CT Only: Font or Fonts Used

[daryen]

What is the font (or closest font) to what was used in the Classic Traveller rule books? Whether it be the LBB, TTB, or ST, what was the font used?

(I know this has been answered before, but I just don't know where I saw it before. Thus, I ask again.)

Thank you!

 

[inexorabletash]

Titles are Optima
Body is Univers

 

[Spinward Scout]

I have a font called Zurich BT Roman which is visually identical to the font used in The Traveller Book when printed at 8.5 point.

Univers 55 was created by Adrian Frutiger in Zurich Switzerland. Which is why you'll see fonts similar to Univers called Zurich and Frutiger.

Also, Optima isn't an exact match, but it's close. I haven't been able to find anything else, tho.

​

 

[daryen]

Thanks!

 

[daryen]

Optima appears to have been used in later books. The titles for TTB seem to be just Univers. Optima is a very heavy font, as compared to Univers/Zurich.

Zurich BT is not a perfect match, but it is very, very close. So, it has ended up working for me. Thank you!

 

[Spinward Scout]

Where did you end up finding Zurich? I think I originally got it from Sci-Fi Fonts, maybe?

Optima is just being used for Main pages and page titles. All of the text on the attached file is Optima.

 

[pesco]

With regard to Univers, there (long) exists a free clone called U001, made by URW for the Ghostscript project. I don't know how closely it matches the original, but maybe someone else can say something about that...

I found it at Font Library, but it's freely distributable, so here you go.

 

[daryen]

Snagged! Thanks!

Hopefully I can check it out before too long.

 

[Spinward Scout]

That U001Regular looks good.

 

[pesco]

BTW, for your titles: There is also a free Optima clone from URW called URW Classico. Same terms apply.

 

[Kakistocrat]

With regard to Univers, there (long) exists a free clone called U001, made by URW for the Ghostscript project. I don’t know how closely it matches the original, but maybe someone else can say something about that…

U001 was released in 2002 or so. Around 2016, “URW Classic Sans” was released, a follow-up Univers clone (with two more glyphs than U001), under similar licensing as U001, and apparently replacing U001. URW Classic Sans (as well as URW Classico and the other current Ghostscript typefaces) can be downloaded from here, using the “raw” links on that Web page.

The most noticeable difference between the original metal type Univers on the one hand and U001 and URW Classic Sans on the other is the design of the ampersand. (The “Univers Next Pro” typeface has the original ampersand design, but it doesn’t have a gratis license.)