Dave Tapia

Air Circus JNL A 1930s advertising poster for the Inman Brothers Flying Circus offered up an interesting hand lettered Art Deco design that’s a cross between both squared and rounded character shapes.  Because of it's 'futuristic look', the resulting type style can also lend itself to 1970s and 1980s retro projects as well as those from the 1930s and 1940s. Now a digital font, Air Circus JNL is available in both regular and oblique versions. A “Flying Circus” is a troupe of ‘barnstormers’ (stunt pilots) who performed aerial tricks either individually or as a team along with selling airplane rides to the general public.  Air Circus JNL Download Now View Gallery

Rail Travel JNL Here’s yet another interpretation of the classic “thick and thin” sans serif lettering most popular during the Art Deco era. This particular design comes to you through the courtesy of a hand lettered 1930s travel poster from the Pennsylvania Railroad. Some capitals are much wider than others, while the lower case ‘i’ is somewhat truncated. Rail Travel JNL is available in both regular and oblique versions. Rail Travel JNL Download Now View Gallery

Student Council JNL While Student Council JNL was not influenced by any school activities, the design is based on a lithographed cardboard sign (circa 1930s) for Spizz Sparkling Water, a bottled seltzer from the Dr. Pepper Bottling Company of Lexington, Kentucky.  A squared letterform with angled semi-serifs, this Art Deco typeface grabs attention. Student Council JNL is available in both regular and oblique versions. Student Council JNL Download Now View Gallery

Dancing Marathon JNL The hand lettered title found on the cover of the 1932 sheet music for “Dancing Marathon” inspired the digital revival of this unusual lettering as well as the font’s name. This eccentric Art Deco design (with a slight bit of Art Nouveau mixed in) is a thin, monoline typeface. Dancing Marathon JNL is available in both regular and oblique versions. Dance marathons got their start during the Great Depression as people desperate to earn a few dollars would enter into contests that went on for hours until the last couple remained standing on the dance floor. Dancing Marathon JNL Download Now View Gallery

Flower Shop JNL A piece of sheet music for “Broken Blossoms” circa the 1920s or early 1930s has its cover title hand lettered in a wide thick-and-thin Art Deco design. This is now available as Flower Shop JNL , in both regular and oblique versions. Flower Shop JNL Download Now View Gallery

Retail Establishment JNL The 1935 catalog for Vitrolite (a brand of pigmented structural glass) featured artist renderings of how the glass could be applied to business exteriors. One of the lettering styles used in these examples was an Art Deco lower case. This design has been turned into a digital typeface called Retail Establishment JNL and is available in both regular and oblique versions. Retail Establishment JNL Download Now View Gallery

Off Duty JNL The free form hand lettering from the titles and credits of the 1964 French film comedy “Le Gendarme de Saint-Tropez” [“The Policeman from Saint-Tropez”] was the basis for Off Duty JNL – which is available in both regular and oblique versions. Off Duty JNL Download Now View Gallery

Last Tango JNL The hand lettered title found on the 1924 sheet music for the tango “Sentimiento Gaucho” (“Sentimental Gaucho”) offered a different take on the thick-and-thin lettering that permeated the late 1920s through the Art Deco age. A ‘slash’ or ‘swipe’ is cut through the characters (similar to “Directa JNL” – another take on this type of design). Last Tango JNL is the digital recreation of this novelty lettering and is available in both regular and oblique versions. Last Tango JNL Download Now View Gallery

Golden Years JNL The cover of the sheet music for the 1910 song “We’ve kept the Golden Rule” features a hand lettered and slightly spurred Art Nouveau type style. As an older couple was pictured below the song’s title, this inspired the name Golden Years JNL for the digital font, which is available in both regular and oblique version. Golden Years JNL Download Now View Gallery

Retail Establishment JNL The 1935 catalog for Vitrolite (a brand of pigmented structural glass) featured artist renderings of how the glass could be applied to business exteriors. One of the lettering styles used in these examples was an Art Deco lower case. This design has been turned into a digital typeface called Retail Establishment JNL and is available in both regular and oblique versions. Retail Establishment JNL Download Now View Gallery

Newsreel Text JNL Intertitle cards from a 1942 newsreel inspired the like-named Newsreel Text JNL , which is available in both regular and oblique versions. Newsreel Text JNL Download Now View Gallery

Western Suburbs JNL The cover of a 1932 edition of “Sunset magazine” (a publication for homeowners living in the west and southwest area of the United States) featured a lovely Art Deco serif alphabet that is now available as Western Suburbs JNL in both regular and oblique versions. Western Suburbs JNL Download Now View Gallery

Revelry Deco JNL The namesake for this type design was the dust jacket for the 1926 book “Revelry”. A classic Art Deco thick-and-thin design, Revelry Deco JNL is available in both regular and oblique versions. Revelry Deco JNL Download Now View Gallery