This is a subject that will probably become a regular feature, hence the #1. Typographic finds, which could be anything or anywhere, but more often than not they’re those hand written or hand painted signs that are completely unique to anything computer set. I find them very interesting. Some are terrible, with bad spelling or grammer, or (pet hate) a mix of capitals and lowercase letters, or they’ve not been thought about before hand, and the letters end up squashed on the end where they’ve run out of space. But some are well done, and very creative.
I think they say a lot about the person behind them. I found these signs (pic above) a few yards apart on the same wall, though I’m sure they’ve not been done by the same person. I love that the one on the left still has the guidelines left behind, which shows a bit of forethought, and the ‘will be removed’ has been italicised for emphasis. This says clear authority, stern, no messing. Whereas the one on the right is much more friendly, almost apologetic. A very sweet handwriting style with added flick serifs. Nice, but hard to take seriously.
Either sign would have caught my attention, but I find the contrast between them quite amusing.
I love hand painted branding or advertising, something you don’t see often these days. What a shame we don’t have them on the end walls of terraced rows anymore. I spotted this one on the end of a canal barge – incidentally canal boats are a great source of hand painted typography – more on that to come. I’m not sure why the ‘& Smokeless’ has been done in a different style, but I like it. I’m keeping my eyes peeled for more of these.
Zoe Naylor design & illustration 