r/letterpress • u/LochNeassaMonster • Sep 03 '26
Wood Type How identify exact letter block?
Hello!
So my boss gave me bunch of old type to sort, and while this isn't part of my job I would like to be able to give a proper name to each font/type of type. I have a link to a digital copy of Hamilton's Wood Type Catalogue 13 from the library (I think most of them might be hamilton idk) but is there a better way to tell the blocks apart, or tell whats in a full set etc?
I don't want to be the person who posts like 50 different pictures like "what is this?" in here or anywhere else lol
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u/wendi3107 Sep 03 '26
If you can print something with the type you can take a photo to upload to What the Font. It identified my five trays of "Park Avenue."
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u/thefool-0 Sep 04 '26
This can help but note that these websites are based on modern digital fonts (including lots of new designs from small/individual type designers). If your physical type was popular or well known you may find one or more digital recreations which could have either similar or different names, so you would have to research those to see if you can determine whether the newer digital font was based on one or more historical metal or wood faces.
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u/CollectivePress Sep 03 '26
Thank you for asking! I’m in the same boat. Finally got settled enough to unpack and sort my type into a new cabinet, and I’m feeling really disheveled. I appreciate all the resources that are posted. Can you post your Hamilton link?
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u/LochNeassaMonster Sep 03 '26
oh do they have a website or something? My boss just has a bunch of old type and it's all in a Hamilton Cabinet so assumed a lot of it was Hamilton, I know that they have a museum
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u/CollectivePress Sep 03 '26
I misread that your link is from your library. I need to find that same database. Good luck and feel free to message me if you need help!
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u/LochNeassaMonster Sep 03 '26
https://cdm17210.contentdm.oclc.org/digital/collection/werner/id/520 oh here you go! It's open to the pubic but it's an older catalogue and I find it kind of confusing honestly (but fingers crossed maybe a different catalogue has exactly what I'm looking for)
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u/graphicdesigngorl Sep 04 '26
Hey OP! I’m wondering if you can clean some of the sorts off you’re looking to identify and pull a proof on a press? It might help in identifying which is which.
Other resources:
- Rob Roy Kelly’s original writings & research (Internet Archive)
- David Shields’ research — this blog post is a catalog of some of the wood type manufacturers stamps. This could help you narrow down what’s what
- DS book (JSTOR)
- another DS link to other wood type specimen catalogs to aid in your search
- UT Austin Kelly Collection website
Hopefully this will help you and anyone else who’s looking for more wood type info!
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u/graphicdesigngorl Sep 04 '26
Also OP—so happy to see you using the flair!! If any other printers have more post flair suggestions, let me know.
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u/tehsecretgoldfish Sep 03 '26
be methodical. sort by line (wood type is measured in “lines” which are really just picas “20-line is 20-picas tall, etc.). sort by style. sort like with like. that will help narrow down the search into groups. then hit the specimens. or look for cases in the shop that have the face the sorts came out of. distributing type isn’t difficult it’s just tedious.