The Type Pod
Anitra and Jason are two type nerds, who share the strange and wonderful stories of the typefaces we read every day (and their mutual disdain for Goudy)
The Type Pod
Copperplate
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Copperplate Gothic is probably already on your computer. It comes pre-loaded on many. It has been there this whole time, quietly convincing people it's elegant.
It is not elegant.
In this episode, we examine why Copperplate has become the go-to typeface for business cards, law firms, and anyone who wants to seem serious — and why designers have described it as a "hodgepodge," a "pastiche," and, memorably, "like bad cherries." Along the way you'll learn more than you strictly needed to know about display typefaces, how they were a product of technological disruption, and — as a bonus — drop caps.
We also get to revisit our old mate Frederic (no K) Goudy, and briefly, his consistently under-credited wife Bertha Matilda "Woman Printer of the Year" Goudy.
Along the way Anitra and Inger take detours into what it means to be a "real twin," and Jason reveals an unexpected and extensive (and slightly disturbing) knowledge of the work of Sean Connery.
This episode gets pretty loose, even if Copperplate does not.
"Back to Font" is out now in English, German, and Spanish! Buy it on Amazon. It's got 5 stars!
Visit our website thetypepod.org to see the show notes.
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