REWARD OFFERED – Looking for Pre-2013 Evidence of “Fancy Modern Regular” Font

[Julietu]

That would be amazing — thank you so much!

If you still have original Casmate PRO / Casmate CUT floppy disks from around 1996–1997, that could be a very valuable lead.

What would be especially helpful is any of the following:

* A photo of the original floppy disks or labels
* A directory/file list from the disks
* Any font folder, font list, or installation file names
* Any font files that look related to Fancy Modern.
* Any screenshot showing the software version or bundled fonts

Really appreciate you checking — and good luck finding a floppy reader!

I think I still have Casmate PRO (or CUT, I cant remember) originals on floppy disk ... maybe they have something, and for sure would be about 1996-1997 when we opened the shop. I will try to get a floppy reader!! hahahhahah

 

[Julietu]

I am researching the historical existence of a font called:

FANCY MODERN REGULAR

I am NOT looking for similar fonts.


I am specifically looking for evidence showing that the font name “Fancy Modern Regular” existed before 2013.



Useful evidence includes:



• Screenshots of font menus showing “Fancy Modern Regular” before 2013.
• Font catalogs or font specimen books
• Installation CDs or font collections
• Design files created before 2013 that reference the font
• Archived websites mentioning the font
• Emails mentioning the font name
• Purchase records or license records
• Any document dated before 2013 showing the exact font name


The most important requirement is that the evidence clearly shows the exact font name:


“Fancy Modern Regular”


Reward available for verifiable evidence.
Reward: USD 100–500 depending on the quality of evidence provided.


Please contact:


sales@eco-agree.com


Thank you.

Update:

Thank you very much to everyone who has replied and provided leads so far. The information about FlexiSIGN, ScanVec, CASmate, and possible renamed/bundled fonts has been very helpful.

Because this matter is time-sensitive, we are trying to collect any useful evidence or leads before June 23.


If anyone has access to old FlexiSIGN / ScanVec / CASmate font libraries, original CDs, floppy disks, manuals, installation files, font lists, screenshots, or any dated records showing “Fancy Modern Regular” or a related/renamed typeface before 2013, we would greatly appreciate your help before that date.


Even a partial lead may be useful, especially if it can be verified with a date, software version, file list, archived page, or photo of the original media.

Thank you again for everyone’s help.

 

[Ron at Forest Litho]

Thank you. That is a very helpful explanation.

One additional point: the font can currently be found on a Chinese font website under the exact name “Fancy Modern Regular,” and the letterforms appear to match. However, that website only provides the font download/name and does not clearly show the original source, release date, or whether it existed before 2013.

So I agree with your point — the font may have been bundled with older software under a renamed or proprietary name, and later circulated online under “Fancy Modern Regular.”

Here attached one picture, as you can see the copyright statement is (C) ScanVec Co. (1990) Ltd. All rights reserved. But can't find this company.

I sent your reques tto my friend David at Identifont. If anyone can dig it out he can.

 

[Julietu]

I sent your reques tto my friend David at Identifont. If anyone can dig it out he can.

Thanks!

 

[netsol]

we have flexicut 5.6 circa 1982 but not flexisign, so no included fonts

 

[netsol]

1992

 

[garyroy]

Julietu, have you issued any rewards yet?
You said it would be between $100 and $500 depending on the quality of the evidence provided.
Who decides on the quality of the evidence? You or the forum members?
MrDav3C offered some pretty credible information. Was it reward worthy?

 

[ddarlak]

I have an old flexi font CD probably from the 1990's but I no longer have a PC with a CD drive. I'll see what I can dig up.

 

[Julietu]

Julietu, have you issued any rewards yet?
You said it would be between $100 and $500 depending on the quality of the evidence provided.
Who decides on the quality of the evidence? You or the forum members?
MrDav3C offered some pretty credible information. Was it reward worthy?

Not yet, First, I genuinely appreciate everyone who has contributed ideas, leads, and historical knowledge. Several members, including MrDav3C, have provided useful directions that have helped narrow the search.

The purpose of the reward is not for suggestions alone, but for independently verifiable evidence that helps establish the existence, origin, or documented use of the font before 2013.

The reward amount depends on the strength and usefulness of the evidence provided. Ultimately, I will make the final decision, but I will do so based on the quality, verifiability, and relevance of the evidence, not simply on whether it supports a particular conclusion.

MrDav3C provided a useful lead by identifying a possible connection to Bernhard Fashion, and I appreciate the time and effort that went into that research. To clarify, the Bernhard Fashion lead was actually one of the first avenues we investigated several weeks ago.

Back in May, we obtained examples of Bernhard Fashion and performed direct comparisons against the disputed typeface. While the overall style is related, we found significant differences in stroke weight and character construction, and the comparison was ultimately not accepted as evidence that the two fonts are the same.

For that reason, when MrDav3C later suggested Bernhard Fashion, it was a helpful confirmation that others were seeing the same possible relationship, but it did not provide new evidence establishing that Fancy Modern Regular existed before 2013.

The reward is intended for evidence that directly advances the objective of the search, such as dated records, archived sources, software font libraries, installation media, trademark/logo records, or other independently verifiable documentation.

I do appreciate the effort and contribution, but at this stage the Bernhard Fashion comparison alone has not met the reward criteria.

 

[Julietu]

I have an old flexi font CD probably from the 1990's but I no longer have a PC with a CD drive. I'll see what I can dig up.

That would be fantastic — thank you!
Any information, even partial, could help us trace the font’s history.

 

[Julietu]

we have flexicut 5.6 circa 1982 but not flexisign, so no included fonts

Thank you for checking — I appreciate it.

 

[netsol]

sai didn't exist in those days
they were amiable software, i believe


i wonder if you can actually explore the website circa 2000-2005 with the "wayback machine" (funded by the ford foundation)
information from there is recognized by the supreme court & often used to determine this sort of issue in court cases (was a product acually
promoted on the website AT THAT TIME)
not sure if you can go deep enough to explore font choices year by year, but, worth a try
i will make an attempt tonight

 

[jfiscus]

Found it. Info attached.

 

[White Haus]

Found it. Info attached.

Pay the man!!

 

[Julietu]

Found it. Info attached.

Thanks! This is the strongest lead I’ve received so far. Although it does not yet satisfy the full reward requirements, I’d like to offer a partial reward of USD 50 for the information provided. If you can trace the font to an original ScanVec/FlexiSIGN distribution, installation CD, catalog, or other independently verifiable source, I would be happy to discuss an additional reward. Another if this typeface was used to register a trademark displaying a date prior to 2013, that registration can also be submitted as evidence; our deadline is June 23, as the court has imposed a strict time limit for submissions.

 

[garyroy]

She's got everybody working for minimum wage to help her source her research.
JFiscus, let is know if she Zelles you the $50.
Gino would have loved this

 

[jfiscus]

She's got everybody working for minimum wage to help her source her research.
JFiscus, let is know if she Zelles you the $50.

Haven't seen a PM yet, bet that I wont. I like how the offer changed, after I found the proof requested in the original post.

 

[Bobby H]

I still have a collection of CASmate SCF fonts. They do still work when loaded into Flexi. The Scanvec/Amiable company put out a CD with a bunch of those fonts converted to TrueType at the end of the 1990's. "Fancy Modern Regular" is one of those TrueType fonts.

Also, it's worth noting that letter shapes themselves cannot be copyrighted or trademarked. But it's possible to do so with font names. There have been plenty of different look-alike knockoffs of typefaces like Helvetica, Futura, etc. But the companies releasing the copycat typefaces usually re-draw the glyphs. That creates all sorts of hazards in sign making when you're having to replace a storm damaged channel letter face and you didn't create the original artwork. The font might look like Helvetica, but it might really be Swiss 721, Triumvirate, etc. The letters from those look alike fonts don't line up with each other exactly. Even the different legit versions of Helvetica aren't identical. The 1957 cut of Helvetica is very different from 1983 Neue Helvetica, and 2019 Helvetica Now is also quite different. New Haas Grotesk might even like to have a word.

You can't simply take an existing font file, change its name and then resell it. The company that released Key Fonts collections on CD in the 1990's found out about that the hard way. Basically they took an Adobe Font Folio disc, cracked it, changed the names of the fonts and then re-sold the renamed fonts as a different retail package. The company wound up getting sued by Adobe over it.

 

[Boudica]

She's got everybody working for minimum wage to help her source her research.
JFiscus, let is know if she Zelles you the $50.
Gino would have loved this

wait, "Would Have"? He's not gone, just retired.

 

[Stacey K]

Hopefully Zelle/Venmo works from China to the US because that's where the OP is located. I have no idea the furthest I've used Zelle/Venmo is about 4 miles.