The Untold Story of Cooper Black
How the poster roman lettering style inspired a timeless typeface
Even if you don’t spend a lot of time scrolling through font menus, you’ve undoubtedly seen Cooper Black. From Garfield comics and Tootsie Roll wrappers, to EasyJet airplanes and the iconic “Vote for Pedro” T-shirt graphic, it’s everywhere.
Sadly, most accounts of the ubiquitous typeface stretch back only as far as its creator, Oswald “Oz” Cooper, who designed his eponymous creation in 1922. But, what you might not know is that Cooper Black is a typographic interpretation of a lettering style called poster roman.
Hand-lettered poster roman by Oz Cooper, 1915
In the early 20th century, when fonts were mainly used for small text, commercial letterers drew powerful heavyweight letterforms for eye-catching advertisements and packaging. And, one of the most favored styles was a bulbous in-your-face take on everyday printing types.
Santa Fe Railway ad lettering by Louis Treviso
Although Oz Cooper and others helped to popularize poster roman lettering, credit belongs to many overlooked artists who defined the chunky yet charming style, like Louis Treviso, whose handiwork graces the lively headlines of Santa Fe Railway’s famous advertisements.
Learn all about poster roman, and how to create your own curvy and commanding serif lettering, in our online Luscious Letterforms workshop on July 20. If you can’t make the live meeting, watch the replay at your convenience.
https://www.eventbrite.com/e/luscious-letterforms-tickets-933559751347
You'll also receive a FREE 36-page illustrated pdf guidebook, plus the option to add a bonus workbook to help you develop your poster roman lettering skills. Open to all skill levels.
See you soon!
Ken