Letraset catalog cover (UK, 1975)

This catalog was issued by Letraset, the British manufacturer of dry-transfer lettering sheets and other graphic means, in 1975. The front and back cover show fifteen examples for how to use their display faces. Each typeface is presented in a different setting alongside illustration that complements the letter style.

The example for Broadway (first image, top left) features a frame made from elements of the Stripes typeface. In 1977, this device was referenced in a cover design for an album with music by Bing Crosby, see the post contributed by Pampa Type.

Another example of note is Buster (first image, bottom left) which employs the text buildup technique as sometimes seen in concrete poetry. Stripes also appears on the back cover (bottom right), with hyper-extended glyphs. Both Stripes and Buster were desiged by Tony Wenman and are Letraset originals. Many of the other faces were either licensed from contemporary manufacturers of phototype, like ITC Pioneer by ITC, Pluto by Face Photosetting, or Yagi Link Double by FotoStar/Facsimile Fonts; or were adaptations of metal typefaces. The Letraset logo uses tightly spaced Helvetica.

Photos courtesy of Peter Smith – thanks a bunch!