Caslon Italian Shadow

Product Description

Introducing Caslon Italian Shadow in collaboration with Commercial Type.

In Commercial Type’s own words -

“Perhaps the strangest and ultimate example of experimentation in letterforms during the early nineteenth century was the Italian. Introduced by Caslon in 1821, it reverses the fat face’s stress—thins becomes thicks and thicks become thins—turning typographic norms on their heads. This new version extends the forms into new territory: a lowercase, an italic, and another one of the more unusual ideas of the time, the reverse italic or contra. Its limited success did not deter the typefounders from making another reverse stress form; the French Antique was less radical, but more commercially successful.”

Materials

End grain beech hardwood finely sanded to type height. Each block is finished with shellac which forms a protective layer so the ink wipes off cleanly. Polished with fine steel wool to a glass-smooth print surface.

Scheme & Dimensions

2A Scheme: 39 wood blocks

3A Scheme: 60 wood blocks

The number of blocks per letter can be found in the product photos.

Default type height is 23.32mm / 0.918” with a tolerance of 0.05mm along the end grain and relief depth of 2.5mm. The type height or relief depth can be customised by getting in touch prior to your order.

Shipping

We welcome domestic and international orders. UK orders will be sent via Royal Mail’s Insured Special Delivery service. International orders will be sent with UPS or via the most relevant courier. Import duties, customs fees and local taxes are to be paid by the receiver.