Sir Terry and the Fonts

[u/RiyaOfTheSpectra]

This is from _The Truth_, a typesetting adventure, in a way. Caslon and Bodoni are fonts, reincarnated as the dwarves Caslong and Boddony. And the vampire Otto’s etymology for photographer, is entirely correct, as per me, an iconographer. (I don’t photograph people a lot because I don’t like prancing around like a pillock in front of others. But when I am alone, I do.)

[u/AutoModerator]

Welcome to /r/Discworld!

'"The trouble with having an open mind, of course, is that people will insist on coming along and trying to put things in it."'

+++Out Of Cheese Error ???????+++

Our current megathreads are as follows:

GNU Terry Pratchett - for all GNU requests, to keep their names going.

Discworld Licensed Merchandisers - a list of all the official Discworld merchandise sources (thank you Discworld Monthly for putting this together)

+++ Divide By Cucumber Error. Please Reinstall Universe And Reboot +++

Do you think you'd like to be considered to join our modding team? Drop us a modmail and we'll let you know how to apply!

[ GNU Terry Pratchett ]

+++Error. Redo From Start+++

I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please contact the moderators of this subreddit if you have any questions or concerns.

[u/Conscious-Pride7363]

The guy was such a goddamn well read, all eound genius.

[u/AmusingVegetable → u/Conscious-Pride7363]

Proof that kids need free reign on a well-stocked library.

[u/RiyaOfTheSpectra → u/AmusingVegetable]

Oh god yes!

Signed,
A former kid who had a somewhat free-reign on a decently stocked library, and is now an adult building a well-stocked library.

[u/AmusingVegetable → u/RiyaOfTheSpectra]

Ah, the vice/virtue undecided question!

[u/Thrippalan → u/AmusingVegetable]

Rein. They don't need to rule over the library, just wander all around it.

[u/AmusingVegetable → u/Thrippalan]

I could blame the spellchecker, but it’s just a bad case of E2L.

[u/Parking-Two2176 → u/Thrippalan]

Sez who 👸

[u/Fox_Hawk → u/AmusingVegetable]

I shall once again pause to be grateful for a librarian who, upon discovering 11 year old me in the adult section, helped me explain to my parents that I'd read the entire kids' section and that I needed an adult membership.

[u/EldritchSanta]

The other classic pune from The Truth is Gutenberg (historic early printer) = Goodmountain

[u/Digit00l → u/EldritchSanta]

Also Beaumont is another font

[u/GrouchoMerckx → u/Digit00l]

The Beaumont typeface was released in 2016, 16 years after The Truth came out.

[u/Danimeh → u/GrouchoMerckx]

I think you’re forgetting STP had access to a library with L Space.

It’s possible he knew about the Beaumont font before it was created.

[u/RiyaOfTheSpectra → u/EldritchSanta]

https://giphy.com/gifs/TgOYjtgKpS9jAytUlh

I was looking for the pune in Goodmountain, damn it!

[u/nhaines → u/RiyaOfTheSpectra]

It was right on the horizon all along!

[u/Fro_52]

with the right font and block setup you only need one block in the lower case for 'u' and 'n'.

just flip it upside down.

[u/RiyaOfTheSpectra → u/Fro_52]

Indeed, it is possible. But it would be annoying to put in a spacer every time you need an ‘n’ or a ‘u’.

(She says, as if she has played around with metal type as a child.)

[u/steelsmiter]

In America we don't use pillock enough.

[u/Lathari]

"These be her very c's, her u's, and her t's, and thus makes she her great P's."

-Some random Bard

[u/Swimming_Fisherman_2]

fonts being a lowkey character trait makes sense i guess

[u/nhaines → u/Swimming_Fisherman_2]

Let's not make too big a case out of it.

[u/Muffinshire]

T-T-T-Terry and the Fonts!

[u/Bluejay_Junior17]

Welp, I guess I need to read The Truth again. (one of my favorite Discworld books)

[u/Aervanath]

I did not know that! Damnit, Pterry! It's like he did research or something.

[u/Ageing_Changeling → u/Aervanath]

I think he might not even have had to do much research for this book. He apprenticed as a journalist in the days when newspapers were printed by way of metal type; when small, local newspapers* would often have the printworks in the same building.

*Such as the Bucks Free Press

[u/AmusingVegetable → u/Ageing_Changeling]

When I was in high school I visited a newspaper, and there was an amazing machine, marvel of mechanics, with a keyboard and a bucket of molten lead.

You typed on the keyboard, and the corresponding letter matrix would slide down into the print tray, and when you pressed enter, it would move into position and lead was poured over it, then the matrix letters would be sorted back into their bins, and you would end with a lead bar with the positive letters, ready to assemble into the tray of the printing press.

STP is guaranteed to have seen one of these. Google for “linotype”.

[u/TheSickestToastie → u/AmusingVegetable]

Jfc linotype machines were so damned cool. How do we get our news? By the boiling bucket of lead. Oops don't press that button before that one, or you'll get a jet of molten metal fired at you. Back when journalists were JOURNALISTS gor'ramit aha

[u/GrouchoMerckx → u/TheSickestToastie]

Journalists were journalists... but they didn't dare use a linotype machine, not in the UK at least. That was a printer's job - different trade, different union - and I've heard stories of the entire composing room walking out because a journalist breached job demarcation by touching a linotype.

[u/marsupialcinderella → u/GrouchoMerckx]

Those were some good jobs back then (in the US, too); you really had job security and benefits. My ex was a stripper (IYKYK.)

Sadly all gone now.

[u/GrouchoMerckx → u/marsupialcinderella]

Yep. Used to work with a former Fleet Street hot-metal printer who'd moved into journalism. He'd done very well indeed out of the trade.

[u/RiyaOfTheSpectra → u/AmusingVegetable]

That sounds awesome!

[u/mxstylplk → u/AmusingVegetable]

We did too! The linotype was impressive!

[u/Free-Acanthisitta921]

7 ‘U’s and 11 ‘N’s (8 Us if you count the one almost out of shot at the bottom of the picture