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Slate Plaques Designer, Timothy Carter is a ‘font’ of all knowledge!

12th February 2020
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The Chinese Year of the Rat, 2020 (MMXX) is a leap year and the first year of the new decade so this seems the perfect time to launch my latest product: slate house numbers and name plaques and introduce the background to some of my favourite fonts that adorn my work.

By chosing a font, or design, that gives personality to your product, brand, or in this case, your house name plaque, you make yourself stand out from the crowd, demonstrating a visual representation unique to you.

Typography terminology: typeface and fonts…..

In a nutshell, the font style makes up part of the whole look of the overall typeface.  The typeface is a particular design of type, while a font is a type in a particular size and weight.  However, to the average bod on the street it’s a case of “You say tomato, I say ‘tomahto’” (sic) but designers like myself can be sticklers for the specific accurate terminology – but I won’t bore you with my puritan design tendencies.

Ultimately, typefaces need to work hard; not only do they communicate a legible number or name, it also needs to be aesthetically pleasing and convey a cultural image of the thing, brand or person it represents. So, whether decorative and elegant, or uber-modernist and streamlined, typefaces are a visual feast for the eye and essential elements to a designers toolbox.  Beauty is in the eye of the beholder and clients can choose their own fonts and designs that best represent them and their homes but here are a few of my own favourites and some of their history – you may know more about them than you think!

18th Century Font Fronts Grunge Band

One of my top fonts is the ‘Bodoni’ font, named after its creator Giamattista Bodoni who designed it back in the 18th Century.  Bodoni was an expert printer employed by the Duke of Parma and clearly his quality design has stood the test of time as variations of it are now globally recognised at the typeface of International brands including Armani and even on the logo for the seminal grunge rock band Nirvana.

Trajan – The Font of the Silver Screen

You may not have heard of the font ‘Trajan’ but I can guarantee you will have seen it many times gracing both your TV and the silver screen having become the font of choice for the silver screen for numerous film titles and small screen dramas.  Created in 1989, the Trajan typeface has graced the covers of numerous box office hits including The Bodyguard and Star Wars – Rogue One.

Clarendon Font – Wanted Dead or Alive!

Another favourite of mine is the enduring Clarendon font which entered popular folklore after being used on the infamous ‘Wanted’ posters in Americas Wild West.  Created in 1845 and named after Oxford’s Clarendon Press, this font proved so popular it was the first typeface to be patented. World famous brands who have used this font for their logos include Tonka toys and Sony.

These are just a tiny sample of the vast amount of fonts and typefaces out there and it really does come down to personal preference.  I can give examples of the huge range of designs and fonts available and I am always happy to work with individuals to create any bespoke requirements. More images of my glass and slate house number and name plaques, plus information on other products I make, can be found on my website.

Where to buy my slate plaques?

Whilst I am getting my new slate plaques product order page up and running just get in touch with me and I can discuss your slate plaque requirements further.

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