Source: How to Paint Signs & Influence People Vol. 1 Egyptian Lettering by Colt Bowden (2nd ed., published by Voila! Press, printed 9/2013)
The zine showcases several examples of Egyptian style lettering that are renditions of EC Matthews Egyptian Lettering examples from 1954–1960. This style is used on the front and back covers. The image that displays other font specimens includes William Caslon's Egyptian font (1816), Frank Atkinson's Egyptian (1909), WM Healy Egyptian (1911), amongst other pen and brush lettering examples from the 1930s until now.
Egyptian sans serif letter forms are now widely recognized as Gothic or Block lettering. Bowden, who is a sign painter, created this zine to dispel some of the mystery behind Egyptian Lettering. He also makes the connection between this type of lettering and what students of typography know as Gothic sans serif faces. His assurance is that William Caslon the 4th adopted his font style from the sign writers who painted this style in the early 1800s. Sign writing and painting is not a well observed or preserved occupation and Bowden attempts to shine some light on his personal experience with education and career in sign painting.
Though this is a zine, the covers are kept fairly simple and elegant. The front cover allows for the letter forms to be revered and the back cover showcases a beautiful specimen page of the past. There are no mixes of fonts—only one style of Egyptian letter forms is employed. It is a good variation of one font in many different sizes and weights. The color of the font used alleviates the stark, heavy-weight black, but still calls for attention (after all, it is red). It isn't obvious from the photos, but on-hand you can sense the texture of the letterpress, which justifies the simplicity.
First of all, Bowden does describe the methods and differences between setting type and letters (by hand). This gives me new insight as to how to choose fonts and in determining if weights and heights really help to convey the message or if they are a visual mess. He also delves into spacing letterforms and the importance of optical solutions (in this case). This short publication also allows me a better understanding of Gothic and Block lettering. I rarely venture into Gothic fonts, but with this new appreciation, I am more confident in choosing Gothic faces. Finally, Bowden has made me aware of sign painting history and he alludes to the peaceful energy behind hand lettering. If I need a new hobby, I know what I'll be practicing!
