Metallophile Sp8
Metallophile Sp8 (2003, 2008) is a faithful facsimile of an 8-point sans serif typeface as set on a 1940s-vintage hot metal typesetting machine. The effect is very different from its cousin, Futura, which is coldly precise in its modern digital renditions and look quite different at text sizes. Hot metal faces were designed for specific point sizes, while modern digital faces take a one-font-for-all-sizes approach. Metallophile Sp8 captures some of the characteristic warmth of hot metal, which is particularly refreshing in such a seemingly geometric design.
In May 2008, Metallophile Sp8 Medium and Medium Italic styles were added. The family was updated to the OpenType format, adding the follwing new features:
• Extended language support using Unicode
• Alternate two-story lowercase "a"
• Alternate left single and double quote marks
• An alternate "ß"
• A large set of pre-built fractions
• Automatic arbitrary fractions
• Cross-platform compatibility with Mac and Windows
• Regular/Italic/Bold/Bold Italic style linking
Download the Metallophile Sp8 Specimen
Download the Metallophile Sp8 User Guide
Note: The samples shown onscreen cannot adequately convey the look and feel of these fonts when used on a high-resolution output device. For the most authentic machine-set metal appearance, set at a size close to 8 points. However, other sizes can produced interesting effects as well.