TYPE DESIGN INFORMATION PAGE last updated on Fri Dec 13 00:42:25 EST 2024

FONT RECOGNITION VIA FONT MOOSE

LUC DEVROYE

ABOUT

SoftMaker Software GmBH (or: freefont.de) [Martin Kotulla]

SoftMaker, Martin Kotulla's German foundry in Nürnberg, is selling the 10,000-TrueType font Megafont XXL CD (50 USD, www.megafont.de). Every month, a different font or font family (TT and T1) is given away for free. The MegaFont XXL has most standard Monotype/Adobe/Linotype families (up to 1995/1996). They say that most fonts are licensed from URW++ and Brendel Informatik (Cologne). Contents of MegaFont XXL's predecessor, MegaFont Profi CD, here. Since early 2001, you can download one font family from the CD MegaFont XXL here. Martin Kotulla also started infiniType, a collection of 5050 fonts at a good price (Mac and PC). That collection grew to 7444 fonts in InfiniType 4 in 2016. The XXL series has character sets for Western and Central European languages, Turkish, and Celtic, and comes with many expert sets. For historical accuracy: older packages by Softmaker include the 3333-font (TT and T1) MegaFont Profi CD-2.0 (99DM), the 5000-font MegaFont Euro (50 Euro), the Truepack Profi-CD and the 500-font TypeMaker 5.0 Profi-Pack (10DM).

Their early fonts were renamed and had the attribute Serial in the name. Samples of some of these fonts/families: Adelon Serial (1996, after Albertus MT), Melbourne Serial, Nashville Serial (+Heavy), Nevada Serial, On Stage Serial, Ornitons Serial, Penthouse Serial, Plakette Serial, Priamos Serial, Quadrat Serial, Quebec Serial, Riccione Serial, Rochester Serial, Salzburg Serial, Stafford Serial, Sunset Serial, Sydney Serial, Thames Serial, Toledo Serial, Valencia Serial (Heavy), Valencia Serial (Xlight), Verona Serial, Volkswagen Serial, Wichita Serial.

In 2008, SoftMaker started selling fonts on MyFonts: fonts there include the 28-style Suetterlin family (2008), based on the handwriting taught in German schools in the first half of the 20th century, Harald Handwriting (2009), Agilo Handwriting (2009), Wally Handwriting (2009), Vittorio Handwriting (2009), Turandot Handwriting (2009), Tommi Handwriting (2009), Veneto Handwriting (2009), Tolomeo Handwriting (2009), Sarx Handwriting (2009), Salew Handwriting (2009), Roxana Handwriting (2009), Renate Handwriting (2009), PizPaz Handwriting (2009, Mexican style), Schneid Handwriting (2009), Pietro Handwriting, Phil Handwriting, Nadine Handwriting, Kuno Handwriting, Larissa Handwriting, Lizzy Handwriting, Juri Handwriting, Jeff Handwriting (2009), Josh Handwriting (2009), Jelena Handwriting (2009), Jaro Handwriting (2009), Jacques Handwriting (2009), Hilly Handwriting (2009), Harico Handwriting (2009), Hakon Handwriting (2009), Stone Handwriting (2009), Federico Handwriting (2009), Fabio Handwriting (2009), Emmi Handwriting (2009), Davio Handwriting (2009), Alec Handwriting (2009), Brian Handwriting (2009), Armand Handwriting (2009), Claude Handwriting (2010), Cathy Handwriting (2010), Clay Handwriting (2010), Danielle Handwriting (2010), Feliks Handwriting (2010), Foster Handwriting (2010), Giorgio Handwriting (2010), Giovanna Handwriting (2010), Guga Handwriting (2010), Giuliano Hanriting (2010), Carlo Handwriting (2009), Brouet Handwriting (2010), Bjarne Handwriting (2009), Fuego (2015: a retro script, after Letraset's Flamenco), Agnieszka Handwriting (2009) and Thery Handwriting (2009).

Additions in 2010: Tabasco (a geometric based on the phototype font by John Schaedler), Tabasco Twin (a bilined typeface after John Schaedler's Paprika), Advertisers Gothic (a revival of a 1917 typeface by Robert Wiebking), Ad Lib (a revival of a quirky 1961 typeface by Freeman Craw for ATF), Accent (brush face), Flagstaff (oblique techno face), Cornered (with angular pieces), Abilene (Western; caps only), Comix, Cathedral Open (nice open face), Boa Script (2010), Bryce (2010, brush script), Brush Script (2010, after the original ATF font by Robert E. Smith from 1942), Bernhard Fashion (2010), Abbott Old Style (2010, after a 1901 semi-Victorian font by Joseph W. Phinney), Artistic (2010, after Ariston, a 1933 typeface by Martin Wilke), Elegant Script (2010, a revival of Berthold's Englische Schreibschrift), Garamond Serial (2011), the Suetterlin family.

The typefaces remastered in 2012 include Chandler Pro (this is Rofer Excoffon's 1955 brush typeface Choc; see also Staccato 555 by Bitstream and Chalk by Corel), Cheltenham Pro, Cleargothic Pro (after Morris Fuller Benton's flared version of Clearface, Clearface Gothic, 1907), Cooper Black Pro (+Stencil), Bristol Pro, Tioga Script Pro (after Georg Trump's 1956 script by that name, but aka Time Script).

Free download: Huntington-Bold [-> Handel Gothic], Huntington-Light, ImperialStd-Bold [-> URW Imperial] ImperialStd-BoldItalic, ImperialStd-Heavy, ImperialStd-HeavyItalic, ImperialStd-Italic, ImperialStd-Medium, ImperialStd-MediumItalic, ImperialStd-Regular, ImperialStd-Xbold, ImperialStd-XboldItalic, KremlinScript-Bold [-> Kuenstler Script], RaleighSerial-Bold, RaleighSerial-Heavy, RaleighSerial-Regular, Scott [-> Stop], TiogaScript-Bold [-> Time Script], TiogaScript-Light, TiogaScript-Medium.

Handwriting fonts shown at MyFonts in 2013: Allan Handwriting, Andrew Handwriting, Eleanor Handwriting, Enrico Handwriting, Estelle Handwriting, Jay Handwriting, Jaz Handwriting, Jesco Handwriting, Justine Handwriting, Kris Handwriting, Laszlo Handwriting, Lennart Handwriting, Luitpold Handwriting, Manolo Handwriting, Marbo Handwriting, Marcello Handwriting, Murielle Handwriting, Pablo Handwriting, Paolo Handwriting, Pascal Handwriting, Picto Handwriting, Rainer Handwriting, Reyno Handwriting, Ronaldo Handwriting, Teje Handwriting, Theo Handwriting, Valerian Handwriting, Vincent Handwriting, Vogel Handwriting, Volker Handwriting, Wilma Handwriting.

The blackletter collection published in 2016 by SoftMaker includes these typefaces: Albrecht Duerer Fraktur Pro, Barock 1720, Breitkopf Fraktur Pro, Coburg No1, Coburg No2, Coelnische Current Pro, Diamant Gotisch Pro, Fleischmann Gotisch Pro, Fraktur No2 Pro, Fraktur No3 Pro.

Later in 2016, SoftMaker published its revival collection, which includes Alternate Gothic Pro, Amsterdamer Garamont Pro, Antiqua Pro, Balloon Pro (brush), Caslon Antique Pro, Century Old Style Pro, Elmore Pro (architectural hand), Falcon Pro (retro brush), Cheltenham ExtraCondensed Pro Bold, Casual Pro (a copy of Thomas Nevison's Casual Pro from 1935), Garamond Nova Pro, Giulio Pro (a copy of Gillies Gothic), Josephs Brush Pro (a copy of Joseph Churchward's Churchward Brush), Malaga Pro (a copy of Roger Excoffon's Mistral), Melville Pro (after Murray Hill), Pedro Pro (a revival of the brush script Dom Casual by Peter Dombrezian, 1950-1953, at ATF), Salmon Pro (a revival of François Boltana's Stilla from 1973), Soledad Pro (based on Helmut Matheis's Slogan (1959, Ludwig & Mayer)), Somerset Pro (a revival of the Letraset font Shamrock designed in 1978 by Alan Withers), Sterling Pro (based on Stentor, designed in 1964 by Heinz Schumann at Typoart), Violin Script Pro (based on Vladimir Script by Vladimir Andrich, 1978).

Typefaces from 2019: American Text (after an original condensed textura by Morris Fuller Benton), Angelo (after a Victorian typeface called Anglo by Barnhart Brothers ans Spindler, ca. 1895), Balloon No2 (just like SoftMaker's Balloon, based on Max Kaufmann's Balloon from 1939 at ATF), Balzac (after Johannes Boehland's Balzac from 1951), Amber (after Amelia by Stanley Davis, 1964), Karin Pro (a revival of OttoWeisert's art nouveau script Kalligraphia), Beale Charming (2019, after an art deco typeface by Collis Clements, ca. 1974), Bernhard Condensed No2, Bluff No2 (2012-2019, after Julius Kirn's brush script Bison, 1938), Boss (2012, after the sci-fi typeface ITC Bolt (1970, Tom Carnase and Ronne Bonder)), Broadway No2 (2012), Cavalier (2012), Century Schoolbook Pro (2019: after Morris Fuller Benton's typeface from 1919), Century PS Pro (2019: after New Century Schoolbook), Commercial Script No2 (2012, after Morris Fuller Benton's Spencerian script), Cristoforo (2012: after Columbus, a Victorian typeface by Hermann Ihlenburg), Dillon No2 (2012, after Jan Van Dijk's Demian), Disco (2012), Dom (2012; after Peter Dombrezian's Dom, 1952), Durango No2 (2012; after K. Sommer's Dynamo, 1930), Egyptian Wide (2012, after walter H. McKay's Egyptienne from 1952), Eller Initials (2012), Entebbe (2012: after F. Scott Garland's Enviro, 1982), Estelle (2012, based on Vince Whitlock's Equinox from 1988), Florentine (2012, after Ludvig S. Ipsen's ATF Florentine Old Style (1896)), Fraktur No2 (2012, after Johann Christian Bauer's Fette Fraktur, 1850), Frenzy (2012), Giulio No2 (2012, after William S. Gillies's Gillies Gothic, 1935), Greyhound (2012), Harlekin (2012, after Colin Brignall's retro script Harlow Solid (1977)), Hobo No2 (2012, after Morris Fuller Benton's Hobo, 1910), Hubert (2012, after Jan van Dijk's Van Dijk from 1982), Hudson (2012, a brush script), Ingrid (2012), Inverserif (2012), Japanette (2012, an oriental simulation face modeled after Barnhart Brothers and Spindler's 1893 font, Wedge Gothic ML, aka Japanet), Kalligraphia (2012, after Otto Weisert's art nouveau script, Kalligraphia, from 1902), Legend Script (2012, after F.H. Ernst Schneidler's faux Arabic simulation font Legende from 1937), Looking Glass (2012, after Phil Martin's Introspect, 1971), Messing (2012, after W. Schwerdtner's Metropolis from 1928), Metallic Sky (2012, after Mekanik, a Letraset typeface from 1988 by David Quay), Mister Big (2012, after Juergen Riebling's Mr. Big from 1972), Openface No2 (2012, after Augustea Open done in 1951 by Alessandro Butti and Aldo Novarese), Organ Grinder (2019, based on Franz Heigemeir's Organda from 1972), Paladin (2012, a blackletter, also called P650 Blackletter and Excalibur), Pergamon (2012, a deco hairline sans modeled after Premier Lightline (1969, Colin Brignall for Letraset)), Pinocchio (2012, based on a psychedelic typeface by Gustav Jaeger from 1973; earlier called P732 Deco by SoftMaker), Pretoria (2012, earlier called P820 deco by SoftMaker; a revival of the Edwardian typeface Pretorian by P.M. Shanks and Sons, ca. 1880s), Publicity Gothic (2012, based on Sidney Gaun's 1916 typeface for BBS), Quartz (2012, after Alan Birch's LCD from 1981), Reflex (2012, based on Refracta, made in 1988 by Martin Wait), Regency Script (2012: was R690 Script), Rosa (2019, after Herb Lubalin's ITC Ronda, 1970), Rough Script (2012, based on Imre Reiner's Reiner Black, 1955), Rovinj (2012, after a font by Phil Martin), Shotgun (2019, based on a film font from 972 by J. Looney for VGC), Siegfried (2012, art nouveau style), Slager (2012, based on Flash by Edwin Shaar, 1937), Sprint (2012, after Aldo Novarese's Sprint from 1974), Station Script (2012, after a 1946 typeface pair, Studio and Flambard, by Adolf Overbeek), Status (2012, after Michael Neugebauer's Squire from 1980-1987), Tico (2019), Unziale (2012), Yorkshire (2019, formal calligraphy), Zanzibar (2019, after a 1950s Filmotype font), Zephyr (2019; after Rofger Excoffon's Mistral, 1953).

View the Softmaker library of typefaces. See also here.

EXTERNAL LINKS
SoftMaker Software GmBH (or: freefont.de)
 [Buy fonts]
Fontspring link [Buy fonts]
MyFonts search
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Fontspring search
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INTERNAL LINKS
Sites with only a few free fonts ⦿ Commercial fonts (small outfits) ⦿ Font vendors ⦿ The Euro Symbol ⦿ German type scene ⦿ Type designers ⦿ Type designers ⦿ School fonts ⦿ Handwriting fonts ⦿ Mexican simulation typefaces ⦿ Brush script typefaces ⦿ Western fonts ⦿ Comic/cartoon fonts ⦿ Victorian typefaces ⦿ Cooper Black ⦿ Garalde or Garamond typefaces ⦿ Cheltenham ⦿ Blackletter fonts ⦿ Modern style [Bodoni, Didot, Walbaum, Thorowgood, Computer Modern, etc.] ⦿ Architectural lettering/typefaces ⦿ Art Nouveau typefaces ⦿ Textura ⦿ Penmanship ⦿