a whole slew of 'em

A few weeks ago, I wrote that the new Linotype Syntax, with its added weights, small caps, and text figures, was the best deal in type. A close second must be Bitstream’s Cambridge Collection. For under $200US you get, among others, Bitstream Amerigo, Arrus, Charter, and Iowan Old Style, 18 weights/widths of Futura, Oranda, Serifa, and Venetian 301 (Centaur). Alas, no expert sets here; you’ll have to supplement as needed. (Parenthetical double alas: Bitstream apparently no longer sells its 500 Font CD, which I obtained two years ago for a ridiculously low price.) Nonetheless, if you want to want to get your hands on a few styles of two of the most underrated typefaces in recent memory – yes, Arrus and Iowan Old Style (both recently expanded) – and then some, this is the CD (dual platform) for you.

14-August 2002