Old Mapping Fonts

[LS_8750]

I am trying to find some fonts that closely mimic those fonts typically found on old Township and Rancho plats, and other old survey plats.

Can anybody help point me in the right direction?

[hellsangle]

Eighty-Seven-Fifty,

As an old, and I mean old draughtsman, you triggered fond memories in the "art" of map making . . . the attached are sheets of brass.

Now if one of you computer wonks can figure a way of creating, digitally, what is on these sheets of brass . . . you might have a new font to market.

The first panel of the attached . . . you might say was the precursor to the Leroy Lettering set. The last panel being the burnishing tool. You may notice that the "scale in chains" did not get much use - as it has the least dried ink residue.

These were given to me by my boss, Joseph Grippi, as a parting present (1988) when I chose to strike out on my own. While employed at Grippi's, I had a "linen" map . . . that I used these stencils on and was recorded in Marin County. (Don't ask me where . . . it was a long time ago.) And this stuff on linen is unforgiving! It worked better on the card-stock hard copies of yester-century.

Glad someone still appreciates the hand job!

Best to all,

Phil - Sonoma

GMD brass stencils.pdf

[Steve Martin]

I used to use Chisel.shx to give a handlettered look to my Record of Surveys. Attached is a sample.

You can probably browse some of the AutoCAD forums for a better direction on where to look.

[E_Page]

I have tried similar fonts as Chisel, often variously called things like Blueprint, Freehand, or other permutations of "free", "hand", "print", and "writing". While I like the overall hand-lettered look, with individual letters being clear and easily readable, I often find the spacing to be problematic. The example Steve posted is a good example. Particularly where adjacent letters each have a vertical component next to the other letter, they tend to look mashed together, and "I" all but disappears when it occurs between the vertical components of adjacent letters. If someone would produce a font in this style that fixes the spacing issue, I'd consider it about perfect for both readability and aesthetics.

[Anthony Maffia]

Check out the Windows font Stylus BT, with a width of 0.9. I generally prefer Simplex, but Stylus BT is very readable and the degree symbol much more so than Simplex.

[E_Page]

I like that. Thanks Anthony.

[LS_8750]

Yeah, I like the Stylus BT with the 0.9 width as well.

Mr. Danskin, I was hoping you would chime in. The stencils are seriously cool. Some of the fonts you use are nice. Would you care to share some of them?

Cheers!

[hellsangle]

Clark,

AutoCadd pianist, Dominic, says he uses Romantic with 0.9 width factor . . . nuttin' special?

Phil