Jesse Ewing

That’s better than Illustrator can do.

Photo Lettering by Bruno. #friendsofbruno

Warning: Nerdy post ahead. Introducing a new work-in-progress font, Akronite. Inspired by the squarish gothic wood types produced in the United States in the 19th century, and influenced by the European evolutions of the form that led to Microgramma and then Eurostile. But with a surprise twist from 1971. Second slide: 1) Seven Line Gothic Light Face. Specimens of Wood Type Manufactured by William H. Page & Co., Greeneville, Conn. U.S.A. 1859. First known appearance of this face in a specimen catalog. David Shields writes that this style was first mentioned in a price list of 1854 by Wells & Webb. He also states that the first showing was in Specimens of Wood Type, Manufactured by D. Knox & Co., Fredericksburg, Ohio, of 1858, but I would dispute that as the style is completely different. 2) Seven Line Gothic Light Face. Specimens of The William H. Page Wood Type Co. U.S.A. 1888. Not much, if anything, has changed since the 1859 specimen. 3) No. 21. Hamilton’s Wood Type. U.S.A. 1895. After the Page acquisition of 1891 we see some interesting updates to this gothic light face design. This font is labeled as Square Gothic Light in my personal wood type collection. 4) N. 52. Caratteri di legno, Volume Quinto [Wood Type, Volume 5]. Nebiolo & Company, Turin, Italy. c. 1908–1918. After the turn of the century the style appears in European specimens, in particular by Nebiolo, Maurice Ollière & Co., and G. Peignot & Sons. 5) Serie Comelico. Campionario Caratteri di legno [Specimens of wood type]. Nebiolo & Company, Turin, Italy. 1924. 6) Microgramma Normal. The Encyclopaedia of Type Faces. 1952. Designed by Allesandro Butti and Aldo Novarese, Nebiolo Type Foundry. 7) Eurostile Demi. 1967. An update of Microgramma that added a lowercase. Designed by Allesandro Butti and Aldo Novarese, Nebiolo Type Foundry. 8) Lenox Hill Casual Wide. One Line Manual of Styles, Photo-Lettering Inc. 1971. And suddenly this style pops up again in America. Photo Lettering refers to this style as obround. Likely designed by Harold Horman. 9) Akronite Bold. 2026 work in progress. Midwest Type.

The true test of a stencil font. Does it stencil? Yes, it stencils. Spray paint, mylar stencil sheet, step back and blast away. Don’t get too fussy. Let it drip and bleed. Done. Sheller Stencil from Midwest Type. Buy it at midwesttype.com.

Jesse Ewing’s Midwest Type isn’t just based in Akron, it’s inspired by the grit and energy that comes from it. Industrial forms, old machinery, hand-painted signs, you can see them all in the work. And once you do, you don’t forget them. Visit midwesttype.com to explore the full catalog. #TheTypeFounders #MidwestType #Typography #TypeDesign #DisplayType

Tired of the same old boring stencil fonts? Well, good news! Sheller is a stencil font with flair! (Also flare!) Available now to sync in Adobe Fonts.

*That’s me being optimistic like our little guy Inky holding the sign. It should be ready later this year barring unforeseen consequences such as, but not limited to, equipment failures, economic meltdowns, catastrophic natural events, illness, satellites falling from the sky, etc. Also, it’s a work in progress so the final release might end up looking a bit different from this! But right now the plan is five weights plus italics, as well as a set of display caps.

Work in progress.

Sheller Stencil, not just for cyberspace! For all kinds of space. More useful than it might first appear. Let us know how you use it!

Drawing Sheller Stencil: This was the first font I’ve sketched fully digitally and not on paper, and I’ll tell you what, I’m not going back! As much as I miss the tactility of pencil on paper, Procreate on an iPad with the Apple Pencil and a Paperlike screen cover comes close. What you see here is just a glimpse of all the sketches I made, along with what made it to the “final” stage before exporting as images I could use as references in Glyphs. Along with having all the versatility that comes with a digital workflow, it ended up being a huge timesaver as well.

Sheller Stencil’s origin story: the stenciled manufacturer’s panel from manual corn shellers made by Tiffin Agricultural Works, Tiffin, Ohio.

Introducing Sheller Stencil! Victorian lettering and cyberpunk? You bet. The world of William Gibson’s Neuromancer felt like a good fit and sometimes you have to go with your gut. Plus it’s chock full of fun words and phrases. Sheller Stencil is an interpretation of Victorian stenciled lettering found on agricultural machinery made by the Tiffin Agricultural Works in Tiffin, Ohio. These late 19th-century stenciled forms exhibited an unusual pattern, with some characters split at right angles and others following curvilinear breaks in line with the original Art Nouveau-inspired letterforms. Despite Sheller Stencil’s antique origins, it makes for an inspired choice for modern packaging, branding, and editorial work. Available today from midwesttype.com or sync it in Typographer from The Type Founders.