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Rolling Stone magazine (2004–2006)

Contributed by Christopher Slye on Mar 3rd, 2021. Artwork published in
circa 2004
.
Rolling Stone magazine (2004–2006) 1
Rolling Stone. License: All Rights Reserved.

From 2004 to 2006, Rolling Stone magazine used Elmhurst as its primary display typeface. It started with the April 15, 2004, issue, “The Immortals” — not on the cover, but used extensively inside, for the cover story and elsewhere.

Rolling Stone magazine (2004–2006) 2
Photo: Christopher Slye. Rolling Stone. License: All Rights Reserved.

The original Elmhurst’s italic was only available in one regular weight. In early 2004, Font Bureau requested (on behalf of Rolling Stone) a bold italic. I quickly designed a black weight, and a bold italic font was interpolated between black and regular.

Rolling Stone magazine (2004–2006) 3
Photo: Christopher Slye. Rolling Stone. License: All Rights Reserved.

Ironically, Elmhurst was designed primarly for text, but for two years (and a few one-offs later) it appeared on two dozen covers, and was used even more frequently inside, for both feature articles and recurring content.

Rolling Stone magazine (2004–2006) 4
Photo: Christopher Slye. Rolling Stone. License: All Rights Reserved.
Rolling Stone magazine (2004–2006) 5
Photo: Christopher Slye. Rolling Stone. License: All Rights Reserved.

Elmhurst also had small caps, but only in its regular Roman font. (In the mid-’90s, this choice wasn’t too exotic for a text face.) Rolling Stone used them occasionally when it fit the content.

Because it was used for display, it was also creatively modified by designers — usually in fun and interesting ways.

Rolling Stone magazine (2004–2006) 6
Photo: Christopher Slye. Rolling Stone. License: All Rights Reserved.
Rolling Stone magazine (2004–2006) 7
Photo: Christopher Slye. Rolling Stone. License: All Rights Reserved.

Oddly, Elmhurst popped up on covers again in 2007, 2010, and 2011. The last time it was used on a cover was many years after Rolling Stone moved on to other typefaces — for the November 2013 issue, marking the death of Lou Reed.

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  • Elmhurst

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  1. james pruett says:
    Mar 16th, 2023 4:53 am

    What type of paper is used in printing the cover of The Rolling Stone magazine?

    As odd as that sounds, it is exactly the type paper I am looking for in a large project.

    I am looking for an education…
    Totally serious.

    James Pruett, PE
    Memphis TN

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