we've been hired to repaint this exhibit at a zoo in Nashville but they have no record of the font used as it was a loooong time ago

[O1OO1O11]

zoo would prefer us to use the same font if we can find it. free or commercial makes no difference. the original artwork is pretty old but i do believe they used an actual font for the design.

i've ran it through several reverse font engines with no luck. thought i'd try some forums.

 

[Gino]

Hate to break this to ya, but while there might be a font similar, that was hand-painted. All 4 'e's are different, the 'r's, the 's's and the 'a's are different. The keep-away shadow is all different, too. To me, it looks like someone who had good command of off-the-brush capabilities and executed rather well.

 

[O1OO1O11]

thanks for all your help. if anyone has an even remotely close font - please lemme know.

 

[James Burke]

What am I missing here? Trace it on onion skin and make a pounce pattern.


JB

 

[Gino]

Give it some time there, binary...... someone will look it up for ya.

 

[ProSignTN]

Didn't you get the memo James Burke? This is Print 101. What's an Onion skin? Trace it, you mean with like a pencil? Good call Gino.

 

[James Burke]

Didn't you get the memo James Burke? This is Print 101. What's an Onion skin? Trace it, you mean with like a pencil? Good call Gino.

The OP's heading on this thread:

we've been hired to repaint this exhibit at a zoo in Nashville but they have no record of the font used as it was a loooong time ago​

 

[Johnny Best]

Onion skin?, take white butcher paper, rub it with mineral sprites rag and it becomes transparent and trace the copy, clean it up, pounce it and re letter.

 

[James Burke]

Onion skin?, take white butcher paper, rub it with mineral sprites rag and it becomes transparent and trace the copy, clean it up, pounce it and re letter.

I can't believe I'm the only one who's heard of it. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Onionskin


JB

 

[jochwat]

I can't believe I'm the only one who's heard of it. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Onionskin


JB

I've heard of onionskin, mostly in the animation realm. Think I first heard the term back when animating on the Amiga 1000, using Deluxe Paint.

 

[Gino]

If you've been in this business for some time, of course you heard of and used onion paper, but how many old sign painters had onion paper in their kit ?? Duhhhh..... none. But we all had meat wrapping paper.... butcher paper to be more exact. Can't tell ya how many thousands upon thousands of paper signs I painted on that stuff. Like mentioned, if I hadda make several signs all saying the same thing, I just layed out the first one and once it dried, just laid it down and painted right over it on another piece of paper. When I graduated to heavier paper, I just made a light box outta 2" x 4"s, an old fluorescent fixture upside down and a piece of old plexi and did it the same way. The way we looked at it, only the sissies used onion paper. Sh!t, back in the good ol' days we used papyrus paper.

 

[Johnny Best]

Onion paper did not come in rolls as Gino stated. Tracing paper is better than onion paper. for small things.

 

[hobbymad]

https://www.myfonts.com/fonts/itc/toots/extended/ ?

 

[jochwat]

If you've been in this business for some time, of course you heard of and used onion paper, but how many old sign painters had onion paper in their kit ?? Duhhhh..... none. But we all had meat wrapping paper.... butcher paper to be more exact. Can't tell ya how many thousands upon thousands of paper signs I painted on that stuff. Like mentioned, if I hadda make several signs all saying the same thing, I just layed out the first one and once it dried, just laid it down and painted right over it on another piece of paper. When I graduated to heavier paper, I just made a light box outta 2" x 4"s, an old fluorescent fixture upside down and a piece of old plexi and did it the same way. The way we looked at it, only the sissies used onion paper. Sh!t, back in the good ol' days we used papyrus paper.

Gino, you mean those butcher paper signs we used to see in all of the grocery stores? Something like... this?

(At a previous job, I thought we'd try to bring this kind of sign back for nostalgic purposes, but only I enjoyed the idea... This wasn't painted, though -- all fonts and mirrors).

 

[Gino]

Haa...... yeah, that's the same concept. Looks kinda hand-done, but you can see the fonts, like you mentioned and the squigglies are identical, just turned upside down and reversed.

That's a really small sign, judging buy the pushpins, I highly doubt anyone would've done that by brush. Maybe a 1/4 and some speedball action.

 

[McDonald Signs]

Monotype Corsiva font is close to Creatures of the Americas or at least a good starting point

 

[karst41]

With Corsiva as the starting Font, Set it correctly and convert to outlines.
Place the type on top of the photo (locked) and adjust.

If you auto trace you will have a Bazilion points to clear out.
Take a good Level and straight away photo.
Todays cell phone cameras will allow a B&W adjustment. Adjust the contrast and saturation. Import into Illustrator or Flexi Sign and Trace. Clean up the Noise.

The more you do this the better your skills become.
You also need to know when to walk away for a few minutes.
This increases your mental recovery and vastly speeds things up.

Save, Save Save and Save.