Finding Fonts, the Old-Fashioned Way

A leisurely afternoon walk downtown brought us to an antique shop brimming with treasures from yesteryear. The first thing to catch my eye was their collection of old photographic equipment, including cameras, lenses, lens caps, and enlargers. A rush of memories came over me as I studied the cameras on display behind the glass case. I think I spent the better part of my youth holed-up in our pitch dark basement, working on my prints in the glow of a safelight.

Today's blip (long overdue, and my first for 2015 - Happy New Year my dear blip friends!) was almost going to be a photo of the old photographic equipment until I spotted this printer's cabinet, complete with several drawers full of letterpress blocks. As someone who now spends a good deal of time each day poring over fonts, finding fonts, comparing fonts, changing fonts over and over, seeing these old blocks and remembering how text used to be painstakingly created gave me a profound appreciation for the speed and ease with which we can now create and alter the appearance of the very words you are reading right here. 

Though I appreciate the speed of our present technology (think Google fonts, Photoshop!) I love the warmth and intricacy, the details and the tactile experiences of days gone by -- whether it be developing a print or crafting words on paper.