T4 Look and Feel

[DonM]

I'm looking for a way to "mimic" the T4 look and feel, and was wondering if anyone might know what fonts were used...

And if anyone wanted to offer any suggestions for which T4 book would be the best to use as an example of the "T4 look and feel". Some books didn't diligently follow any format well, it appears.

 

[Spinward Scout]

Just gave it a shot in Microsoft Word.

Ariel is pretty close - but it's not an exact match. The capital 'G' is different.

24 point for the font size for chapter headings with small caps for the lower case - bolded. 9 for the main text font size.

Ariel is just slightly too thick for the main text or I'm getting bleedthrough from the paper I'm using. It's also not as crisp as the T4 mainbook. I don't see much real difference in type style other than that. Maybe a little in the lower-case drop-down letters like 'y' and 'g'. I tried Ariel Narrow and that had oval shapes where the T4 text has rounder letters.

It's almost like Ariel 'Light' or something.

 

[DonM]

Any recommendation as to a good T4 book to use as a model? Pocket Empires?

 

[saundby]

Just gave it a shot in Microsoft Word.

Ariel is pretty close - but it's not an exact match. The capital 'G' is different.

24 point for the font size for chapter headings with small caps for the lower case - bolded. 9 for the main text font size.

Ariel is just slightly too thick for the main text or I'm getting bleedthrough from the paper I'm using. It's also not as crisp as the T4 mainbook. I don't see much real difference in type style other than that. Maybe a little in the lower-case drop-down letters like 'y' and 'g'. I tried Ariel Narrow and that had oval shapes where the T4 text has rounder letters.

It's almost like Ariel 'Light' or something.

I've only got the original T4 book. The main text looks like a Berthold font--one of the close relatives of Akzidenz Gothik. Too tired to sort it out right now. Helvetica family, very close the Helvetica Roman but not quite.

 

[AndreaV]

Grabbing the five dead tree traveller books I keep out of storage (T4 core rules, CSC, Emperors Arsenal, Psionic Institutes and M0 campaign).

Working by eye, the titles appear to be Optima condensed with a 30 degree sloped fill with a repeating 0% to 100% to 0% graduation (looks like a fine fill, in excess of 150). Traveller is italic with the book title regular.

Body text straight helvetica. 12 point regular for body and 16 point bold for headings. Chapters look like 30-36 point small caps (my eyesight is not what it once was sorry and small caps are always a little hard to judge).

 

[DonM]

I really need to create a "Traveller Legacy Edition Style Guide"...:rofl:

 

[inexorabletash]

I really need to create a "Traveller Legacy Edition Style Guide"...:rofl:

Yes, yes you do.

 

[Spinward Scout]

Part of the problem is that the type size is different in different books. T4 mainbook and Central Supply Catalog have the same size. Naval Architects Manual is about one size bigger, and the other 6 books I've got look so oversized (probably 12 point) that they look like kids editions.

It's a very basic sanserif font. It's quirky, tho. It's got the Helvetica/Grotesk upper-case 'G' but the upper-case Univers 55 'Q'.

You could probably get away with Helvetica Light and only us 'Font Geeks' would notice if something was slightly different.

 

[hunter]

Part of the problem is that the type size is different in different books. T4 mainbook and Central Supply Catalog have the same size. Naval Architects Manual is about one size bigger, and the other 6 books I've got look so oversized (probably 12 point) that they look like kids editions.

Cheap way to pad the page count of a book. Same with wide margins and gutters.

 

[AndreaV]

Cheap way to pad the page count of a book. Same with wide margins and gutters.

And distressingly common too Mind you, with advancing years, I appreciate the larger font size. I need my glasses for the core rules, but not for Psionic Institutes

 

[hunter]

And distressingly common too Mind you, with advancing years, I appreciate the larger font size. I need my glasses for the core rules, but not for Psionic Institutes

Heh, I'm proud to say you won't see that in the old T20 stuff or the new stuff
If anything I've had a rare few complaints that the font was too small (Arial 9pt).

 

[Gray Lensman]

I really need to create a "Traveller Legacy Edition Style Guide"...:rofl:

Make your task easier, "skip" T4 since is sucked anyway

Cheap way to pad the page count of a book. Same with wide margins and gutters.

Shut up.

 

[Spinward Scout]

Shut up.

That was rude.

I hope you're just joking with him.

 

[aramis]

That was rude.

I hope you're just joking with him.

Joke or not, anti-System-X statements are infraction-worthy in system-X's sub-boards.