New Font: BigBlok
A great many years ago when working in game publishing I had a real fascination with doing titles in a strong, super-bold font called Bolt Bold. The truth is I rather overused it. In doing some research I find it on more than a dozen different game books I wrote in the early 80s, all quite collectable and out of print today.
E. J. Detmold Arabian Nights Illustrations
E. J. Detmold was an early 20th century illustrator most known for his nature illustrations, particularly of insects, in books like Fabre’s Book of Insects and The Life of the Bee. He also illustrated some fairy tale books, the most notable of which is his illustrated edition of the Arabian Nights with selected stories from the original Fitzgerald text. Detmold’s illustrations are rich in color and detail and include scenes from many of the most popular stories, including several in the Sindbad sequence. You can see richness and detail of the illustrations in the example to the right and the preview below will let you view smaller size samples of the whole set. The illustations also feature impressive decorative borders which can be useful art resources independent of the illustrations (you can see some samples below and to the right).
We’ve collected all of the color illustrations from Demold’s Arabian Nights into a special mini-package. In addition to 12 large size, high-resolution images it also includes cleaned up and ready to use versions of 10 color borders. The whole collection is available for just $10 and you can order it online from our site at: ONLINE STORE.
Celtic Font and Art Collections
he Celts have been acclaimed for their remarkable artistic legacy – far more substantial than that of other ancient societies of Western Europe. They left behind a fascinating tradition of visual and literary art,and can be credited with the preservation of culture and literacy in Western Europe after the fall of Rome. Their imprint is strongest in the British Isles which were spared much of the chaos and cultural collapse of the so-called Dark Ages.
The Celts produced exceptional hand-decorated books and works of calligraphy. Among the most famous products of Celtic scriptoria are the Book of Kells, the Book of Durrow and the Lindisfarne Gospels, all of which have been used as sources in our celtic designs. The various forms of Celtic Uncial calligraphy preserved sophisticated writing techniques so that they could be reintroduced to Europe at the time of Charlemagne, leading to a reawakening of writing and literature.
Today, Celtic culture remains a powerful source of inspiration in music, art and design. Musicians like Clannad, The Chieftains and Lorena McKennit preserve traditional Celtic music and adapt it to modern sensibilities, while Celtic visual art influences show up in every medium and continue to shape the work of contemporary designers.
The Scriptorium’s Celtic Collection is a remarkable digital archive of the design arts of the Celtic world. The collection features several CDs focusing on different aspects of the Celtic tradition in art and design. Celtic decroative designs, mythological art, religious symbolism and calligraphic lettering are preserved as high resolution (300dpi or more) graphics and unique original fonts (Postscript and TrueType) so that you can incorporate the vision of the Celts in your designs. All CDs are both MacOS and Windows compatible. All of the packages are kept in stock and can be ordered by phone from 1-512-656-8011 or ONLINE (<--Click Here) with an immediate download.
See the descriptions below for details on our Celtic packages and some samples of the fonts and graphics which are included.
ur Celtic Vision package is our oldest and most basic collection of Celtic resources. It is oriented towards historical and traditional Celtic design, featuring fonts based on historical calligraphy, plus borders, emblems and decorative elements which are primarily geometrical and in the tradition of Celtic knotwork design. It is a great starting point for any Celtic design project. This is our original Celtic collection and is now in its fourth release, with many modifications and improvements over earlier versions.
The frames, borders and emblems in the Celtic Vision package come from a number of sources, including ancient Celtic manuscripts, Victorian renderings of classic Celtic designs, and original Celtic designs by Arts & Crafts period artists like Evelyn Paul and Louis Rhead. The Rhead and Paul borders are particularly interesting, because they effectively adapt medieval Celtic imagery to formats and page sizes which are still used today. Many of the graphics included in this package are color renderings of traditional designs. The package also includes some lovely Celtic initials by Louis Rhead.
Eight fonts are included in the Celtic Vision package. They were selected for their historical accuracy and general usefulness, while more bizarre fonts were reserved for the Celtic Fantasy package. The fonts include the Durrow font, which is an absolutely traditional rendering of Insular Minuscule calligraphy, Glendower which is based on the most common lettering in the Book of Kells, Knotwork which features fanciful characters decorated with Celtic knots, Alba which is a modernized text font based on Celtic uncial lettering, Lindisfarne which is based on a square uncial style, Stonecross which is derived from Celtic cross and gravestone inscriptions, the decorative Celtic Spirals font, and the Celtic Borders font which lets you combine key strokes to form unique, fully scalable decorative borders.
The Celtic Vision package is where you should start your journey into Celtic design. All of the images are high-resolution (300dpi) and suitable for printing, and they are licensed to you for use in your design projects. The fonts come in both Postscript and TrueType formats. The CD is fully compatible with the MacOS and all versions of Windows. The Celtic Vision CD is only $49 and can be ordered by phone from 1-512-656-8011 or ONLINE (<--Click Here). It can also be ordered in combination with our other Celtic packages at a special discount (see below).
ur Celtic Fantasy package is the newest addition to our collection of Celtic resources. It is oriented towards more fanciful approaches to Celtic design and to Celtic mythology and fairy tales. It features fonts derived from the Celtic design tradition, but with unusual variations, and a great set of borders and decorations based on designs by Arthur Rackham. It also includes a selection of illustrations of Celtic mythology by several artists. It balances out the more practical contents of the Celtic Vision package with an assortment of more imaginative and unusual resources.
The frames, borders and emblems in the Celtic Vision package are mostly drawn from Arthur Rackham’s illustrated collections of Irish and British folk and fairy tales. They include both color and black and white borders, frames and
emblems, including many unique floral and zoomorphic designs. The package also includes a selection of color and black and white illustrations of scenes and characters from Celtic myth and legend by artists like Rackham and J. D. Batten who illustrated Joseph Jacobs classic Celtic mythology books. The Rackham illustrations are of exceptional quality and incorporate beautiful Celtic design elements which can easily be extracted and used in your own designs.
Eight fonts are included in the Celtic Fantasy package. They were selected for their Celtic qualities and visual originality, while more mundane fonts were reserved for the Celtic Vision package. Many of them are historical, but they are based on the more fanciful historical lettering styles. The fonts include Brigidis, which is based on Rudolph Koch’s interpretation of a squared uncial, Coverack, which is a heavy non-traditional uncial, Dahaut which is an modernized uncial, Morgow which is a nice spiral uncial, Teyrnon which is an elaborate spurred uncial, Padstow which is a heavy uncial with a Gallic influence, Sualtim which is based on 19th century artists rendering of Celtic lettering and Columba which is a set of decorative initials
based on characters fount in the Book of Kells. These fonts let you take Celtic design a step beyond to add some real visual impact.
The Celtic Fantasy package is a great resource for fanciful Celtic design, either on its own or in combination with the Celtic Vision package. All of the images are high-resolution (300dpi) and suitable for printing, and they are licensed to you for use in your design projects. The fonts come in both Postscript and TrueType formats. The CD is fully compatible with the MacOS and all versions of Windows. The Celtic Fantasy CD is only $49 and can be ordered by phone from 1-512-656-8011 or ONLINE
(<--Click Here). It can also be ordered in combination with our other Celtic packages at a special discount (see below).
lso of interest to Celtophiles is our Book of Kells CD. This is a special compilation of full pages and excerpted design elements from the greatest work of Celtic illumination. This is the only legal digital source for reusable images from the Book of Kells which we know of, with extraordinary images based on turn-of-the-century lithographs of the book which are actually more vivid and in better shape than the Book of Kells is today. The package is entirely in color, and includes more than 20 full pages plus initials, emblems and borders which have been taken out and cleaned up for easy use. You can get more details on our Book of Kells package by going to its own page. Just CLICK HERE It can also be ordered in combination with our other Celtic packages at a special discount (see below).
You can order any of our Celtic packages by phone or through our online ordering system. To order by phone just call 1-512-656-8011. To order online with an immediate download go to ONLINE ORDERING.
If your main interest is just fonts or art, we now also offer special smaller packages. The Celtic Fonts sub-package is only $49 and includes all the fonts from both the Celtic Vision and Celtic Fantasy packages, but no art. The Celtic Art sub-package is $49 and includes just the art elements from the Celtic Vision and Celtic Fantasy CDs. These can also be ordered by phone from 1-512-656-8011 or online from ONLINE ORDERING.
You can also order the Celtic Vision and Celtic Fantasy CDs together at a special combination price of only $89, or add in the Book of Kells as well for a total of only $129 – saving $20 overall. This combination can be ordered online or by phone.
If you want to try out one of our Celtic fonts, just download the demo version of our new Owen Jones Cletic Borders font using the link below. The full version can be found on our Celtic CD or ordered individually. To try the demo just click on the image below.
Byam Shaw Illustrations for Legendary Ballads
Byam Shaw was one of the outstanding artist illustrators of the Victorian period in England. Stylistically he inherited many of the characteristics of the Pre-Raphaelite and Arts and Crafts artists of the earlier 19th century, putting him in the same category with other late-Victorian artists like Eleanor Fortescue Brickale and William Russell Flint. Shaws illustrations have rich colors and lots of detail. They are realistic while often dealing with legendary or mythical themes.
This mini-collection is our first set of Shaw illustrations. They are taken from the 1909 edition of Legendary Ballads a collection of historical ballads from earlier periods of English history, including some famous ones like “Chevy Chase” and others which are less well known. All ten illustrations from the book are preserved in this collection in high resolution format and large size, well suited for use in print or other projects. You can see samples of all the illustrations below, or click on the image to the right to download the full text of the ballad “The Children in the Wood” with illustration.
This mini-package is just $10 and can be ordered from our ONLINE STORE
Featured Font: Malagua
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Malagua was originally released in 1999 and has been revised several times since then, culminating in this new release with improved weighting and additional special characters.
MAlagua is based on examples of rough hand lettering from the 17th century. It has characteristics in common with some of our other colonial period fonts like Allegheny, Queensland and Hesperides but is much more irregular, with a shaky, rough appearance. It’s also part of our Colonial Fonts package.
One of the special features of Malagua is that it includes alternate versions of many of the characters so you can vary the appearance of words so that it looks more like what you type is hand written.
You can try the DEMO version of Malagua for free. The demo has a limited character set. Or you can ORDER the full version for only $24 and download it right away.
Making Maps with the MapMaker Package
This is a step by step guide to designing a small map using the elements and fonts of the MapMaker package. This tutorial was done using Adobe Photoshop, but the same tools and commands are available in every good graphics program, including less expensive ones like PaintShopPro and ColorIt.
 To start your map off, use the text tool to type in a piece of coastline that you like using the Ortelius font. |
 Continue to use the text tool to pick additional coastal outlines and add them to your map, rotating or repositioning them as needed to form the shape you want. Do this until you have made a complete coastline. |
 In this case we’ve completed our coastline with 7 different coastal outline characters from Ortelius to form a simple island. |
 Using the Magic Wand tool, click inside the island (or on the landward side of your coastline). Open the Elements1.jpg image in your MapMaker folder and use the Select tool to select a square area of the background texture you like. Use the Define Pattern option to make this into a pattern. Return to your working map and use the Fill command to fill the area you selected with the Magic Want with this pattern. |
 While that land area is still selected, use a Beveling tool to add a colored bevel inside the coastline to help define the area. This is a technique used universally in hand-tinted antique maps, and works very nicely. |
 Use the magic wand on the sea area of the map and repeat the process you just used, going to the Elements2.jpg file to get a sea pattern you like and using it to fill the area. |
 While the sea area is still selected use the Bevel tool to add a blue or purplish bevel on the seaward side of your coastline. You might use the sampling tool to pick an appropriate shade of blue from the sea texture you used. |
 Now, go back to the Elements1.jpg file and start importing terrain features. You can do this by selecting a box around the bits you want, pasting them into a new file, using the Magic Wand to select everything around them and the Inverse command to switch your selection to the objects instead. Then copy them and paste them into your map. Here we added a few mountains first. |
 Repeating the process in the previous steb we now add some trees. |
 Continuing that process we now also add a town. |
 Now we do the same thing to add features to the se areas, following the process above using the Elements2.jpg file we import a Sea Horse. |
 Next we add a compass – a key element of any antique map. |
 Finally we add a cartouche in which we will later put our map’s title. |
 Now we move on to adding text labels to the map using the type tool. For the label on the sea area we select the Platthand font and title the sea area The Sea of Dreams. |
 Next, because our island is small and already crowded with terrain, we use the Text tool to add the island’s name in the sea next to it using the Brandywine font. |
 There isn’t enough room to add the town name in the land area of the island, so we add it overlapping the coastline and into the sea using the Walsingham font. Then, so that it doesn’t get too muddled, while the type is still selected we use the Bevel tool to add a 2 pixel buff-colored bevel around the type to help set it apart from the background. This is almost invisible on these sample images, but really makes a difference in print. |
 Our final text goes in the cartouche, which usually has a map title or description, sometimes along with a designer credit and date. In this case we added a small description using the buccaneer font. |
 Finally we finish the map off by adding a darker colored frame around the outside, smaller in thickness than the outer bevel of the sea area to give the border a layered look. Now our map is finished. |
You can get more information about or MapMaker package of fonts and grapics on our MapMaker Page and order it for immediate download.
New Font – Eisenstein
| Film director Sergei Eisenstein was a major influence on the Constructivist movement through his collaboration with Alexander Rodchenko and by inspiring other artists of the era. Thus it seems appropriate that the final font in our Constructivist Font Collection should be named after Eisenstein, especially as the font partakes of the kind of lettering and design which he particularly favored.Eisenstein features an English-language character set based on Russian Constructivist lettering from a party propaganda poster of the late 1920s. The font includes customized capital letters and small-caps with compatible weighting, which is similar to the original lettering. A full Cyrillic character set is not available yet, but may be added in the future if there is interest.
While we would never support or endorse an inhumane political system like Communism, especially given our founder’s experience living in Russia during the soviet era, there is an undeniable power to the design ideas which came out of the early days of communism and we hope that people will take those strong ideas and put them to better uses and thereby redeem the work of artists like Rodchenko and Eisenstein. You can view a full character set of Eisenstein by using our new type preview tool to view custom samples of text in this font. Or alternatively you can download the demo version with a limited character set for free. And if you like it, you can download the full version with both character sets from our OMLINE STORE for just $24. |
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Medieval Fonts and Art
Click any font to see a larger sample. 
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he Middle Ages saw calligraphy and book decoration emerge as significant art forms. The demands of church and government administration as well as the birth of popular literature created a huge demand for written documents. Decorative manuscripts began to become popular with a wider audience, courts and governments required more and more record keeping, and troubadour ballads and the writings of authors like Chaucer and Boccaccio created a market for literature among the growing middle class. All of this required new and better forms of writing, styles which were readable, consistent, efficient to produce, and often decorative as well.
ur Medieval Fonts and Art package features a selection of fonts and art based on designs from the Middle Ages, emphasizing the years from 1100 to 1400. The 25 fonts include versions of the major popular lettering styles of this period (Froissart, Offenbach, Cadeaulx, Textura Quadrata, etc) as well as more unsuual and decorative styles (Aneirin, Magdeburg, Roncesvalles), illuminated initials from the period (Arberth, Jongeleur, Fraticelli, etc.), and some special extras like Monumental Gothic and Ardenwood which combine illuminated letters and full regular character sets. lso included is our extraordinary set of fonts based on medieval tile designs by Owen Jones. The package includes a total of 25 unique fonts.
The collection includes much more than just a fine selection of fonts. It also features a selection of borders, frames and other decorative elements based on medieval designs. These decorations include designs by Evelyn Paul and Owen Jones based on medieval source material and ready to use in your designs. They give you everything you need to make an illuminated document with a true medieval look.
ll the fonts in this package are historically accurate and they are not available from any other source. The package is available for Windows or the MacOS, and includes both TrueType and Postscript fonts. The total price is only $89 for all the fonts and the decorative illumination elements. You can order our Medieval font and art collection directly for delivery on CD by phone from 1-512-656-8011, or you can purchase the package online, just - CLICK HERE TO ORDER
If you like this package look for our new Arthurian Fonts & Art collection coming soon.
Roncesvalles is based on samples of medieval calligraphy. It features a traditioanl lower case character set with unique decorative capital letters featuring unusual flourishes. You can download and try out Roncesvalles for either Windows or MacOS, or you can purchase this font online and get it quickly by email, including all the alternate and additional characters – BUY IT NOW
Image Samples:
American Beauties by Harrison Fisher
This is something very different from our usual offerings, but it caught my eye at a rare book store and I just couldn’t resist it. American Beauties was published in 1909 and takes its theme from the popular show rose of the same name. It’s an example of a particular kind of illustrated book which was popular in the late Victorian and Edwardian period, a portrait showcase of beautiful women presented in fanciful clothing in a style which is soft, reverent and very much idealized. There’s something subtly erotic about the portraits, hinting at the pinup art which this genre would eventually evolve into after the First world War.
American Beauties combines really bad poetry by Harrison Fisher (which we have not included in the collection) with his outstanding portraits in subtle pastels and appealing frames and decorations by E. Stetson Crawford. Fisher is most known for his fashion illustrations for major magazines like
We’ve gathered the illustrations and decorations from American Beauties into a complete package with the decorations and frames prepared for use in your own designs and the portraits cleaned up and digitally color adjusted. There are a total of 20 portraits and a dozen frames and decorations in the package. You can see the images sampled in the slideshow accompanying this article.
The package can be ordered online and downloaded immediately for just $39. Just go directly to our ONLINE STORE.
Viking Fonts and Art Collection
For a PDF of art samples click HERE Click any font to see a larger sample.           
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In previous collections we’ve tried to preserve and give access to the graphic arts traditions of groups like the Celts and Russians. This collection does the same for Ancient Germanic culture. While we call this the Viking collection, it draws on a broader scope of early Germanic design, from the pre-Christian era through the early middle ages. The sources are not limited to Scandinavia, but include the breadth of German culture from the Franks to the Saxons to the Normans and beyond.
The main component of our first release in this series is our Viking fonts. These include both fonts based strictly on historic sources and fonts which are modern interpretations of the Germanic calligraphic and inscriptory tradition. The starting point of the collection are the Futhark and Surtur fonts. These are based on historic runic inscriptions. Futhark contains the traditional runic alphabet, while Surtur adapts the style of ancient runes to the Latin alphabet. Early Germanic calligraphy was heavily influenced by the lettering of Celtic missionaries. The Volund, Koch Gothic and Martel fonts represent this early medieval tradition. Volund is a pure Germanic uncial. Koch Gothic is a hybrid of Germanic uncial and later gothic lettering styles based on lettering by Rudolph Koch. Martel is a somewhat modernized interpretaion of Frankish lettering. Two other historical fonts are Ranegund which is based on Merovingian courthand lettering from the Viking period and Altenburg which is based on northern German lettering from that same period. For ;the necessary element of practicality and a bit of fun we’ve added in Taranis, Vafthrudnir and Walhall which are modern reinterpretations of early Germanic lettering. Walhall is based on lettering by Art Nouveau designer E. Doepler. Taranis is based on an early 20th century modernized Germanic uncial which has become particularly associated with the Vikings. Vafthrudnir is a new original font based on Germanic uncial and developed by Dave Nalle. Finally, to complete the collection we have a unique set of decorative initials based on designs by A. R. Bowker which draw on the serpentine wood carving traditions of the Vikings.
While the primary component of this collection is the fonts – four of them are entirely new releases (Volund, Koch Gothic, Vafthrudnir & Fafnir) – we’ve also added in a few bonus items to make the collection more varied and give a taste of what’s to come in the future. These include some selected borders, frames and emblems based on designs from antique illustrated books on Germanic mythology. These include both color and black and white decorative pieces, many of which are very striking.
As we did with our Celtic collection we plan to expand this collection in the future. We will eventually add more fonts and especially additional art, including a substantial selection of illustrations of Germanic mythology by artists like Arthur Rackham and N. C. Wyeth. Future expanded releases will be available to those who get this initial release at a special discounted upgrade price.
All of our Viking fonts are available individually, or you can get the full package with all the fonts plus the selected borders and decorations for just $59. The package is compatible with both Windows or MacOS, and includes both TrueType and Postscript fonts. .You can order our Viking collection directly from our online store – CLICK HERE TO ORDER
Art Nouveau Font Collection
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Our Art Nouveau collection is one of our most impressive font packages. It brings together all of our best fonts based on Art Nouveau period designs, an area in which we’ve specialized since our earliest releases. It’s an extensive collection, with over 30 unique fonts, including text, title faces and even decorative initials. Art Nouveau may be celebrating its 100th anniversary, but the style holds up remarkably well, and Art Nouveau fonts are both artistic and functional.
Many of these fonts originated in Art Nouveau period magazines like Munchner Jugend, The Studio and Yellow Book or in period advertising, poster or sign designs. The collection includes some of the most recognizable styles of the period (Ariosto, Munich, Pantagruel) as well as unique faces based on rare hand lettering (Walhal, Beauvoir, Phaeton).
The Art Nouveau collection has recently been expanded with the addition of new fonts like Boetia, Belgravia and Jugendstil Kunsthand, plus a bonus collection of frames and borders based on designs from magazines and books of the period. Altogether it makes the ultimate resource for Art Nouveau style design.
This recently updated edition of the Art Nouveau collection is normally $99 but it is currently available at a special price of only $89. It comes with both TrueType and Postscript fonts for either the MacOS or Windows. You can order it by calling 1-512-656-8011 or just CLICK HERE to order it online and get it delivered by email or on CD.
We also offer a special Art Nouveau super-package which includes our Art Nouveau fonts collection, our Jugendstil (click for details) font and art collection and our Alphons Mucha (click for details) collections, to cover the full range of Art Nouveau type, art and design. Purchased individually these would have a total value of $187, but you can get the combination package on CD for only $139. Just CLICK HERE
To get a feel for how Art Nouveau fonts look, here’s a trial version of Norumbega for you to play around with. You may recognize this font because it has been prominently featured in the cover designs for a series of books by the author Mercedes Lackey. The full version of Norumbega is in the package, but this version has the basic character set for you to play around with. Just click on the image below to download the demo.
