Typography

Philadelphia Lining Gothic Revival

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The goal was to create a revival typeface, utilizing an archived type specimen for a typeface that doesn't exist within the digital world. Objectives included learning new type design software, RoboFont, and paying close attention to the details that went into past typography.

My approach was to create a revival for the typeface named Philadelphia Lining Gothic. This typeface was originally made by William W. Jackson and dates back to circa 1885. You can find this typeface in archived type specimens from the American Type Founders.

Industry

Historical

Year

2024

What I Learned

Type design is a world of its own. The number of dedicated hours spent on just a few characters, especially the letter 'S,' presented a challenge I took head-on. I proved my capability as a type designer and was surprised at how quickly I was able to navigate a program like RoboFont to create a brand-new revival typeface.

Turning Heads with Headlines

Philadelphia Lining Gothic was designed for headlines. It was necessary to dedicate pages and provide examples of how to implement this typeface in both digital and print media. Its boldness and refined shapes make a strong impact for any headline needs.

The Process

Research

Finding the perfect typeface to revive to time. I looked through countless archival type specimens with the common goal of wanting to find a typeface that was built for headlines and a sans-serif.

Refinement

Once Philadelphia Lining Gothic was found, it was time to refine what weight and width of the typefaces collection I wanted to revive. From there, screenshots of each character were taken.

RoboFont

Navigating the world of creating a typeface while also learning a new typeface program was a feat. I was able to put my knowledge of past typeface making to the test with the utilization of RoboFont.

Reveal

A great typeface, can't live on without a well-designed type specimen. Showing off little quirks and characteristics that make Philadelphia Lining Gothic unique was a necessity.

The Glyph Gallery

A closer look at the design of specific characters within the typeface showcases the actual type specimen for reference. The character sets within the type specimen had to be analyzed to ensure that any additional glyphs fit within the current flow of the typeface.