Penny Farthing

Originally designed by Bob Newman in 1974, Penny Farthing has been expertly digitised by Mathieu Triay. The iconic face is now available for letterpress printers to create endless variations in their prints.

Never seen before in wood type, this release of Penny Farthing consists of 12 Line Regular, Condensed and Container blocks, alongside 6 line Small Cap blocks which lock into the containers to create movable glyphs.

Printed samples by Princetown Press.

Scheme

The BASE set offers a great starting point for diving into this unique face and includes 96 blocks:

Regular: 26 blocks (A - Z) - 12 Line

Condensed: 26 blocks (A - Z) - 12 Line

Small Caps: 26 blocks (A - Z) - 6 Line

Containers: 18 blocks - 12 Line

The EXTENDED set includes 153 blocks, ideal for larger presses:

Regular: 36 blocks (2A) - 12 Line

Condensed: 36 blocks (2A) - 12 Line

Small Caps: 57 blocks (3A) - 6 Line

Containers: 24 blocks - 12 Line

Numbers and punctuation blocks can also be added.

The full list of possible containers can be seen here and can be customised in your order as desired.

Specs

Our default letter sizing for Penny Farthing is 6 and 12 line (pica) but this can be customised to the slightly larger cicero for European orders. Get in touch prior to your order for a quote.

Default type height is 23.32mm / 0.918”, which can also be customised for international orders. Type height tolerance: 0.05mm.

Materials

End grain beech, 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.

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.