Appleton Coated announces the final four of 12 limited-edition type specimen sheets letterpress printed by Hamilton Wood Type and Printing Museum. Numbers 9, 10, 11 and 12 in the series, the specimens showcase classic typefaces on Utopia® coated papers and Curious Collection® papers. Each specimen sheet was printed in an edition of 500 copies, signed and numbered by the printer.

Specimen Sheet No. 9 is printed on Curious Collection’s 100-pound cover SKIN in Grey featuring Bernhard Gothic Medium, first shown in Hamilton Manufacturing Co.’s 1930 specimen book. Designed and printed by Jim Moran, Hamilton Wood Type and Printing Museum’s director, who said, “One of the first contemporary American san serifs, this low-waisted font was first introduced in 1929 in the ATF catalog. Its strong, bold details make Lucien Bernhard’s design a fine fit for Appleton Coated stock.”

Specimen Sheet No. 10 highlights Utopia U2:XG Dull 120-pound cover and features Gothic XXX Condensed. This specimen was designed and printed by Hamilton’s assistant director, Stephanie Carpenter. She noted that it is “a great font for newspaper headlines or used anywhere else that a lot of information needs to be placed in a small space. It was produced in many sizes and the uniform stroke thickness makes it very legible in almost any size. The character and thusly, the history, of the large, 40 line type shows really well on coated paper.”

Specimen Sheet No. 11 features Curious Collection’s 100-pound cover Curious Matter in Ibizenca Sand as printed with Aldine typeface, first designed for wood type by William Page in 1870. “It was a workhorse font for printers in the late 1800s and early 1900s because of its broad surface area and relatively small counters,” explained Hamilton’s artistic director, Bill Moran. “Not only is Curious Matter an innovative sheet because of its use of potato waste, it also is a perfect choice for letterpress because of its toothy finish and its ability to take the impression of wood type.”

Specimen Sheet No. 12 spotlights Utopia Two Dull 120-pound cover featuring Beaufonte. “This beauty made quite a splash as a very flowing ad style when it came out. The finely calendered finish on the coated sheet yields fine results with letterpress printing,” stated Carpenter, who designed and printed the poster.

 

In 2012, Appleton Coated became an official sponsor of the museum’s type specimen sheet archiving program and documentation of its type  collection. Incorporated 125 years ago in 1889, Appleton Coated has seen many Hamilton fonts printed on its papers. “We began the series to celebrate Hamilton’s vast collection of classic typefaces, letterpress printing and the enduring power of printed communication as demonstrated on Utopia coated and Curious Collection papers,” said Ferkó X. Goldinger, Appleton Coated’s marketing manager.

Goldinger continued, “In these three years, the Museum’s visibility has risen dramatically. It successfully transitioned to a new, larger space and a one-of-a-kind destination. It has expanded its hands-on approach with new workshops, programs and an annual Wayzgoose type conference that attracts design and print professionals, historians, and creative people of all ages.”

Jim Moran also noted, “This series of specimen sheets not only demonstrates beautiful type, printing and paper; and a wonderful sampling of our history and collection; it also demonstrates what’s possible with a strong partner. Appleton Coated has been a committed supporter of the museum’s mission in Two Rivers and of our outreach efforts throughout North America. We feel fortunate to have this long-standing relationship and are thankful for the many opportunities that Appleton Coated has made possible throughout its sponsorship.”

Printer’s proofs of the specimen sheet series will be available for sale at the annual Wayzgoose type conference, held Nov. 7-9 in Two Rivers, Wisconsin. Registration is now open and is limited to 200 participants. Learn more at http://woodtype.org.

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