laughing on the very fi rst page, as did angle, bleeding off the page, but which Anke Ueberberg’s neon pink outrage various historical type afi cionados towards the end) but it was wonderful described as ‘truly disgusting’ and to see that the topic had inspired many ‘painfully bad to the eye’. members to print more long-form It was most enjoyable to see the text contributions than usual. Some outrageous digital fonts that some explained their choice of ‘Outrageous’ members managed to fi nd online. The font (Chris Brinson’s love letter to a silhouetted font Bizarro discovered Front Cover - Alan Brignull Katherine Anteney Win Armand Smith 176 by Margaret Rookes is the stuff of by previous printers. But often it’s nightmares, and Ron Rookes displayed good to be outrageous, or daring, a list of outrages that pushed legibility dazzling, audacious and fl amboyant to the limit in a most satisfying way. I (Elizabeth Fraser and John Holmes)! wonder whether, like the Victorian fat- And sometimes this impact can be faces, these too will be resurrected with made by . just not being there. Owen glee in a hundred years’ time? Maybe Legg’s ghost font is as ingenious as it is not. John Miller found non-text fonts absent. of Banksy graffi ti and single-handed For baptismal font collectors, signing – there’s more than one way there are three in this annual: a most to communicate . Terry Shapland’s unchristian looking Luppitt font, an seemingly innocent and fl owery octagonal medieval font in Bag Enderby, ‘Sybarite’ font included a surprise moral and a stunning contemporary font in warning, with the take-home message Salisbury Cathedral (Paul Hatcher, John that you should not teach your horses Miller, Jean Watson). All are outrageous to dance to music. All the more horrifi c in different ways. for being typeset in Curlz MT. Ugh! So who had the audacity to include Rebus was a new one on me. It was the swastika border? Find out for wittily displayed by Win Armand Smith, yourself as the Annual is now available who showed its riddle-like quality for sale at just £7.50 at www.bpsnet. without in fact using any actual Rebus org.uk ! (which, she tells me, is a Victorian Claire Bolton, print historian and dingbat typeface) at all.