15

Does anyone know of a font suitable for the title of a newspaper? It is also the type that's used for the first letter of a chapter of a book (and is so calligraphic, you can't tell if it has serifs or not).

I am looking for something like the one used by the "newspaper clipping generator" at fodey.com:

Newspaper Title
Generated at fodey.com

Improve this question

2 Answers 2

Reset to default
23

That style of lettering is called Blackletter (also sometimes loosely called "gothic script", or "old English"), and if you do a search for "blackletter font" you'll find plenty of fonts that imitate this style.

You're probably looking for something specifically like Old English by Linotype or Monotype Old English which have been relatively popular for this purpose.

Monotype old English image from identifont:

Old English

Or if you're looking for free fonts, UniFraktur is a free blackletter one which appears authentic but has a different style of capitals to what you're after. Meyne Textur is somewhat along the theme you're looking for. There are probably others, of varying quality.

Meyne Textur free font:

Meyne Textur

Improve this answer
1
  • Interestingly, blackletter writing fell out of favour hundreds of years ago pretty much everywhere except in Germany, where a form of it (Fraktur) was still highly popular well into the 20th century. Eventually the Nazi party phased it out. A sample from 1938 shows what we outside Germany may consider to be a centuries-old form of writing, but in Germany was in common (not even "trying to look old") use less than 100 years ago.
    – thomasrutter
    Mar 5, 2014 at 1:45
3

There is a whole bunch of them over at DaFont and they are mostly free. The typeface style is called Gothic (of the medieval variety ;)).

Improve this answer
2
  • 2
    The term "Gothic" has also been used as another word for "sans-serif" - which could lead to confusion. "Gothic script" or "blackletter" would be less ambiguous.
    – thomasrutter
    Aug 27, 2012 at 8:25
  • 1
    You are absolutely right
    – Roberto De Vivo
    Aug 27, 2012 at 8:32

Not the answer you're looking for? Browse other questions tagged or ask your own question.