UK Vintage Radio Repair and Restoration Discussion Forum - View Single Post - Vintage Circuit-Diagram Lettering!

Chris55000 · 13th Oct 2016, 9:46 pm

Hi!

I realise I've mentioned this before, but has anyone ever attempted to turn the lettering-styles used by the UK radio/television/electronics construction magazines into a PC font that could be used on circuit/EDA/PCB packages?

I know there were four basic styles, and all appear to have been made using UNO Sencils made by A West and Partners!

The four styles used were:-

1) Upright Block capitals/lower case letters and a '3' with a round top and a '7' with a straight angled downward stroke - this was used in Radio Constructor's diagrams from the mid '50s right up to the magazine's closure in August 1981, and also in "Short Wave Magazine" throughout the '60s;

2) Upright Condensed Capitals/lower-case letters with a flat-topped '3' and a '7' with a slightly curved downward stroke - this was used by "Wireless World" on it's diagrams from about 1945 till about mid 1968.

Quite a number of Manufacturers used this style throughout their service manuals, Bush for instance during the 1960s.

3) Sloping block capitals/lower-case lettering with a flat-topped '3' and a '7' with a straight downward stroke - this was used by Practical Wireless and Practical Television from 1950 till about mid 1961.

Altho' this sloping style seemed to go out of fashion when PW/PT stopped using it it was still in use by Thorn/BRC for use as test-points/voltage readings/PCB connection points in their manuals until the dreadful ISO lettering came in from the early-to-mid 80s!

4) Square block capitals/lower-case letters with a 'primary-school' straight lower-case 't', a flat-topped '3' and a straight '7' and a figure '9' that looked a bit between the curly '9' used on typefaces and the straight 'primary-school' figure '9' - this lettering was used in Reddifusion/Doric's Service Manuals throughout their period of exsistence - even the Sharp-designed Mk. 5 Colour Portable CTV had a manual published in Doric's house-style!

If you look at (for example) a Thorn/BRC 1970s/early 1980s Audio manual you find examples of all of the first three lettering styles all used together on the same circuit diagram!

I've tried to reproduce these lettering forms myself but my hand isn't steady enough!

(I have a deadly hatred of ISO/Continental-style lettering styles and in my opinion, as well as preserving the technology, we should also preserve the styles of drawing in use then to reproduce on this forum for illustrative purposes!)

Opinions & Comments?

Chris Williams

13th Oct 2016, 9:46 pm	#1
Chris55000 Nonode Join Date: Aug 2007 Location: Walsall Wood, Aldridge, Walsall, UK. Posts: 2,867	Vintage Circuit-Diagram Lettering! Hi! I realise I've mentioned this before, but has anyone ever attempted to turn the lettering-styles used by the UK radio/television/electronics construction magazines into a PC font that could be used on circuit/EDA/PCB packages? I know there were four basic styles, and all appear to have been made using UNO Sencils made by A West and Partners! The four styles used were:- 1) Upright Block capitals/lower case letters and a '3' with a round top and a '7' with a straight angled downward stroke - this was used in Radio Constructor's diagrams from the mid '50s right up to the magazine's closure in August 1981, and also in "Short Wave Magazine" throughout the '60s; 2) Upright Condensed Capitals/lower-case letters with a flat-topped '3' and a '7' with a slightly curved downward stroke - this was used by "Wireless World" on it's diagrams from about 1945 till about mid 1968. Quite a number of Manufacturers used this style throughout their service manuals, Bush for instance during the 1960s. 3) Sloping block capitals/lower-case lettering with a flat-topped '3' and a '7' with a straight downward stroke - this was used by Practical Wireless and Practical Television from 1950 till about mid 1961. Altho' this sloping style seemed to go out of fashion when PW/PT stopped using it it was still in use by Thorn/BRC for use as test-points/voltage readings/PCB connection points in their manuals until the dreadful ISO lettering came in from the early-to-mid 80s! 4) Square block capitals/lower-case letters with a 'primary-school' straight lower-case 't', a flat-topped '3' and a straight '7' and a figure '9' that looked a bit between the curly '9' used on typefaces and the straight 'primary-school' figure '9' - this lettering was used in Reddifusion/Doric's Service Manuals throughout their period of exsistence - even the Sharp-designed Mk. 5 Colour Portable CTV had a manual published in Doric's house-style! If you look at (for example) a Thorn/BRC 1970s/early 1980s Audio manual you find examples of all of the first three lettering styles all used together on the same circuit diagram! I've tried to reproduce these lettering forms myself but my hand isn't steady enough! (I have a deadly hatred of ISO/Continental-style lettering styles and in my opinion, as well as preserving the technology, we should also preserve the styles of drawing in use then to reproduce on this forum for illustrative purposes!) Opinions & Comments? Chris Williams __________________ It's an enigma, that's what it is! This thing's not fixed because it doesn't want to be fixed! Last edited by Chris55000; 13th Oct 2016 at 9:51 pm.