Solopedia Project: - Matching digital fonts to the Solotype Catalog

[Character]

The Solopedia Project

A compendium of digital fonts that match the typefaces displayed in "The
Solotype Catalog of 4,147 Display Typefaces" (1992, by Dan X. Solo,
Dover Publications, 1992)

Towards the end of 2009, "Fontana" issued a spreadsheet containing a
list of the typefaces contained in the Solotype Catalog. At the same
time, "Character" was preparing a similar concordance, which wasn't
nearly as far along as Fontana's, so her spreadsheet became the template
for the project.

Since then Character has taken the reins, and with the contributions,
ideas, and assistance of many others, has been publishing an updated
version monthly. This is posted to alt.binaries.fonts (a usenet group)
and to annexcafe.fonts (a newsgroup on a stand-alone news server).

The name "Solopedia" was suggested by "La Vie Dansante" and has since
become the name generally used for the spreadsheet, the project and
associated web pages.

A web-friendly current version of the Solopedia can be found at:
http://fontek.fateback.com/

There are also related pages that include references to all of Dan
Solo's Alphabet books,
http://fontek.fateback.com/alphabet_book_fonts.htm

Note that except as designers and foundries are listed in the Solopedia,
this is not a source for the identified digital versions. The fontek
website has added many links to commercial distributors such as MyFonts,
and links to sources for the numerous legitimately free fonts that have
been identified. Some of these free fonts have been created as a result
of the Solopedia Project.

In March, 2012, in Annexcafe.fonts, "Tommy" asked about the goal of the
Solopedia, to which Fontana provided the following eloquent response:

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FWIW: Here is a little about the emotion and affection I think is
helping to sustain the Solopedia project.

Whatever its flaws, the once widely-circulated and affordable
Dover-published "Solotype Catalog .." was either the original
introduction (or one of several introductory sources) for typeface
appreciation and desire for many hobbyists. Without exhaustive coverage
(impossible), that publication successfully communicated the idea that
typefaces exist in astonishing variety and that studying them can be
fascinating and fun. It still gives me a smile just to flip through its
pages. (Or maybe I am just easily amused?)

For one, I did not even realize at the time I encountered the Solocat
that other typeface catalogs even existed. (Silly ignorance; typesetting
and print shops had to buy them somewhere.) The idea that there might be
access to digital versions of many, even most of the quirky faces for
play or even practical purposes seemed almost too good to be true. Not
only has the project already located more digital equivalents than any
of the participants once thought possible, but it has spurred a number
of volunteers more talented than I to create over a hundred new
digitizations of Solo faces where none previously existed. Unexpected
delight.

Collecting free and affordable typefaces appeals to me more than
collecting insects, matchbooks, coins, stamps, or a variety of other
collectibles -- though perhaps for some of the same reasons that
collectors in those hobbies are excited about their interest. Once
"hooked" on the idea, the project apparently seems self-evidently
worthwhile to a number of the participants. I much appreciate how much
farther it has developed collectively than any of us could have taken it
as a (pun intended) solo task. A pleasant shock.

I am guardedly hoping that someday someone will at least discover and
share the provenance of the mystery faces from pages 192 to 202. Though
some are standards, and some look like they could be from a single
vendor collection, others among them don't produce a single Google hit,
and don't seem to match designs known by other names. A few examples:
British, Callorte, Clova, Hotspur, Jaeger, Lothario, Monkton, Rivington.
[Ed. note: Digitized matches for British, Callorte, Jaeger, Lothario,
and Monkton, have since been found. Fontana herself found a light
version of Hotspur.]

The typeface community seems populated by friendly, intelligent,
helpful, generous people with a great sense of humor. Sometimes a visit
is a warm vacation from a colder, harsher world. Contributing to the
hobby can be a way to virtually hang out with these good folk. Wow, if I
wax any more poetic I'll have to switch to iambic pentameter or add a
music track.

Hugs to whomever wants them.


Fontana
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Additional matches are more than welcome. The information can be posted
here.

Posted to comp.fonts by Character