LANARK-L Archives

Archiver > LANARK > 2003-02 > 1046115517


From: (Robbie Pickering)
Subject: [LKS] Re: LANARK-D Digest V03 #96
Date: Mon, 24 Feb 2003 19:38:37 +0000
References: <200302241800.h1OI0gpO002031@lists5.rootsweb.com>
In-Reply-To: <200302241800.h1OI0gpO002031@lists5.rootsweb.com>


wrote:
>You're right about the double 'f' ligature serving as capital 'F', but I
>think you'll find, if you look closely, that 'f'' and 's' are, in fact,
>different. You should be able to see a crossbar on the 'f'. In the
>printed form for many early typefaces, the 's' has a sort of half bar
>on the left, but it doesn't go all the way through as it does in the 'f'.
>I guess you really had to have good eyes in those days.
>
>Jim Polson
>Vancouver

Another factor is that printer's type in those days was extremely
expensive, so most printers would only own a few fonts, which in the
days of hand typesetting would be used over and over again until quite
worn. This might actually cause light strokes such as the crossbar of
the f to disappear (as might simple sloppy printing).

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