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Apple-1 Operation Manual

Contributed by Armin Hierstetter on Apr 30th, 2021. Artwork published in .
Apple-1 Operation Manual 1
Source: 9to5mac.com License: All Rights Reserved.

With the release of the Apple-1 computer in 1976, Steve Wozniak and Steve Jobs produced various manuals for their first computer. The “Apple-1 Operation Manual” shown in the example differs from the other manuals in that it uses IBM Executive Modern, a proportional typewriter font for the IBM Executive for the interior, while the other manuals use either proper typesetting (“Apple-1 Cassette Interface”) or a non-proportional typewriter (“Preliminary Apple-1 Basic Users Manual”; the apostrophe in “Users” is missing in the original version of the manual).

The fonts used on the cover are Volta for the title and Helvetica for the address printed below the title.

Apple-1 Operation Manual 2
License: All Rights Reserved.

Typefaces

  • IBM Executive Modern
  • Volta
  • Helvetica
  • Profil
  • Clarendon

Formats

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Artwork location

9 Comments on “Apple-1 Operation Manual”

  1. As noted on two recent threads over at Typography.guru, I would add Sublime or another Leroy Lettering recreation to the list of typefaces used (and perhaps “Leroy Lettering” as a tag).

    I would also add Ronald G. Wayne as designer.

  2. Thanks for that, Riccardo!

    Actually, I found that Planscribe is even closer than Sublime to that typeface used for parts of the schematics …

    Will update the entry!

  3. Riccardo, thank you for your input, much appreciated! I’ve added the designer credit as well as tags for Leroy and lettering. I won’t add Sublime as a font in use, since it’s a later creation, and wasn’t used for this manual. It’s still valuable information for those who are looking for a digital option to emulate this kind of technical lettering. Thanks!

  4. To add one last (I swear!) typeface, Profil is used on the last page for the word “Warranty” and also for a single “A”, as a sort of logo, in the schematics.

  5. Thanks, Riccardo! Added.

  6. Riccardo, I am VERY sorry, but this is not the last typeface used in that manual. I am still investigating the last one (which is used in the schematics) (see picture). Once I have found that one, all of them are identified …

    See the GREY characters A, D and the Numbers  …

  7. Looks like Clarendon, or something similar.

  8. I would bet this last one is the same used on the cover, i.e. Volta (which is indeed a Clarendon-style slab serif).

  9. Volta is wider.

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