Press Release
In the 1950s, the Filmotype machine — able to set over 500 alphabets (including connecting scripts) from 2-inch film — was one of the most popular devices available for advertising and other display typesetting. It eventually became the Alphatype, which then, like all phototypesetting, faded from view after the advent of the Mac in 1984; the Filmotype library, however, slumbered on, waiting for the right person to rediscover it.
In 2006, Stuart Sandler, the retro-font mastermind of Font Diner and other enterprises, bought the entire library – lock, stock & ligature – and began digitizing it. After much work and collaboration with folks like our friend Mark Simonson, that project has begun to bear fruit: the first 13 Filmotype releases are now available at MyFonts, and we are very happy and excited to have them.
To learn more about the history of this amazing company, a companion book was written and released in 2009. It’s called Filmotype: By the Letter – An Illustrated History and at over 130 pages, this book will be sure to become a cherished keepsake in your design bookshelf.
Keep checking back on a regular basis to see more of the Filmotype collection as it becomes available!
This article was last modified on January 18, 2023
This article was first published on July 13, 2010
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