26 Comments
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džič's avatar

YES

This is the content I seek

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Daniel ➽ Letterpress Designer's avatar

I love the story behind this! I need to find cooler estate sales I think 🤣

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Beth Mathews's avatar

I bet there are some great flea markets around you!

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Yanim yanepsi's avatar

You are truly the coolest

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Beth Mathews's avatar

You are ♥️

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Lauren Ipsom's avatar

I found a vintage Leroy set in a Canadian thrift store last year. It’s a thing of beauty! Love your typeface and thank you for sharing your process.

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Beth Mathews's avatar

Wow, that a GREAT find! I’ve had my eye on a few on eBay and am just hoping the prices will drop!

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Lauren Ipsom's avatar

It’s not complete with all nibs etc but the letter ‘rulers’ are all there. I’m a calligrapher so it doesn’t get used, just admired. I’d be open to a swap! 🤍✍🏼

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Chas's avatar

Wow, this brings back memories of learning about Leroy lettering in mechanical drawing class back in the 70's. Yes, I'm old lol.

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Beth Mathews's avatar

Love that you had an official class about Leroy lettering! I’d love to find a set and learn how to do it by hand.

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Chas's avatar

Alas, I have not seen a set since then. We got computers in 1979, and that was the end of my drafting career. 🙂

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Noël Claro's avatar

LOVE this typography tale sooooo much!

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Beth Mathews's avatar

Thank you so much!

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Kishly's avatar

Wow this is super cool!!!

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Beth Mathews's avatar

Thank you!

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sPh's avatar

Very nice.

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Beth Mathews's avatar

Thank you!

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Miles | The Life Sucks Coach's avatar

this scratched an itch in my brain I didn't even know I had

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Beth Mathews's avatar

Haha I’m so glad! I felt the same way when I learned about these old lettering tools.

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Tony Holloway's avatar

Your description of this font is spot on. I can smell the stale coffee and scorched engine oil. I can even hear the far off sound of the power socket wrench and air compressor coming from out in the garage bay. I live in Dayton, Ohio and my son and I frequent the Gem City Letterpress at the historic Carillon Park. The old printing presses and the metal moveable types are Willy Wonka-level pure imagination.

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Guild of Good Men's avatar

I have one of those lettering kits! I found it high on a shelf while teaching wood shop in a middle school years ago. When the program shut down, it was one of the things I kept with me- I still have it because it’s such an interesting mechanical way to write.

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Clive Colledge's avatar

Beautiful work.

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Bill Fargo's avatar

When I started, I had a Leroy set just like that, as well as several other lettering sets. Pen on velum and an electric eraser. A long ways from the Revit/CAD programs we ended up with.

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Alessandra Ranelli's avatar

I just discovered your page and I ADORE your style and fondness for spotting beauty in the dusty, seemingly ordinary corners of life. Really great work!

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Donal McKernan's avatar

Love it!

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Emilia Borg's avatar

This is so cool! And agree heavily on fontself being a great start for anyone wanting to try out making a typeface. Incredibly intuitive and easy. Great work, Beth!

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