[klondike98]

Does anyone know the name of the font used for the Philco lettering on decals? I know you can buy them at RadioDaze but they don't seem to have the straight ON OFF VOL. ; DIAL TUNING ; and B'DCS'T S.W. that I need for the 42-322 I'm working on. May have to make some up.
Thanks, Bob

[TheFightingHellfish]

http://www.tubesandmore.com/products/S-M907

Would that do? It has everything you mentioned, both straight and curved for knobs. Plus you won't need to worry about actually printing them.

[klondike98]

Yep, THANKS! that's the one I need.
Cheers
bob

[awc71]

Hi All,

I was actually wondering about the font for printing on a straight line as well.

I'm new to the phorum and the Philco world (though I used to live not too far from what once used to be THE Philco world in Philadelphia). I'm also new to restoring vintage tube radio/phonos, as I have so far been working on old acoustic phonographs (wind ups) and a 1970's Garrard.

(About time I tried something in the in between decades, historically / technologically speaking, right? )

I have 46-1201 (Bing) and while the lettering is mostly intact, a few parts have worn off. I've yet to see decals for this model in any of the replica parts retailers. The PHONO - OFF - RADIO grouping above the dial is especially hard to find.

Do we know the font at all?

I've painted and replicated waterslide decals (guitar bodies and headstocks) and have the means of getting gold ink printed on decals. (I'm a designer.) I have essentially all the tools and knowledge except for "the font."

Worst case scenario I can try to match it myself but if someone knows, it would be great to share it!

(Matching fonts sounds easy but if you really want a proper match you have to comb through thousands of fonts paying attention to every minor detail).

So if anyone knows the Philco font, or a solution for my 46-1201, your help would be greatly appreciated!

[klondike98]

AWC, I had started doing exactly what you suggested, going through lots of fonts, primarily outline fonts, looking for a match. It got old quick but I did find one called IvanBeckerOutline that started to come close. Here's a comparison of the font and a scan from a decal. Not great.
Bob
[Image: https://dl.dropbox.com/u/54621529/font.jpg]

[awc71]

Thanks Bob! That's pretty close. Perhaps compressing it vertically might bring it in line (e.g., squish the "C" and "O" to be more oval as the original).

I'm going to do a quick font match based on your scan to see what the auto matching system comes up with, and will report what it says.

[Ron Ramirez]

Here's an original, from a 1940 Philco set:

[Image: https://philcoradio.com/images/phorum/ARF/37upphil.jpg]

And the Antique Electronic Supply decal:

[Image: https://philcoradio.com/images/phorum/ARF/decal3.jpg]

Notice that neither are "compressed" vertically.

Radio Daze is now producing authentic PHILCO decals, by the way. No need to reinvent the wheel for the PHILCO trademark.

[klondike98]

Thanks Ron. Unfortunately AWC is looking for the words PHONO and RADIO printed in a straight line rather than curved and the decals made by Radio Daze don't seem to have them. Perhaps an email to Radiodaze is worth a shot. Since they must already have the font set up, they may be willing to create an additional decal with the straight line words.
Bob

[Ron Ramirez]

Understood. But when you started showing the PHILCO trademark, it reminded me of how many years it took to persuade Radio Daze to stop producing the PHILCO trademark in that awful non-original font and switch to the correct fonts.

Their PHILCO decals are now produced using scans furnished by me - not a computer-generated font. The other words (B'D'CST, POLICE, VOLUME, TONE, etc.) may well be computer-generated fonts, I do not know. They are willing to add decals to their offerings, so an email to Mike Slusser (mws@radiodaze.com) would be a good idea.

[klondike98]

Thanks Ron! I saw in previous posts that you and others had been working on Radiodaze for a long time to get their decals right. Thanks for all the hard work and persistence to make it happen!

[awc71]

Thanks Ron - and all who answered / replied about my issue with the 46-1201 labeling!

If we can nail down the font, I'd be happy to help out the Philco community by designing decals closer to what they should be, especially if RadioDaze is slow to facilitate. I have a reliable go-to for printing waterslides in gold (the very thin / invisible kind that you need a backup for, because they're easy to tear - especially if you're all thumbs ), so all we need to do is a little detective work.

I can be pretty retentive about details (I'm actually Creative/Art Director by trade) and have gone to great lengths to make sure my other personal restorations (guitars, wind up phonographs) are as accurate as possible.

If anyone is curious here's a link to a guitar I had worked on (it's a recreation of a psychedelic icon, George Harrison's "Rocky" which hopefully isn't too "modern" for the Philco crowd! ). The accurately distressed tag top/left is an example of what is possible. (It is a one piece decal designed to look distressed in several pieces, based on heavy research of the original.)

Oh! I have an update on finding a matching font which I will post about soon. I want to check it against Ron's scan to be sure first!

[awc71]

update / font test 1

I believe Bob's, even with what Ron uploaded, is the closest match so far. I've only performed a few quick matches (scanning a few hundred fonts), but those coming close aren't any closer than Bob's find.

I ran a test to see it in action and while there are a few minor "tells," the font as is, is very close. It took just the slightest tweaking using quick layout tricks, but I got it even closer than what it was "out of the box" typing.

I could take it further and deconstruct these faults and manually add the needed fixes, but arguably one could use this font (with only the few quick adjustments as I did) and have it be ok, IMHO, especially if you were creating type for dials etc., and not the logotype.

Given the already small point sizes used on the dials (plus any relic'ing one might do) deviations would become minuscule to all but the knowing eye.

Here's what I mean. Here is my test with two models (not saying which is which). At quick glance, it could pass, IMHO.

Imagine this much smaller, even more so.

   

What do folks think? I think it makes a great quick go-to, at least to serve as a safe font for when less than 100% accurate restoration is required.

That being said, if it passes the eyes of the more experienced masters here in the Phorum, I can proceed to make some 56-1201 dial type for print. (I'd share my work of course with anyone who asks.)

But I'm getting ahead of myself. What do the more experienced eyes here see? If this is a good foundation, I can nudge it further so it's an exact match if you're curious, and run it past the assembled again. Then at least we would all have a Phorum blessed logotype resource to share and build upon (e.g., getting other odd decals made, tee shirts, beer steins, personalized Chuck Taylors, etc.,)

[Chuck Schwark]

I'd be hard pressed to spot the recreation from an original on-set decal.

No one I know uses a micrometer on cabinet decals....

Great job!

Chuck

PS. Taking a longer look -- The only discrepancy I see is the shape and dimensions of the loop hole in the P.
The original has a slightly wider hole. Otherwise, you nailed it.

[Ron Ramirez]

[Image: https://philcoradio.com/images/phorum/ARF/Disgust.jpg]

God, are we going to go through this again?

Will you people look at the D**n pictures I posted?

The original PHILCO trademark decal is different than the Ivan Becker font.

Do you realize how many years it took to persuade Radio Daze to correct those ugly, non-original PHILCO trademark decals and get them to start making decals that look like the originals?

Or do you give a rat's behind?

Aah, why should I blow a gasket? Sheesh...

[awc71]

Sorry Ron. As I mentioned it's a quick fix. I personally have the ability to adjust the characters so they are spot on (e.g., the P, the H, the L and O). I wouldn't user Ivan out of the box personally.

Sorry to have offended you in my efforts. I'm new and did not realize.