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WPA Gothic

 by StewfThis FontStruction was selected by FontStruct staff.This%20FontStruction%20was%20selected%20by%20FontStruct%20staff.
  • Currently 6.76778
6.8Balanced%20Rating%3A%20%3Cb%20class%3D%22weighted_value%22%3E6.8%3C%2Fb%3E%3Cbr%2F%3EAverage%20Rating%3A%20%3Cb%20class%3D%22rating_value%22%3E6.9%3C%2Fb%3E%3Cbr%2F%3EClick%20for%20more%20information%20about%20this%20rating. 35 votes
Last edit: 22.06.2009
Tags: Sign Painting, 1930s, 1940s, Wpa, Poster
Category: Sans Serif
950 Downloads950%20Downloads95013 Comments13%20Comments13206 Glyphs206%20Glyphs206The Works Progress Administration (W.P.A.) was the largest agency of FDR's "New Deal", employing millions of people. Over 2,000 posters were produced by the W.P.A. to raise awareness and support the arts.

I have a lot of admiration for these posters and a style of sign painters' lettering that was common in the U.S. during the 1930s-'40s. WPA Gothic gets much of its inspiration from this poster in particular. This FontStruction stays true to the sample’s simple letterforms, but the FontStruct grid does present a few limitations. For more refined typefaces of this style check out Futura Display, Tourist Gothic, FF Moderne Gothics, Refrigerator, and MVB Solano Gothic by some of my favorite type designers, two of which (Van Bronkhorst and Parkinson) are East Bay natives.

WPA Gothic has a few alternate glyphs hanging out in the Extended Latin slots with more to come.

To get a look at the typeface outside the confines of the FontStruct sampler, here's a sample poster.

May 25, 2008: Released a variation with low-waisted "deco" caps.%3Cp%3EThe%20%3Ca%20href%3D%22http%3A%2F%2Fen.wikipedia.org%2Fwiki%2FWorks_Progress_Administration%22%3EWorks%20Progress%20Administration%3C%2Fa%3E%20%28W.P.A.%29%20was%20the%20largest%20agency%20of%20FDR%27s%20%26quot%3BNew%20Deal%26quot%3B%2C%20employing%20millions%20of%20people.%20Over%202%2C000%20%3Ca%20href%3D%22http%3A%2F%2Fmemory.loc.gov%2Fammem%2Fwpaposters%2Fwpahome.html%22%3Eposters%3C%2Fa%3E%20were%20produced%20by%20the%20W.P.A.%20to%20raise%20awareness%20and%20support%20the%20arts.%3C%2Fp%3E%0D%0A%0D%0A%3Cp%3EI%20have%20a%20lot%20of%20admiration%20for%20these%20posters%20and%20a%20style%20of%20%3Ca%20href%3D%22http%3A%2F%2Fwww.flickr.com%2Fsearch%2F%3Fq%3Dsignpaintersgothic%26amp%3Bw%3Dall%22%3Esign%20painters%27%20lettering%3C%2Fa%3E%20that%20was%20common%20in%20the%20U.S.%20during%20the%201930s-%2740s.%20WPA%20Gothic%20gets%20much%20of%20its%20inspiration%20from%20%3Ca%20href%3D%22http%3A%2F%2Fwww.flickr.com%2Fphotos%2Fpantufla%2F2404006691%2F%22%3Ethis%20poster%3C%2Fa%3E%20in%20particular.%20This%20FontStruction%20stays%20true%20to%20the%20sample%E2%80%99s%20simple%20letterforms%2C%20but%20the%20FontStruct%20grid%20does%20present%20a%20few%20limitations.%20For%20more%20refined%20typefaces%20of%20this%20style%20check%20out%20%3Ca%20href%3D%22http%3A%2F%2Fwww.fontshop.com%2Ffonts%2Fdownloads%2Furw%2Ffutura_display%2F%22%3EFutura%20Display%3C%2Fa%3E%2C%20%3Ca%20href%3D%22http%3A%2F%2Fwww.fontshop.com%2Ffonts%2Fsingles%2Flanston_type%2Fltc_tourist_gothic_pro%2F%3Fsample_text%3DSee%2520alternates%2520below.%26acs_ss%3D9%22%3ETourist%20Gothic%3C%2Fa%3E%2C%20%3Ca%20href%3D%22http%3A%2F%2Fwww.fontshop.com%2Ffonts%2Fdownloads%2Ffontfont%2Fff_moderne_gothics%2F%22%3EFF%20Moderne%20Gothics%3C%2Fa%3E%2C%20%3Ca%20href%3D%22http%3A%2F%2Fwww.fontshop.com%2Ffonts%2Fdownloads%2Fmark_simonson%2Frefrigerator%2F%22%3ERefrigerator%3C%2Fa%3E%2C%20and%20%3Ca%20href%3D%22http%3A%2F%2Fwww.fontshop.com%2Ffonts%2Fdownloads%2Fmvb_fonts%2Fmvb_solano_gothic_pro%2F%22%3EMVB%20Solano%20Gothic%3C%2Fa%3E%20by%20some%20of%20my%20favorite%20type%20designers%2C%20two%20of%20which%20%28Van%20Bronkhorst%20and%20Parkinson%29%20are%20East%20Bay%20natives.%3C%2Fp%3E%0D%0A%0D%0A%3Cp%3E%3Ca%20href%3D%22http%3A%2F%2Ffontstruct.fontshop.com%2Ffontstructions%2Fshow%2F14740%22%3EWPA%20Gothic%3C%2Fa%3E%20has%20a%20few%20alternate%20glyphs%20hanging%20out%20in%20the%20Extended%20Latin%20slots%20with%20more%20to%20come.%3C%2Fp%3E%0D%0A%0D%0A%3Cp%3ETo%20get%20a%20look%20at%20the%20typeface%20outside%20the%20confines%20of%20the%20FontStruct%20sampler%2C%20%3Ca%20href%3D%22http%3A%2F%2Fwww.flickr.com%2Fphotos%2Fstewf%2F2485428971%2F%22%3Ehere%27s%20a%20sample%20poster%3C%2Fa%3E.%3C%2Fp%3E%0D%0A%0D%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EMay%2025%2C%202008%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Released%20%3Ca%20href%3D%22http%3A%2F%2Ffontstruct.fontshop.com%2Ffontstructions%2Fshow%2F53157%22%3Ea%20variation%3C%2Fa%3E%20with%20low-waisted%20%22deco%22%20caps.%3C%2Fp%3E

Comenia Sans

by SuitcaseFontShop.com
Comenia Sans
Some fonts you just can’t FontStruct. Try a non-modular typeface from FontShop.com