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Matrotype/Castcraft Industry Inc. matrix identification

Matrotype used the letter 'A' to idenitify matrices, preceded by the point size and followed by the identifier: for example 6A104. The following list provides an overview of Matrotype matrices. Note that not all specimen used the identifier, probably because Matrotype used specialised brochures to send around, focussing on specific Faces.




Face Matrotype n.d. Castcraft I. Inc. Castcraft I. Inc. No original source Matrotype n.d.
Name identifier n.d. 1 n.d. 2 comments
———————————————————————————————— ————— ————— ————— ————— —————
Advertiser 4 3/4pt in process
Advertiser with Bold 4 3/4pt 3
Advertiser with Doric 4 3/4pt 1
Alpine with Bold - 6pt No Reference 118
Alpine with Bold - 7pt No Reference 160
Alpine with Bold - 8pt No Reference 218
Alpine with Bold - 9pt No Reference 266
Alpine with Bold - 10pt No Reference 318
Alpine with Bold - 11pt No Reference 366
Alpine with Bold - 12pt No Reference 418
Alpine with Bold - 14pt No Reference 466
Alpine with Italic - 6pt No Reference 119
Alpine with Italic - 7pt No Reference
Alpine with Italic - 8pt No Reference 219
Alpine with Italic - 9pt No Reference 267
Alpine with Italic - 10pt No Reference 319
Alpine with Italic - 11pt No Reference
Alpine with Italic - 12pt No Reference
Alpine Bold with Bold Italic - 6pt No Reference
Alpine Bold with Bold Italic - 7pt No Reference
Alpine Bold with Bold Italic - 8pt No Reference
Alpine Bold with Bold Italic - 9pt No Reference
Alpine Bold with Bold Italic - 10pt No Reference
Alpine Bold with Bold Italic - 11pt No Reference
Alpine Bold with Bold Italic - 12pt No Reference
Alpine Light with Light Italic - 6pt No Reference
Alpine Light with Light Italic - 7pt No Reference 169
Alpine Light with Light Italic - 8pt No Reference
Alpine Light with Light Italic - 9pt No Reference 269
Alpine Light with Light Italic - 10pt No Reference
Alpine Light with Light Italic - 11pt No Reference
Alpine Light with Light Italic - 12pt No Reference
Bell Gothic Bold - 7pt 2204
Bell Gothic Bold - 8pt in process
Bell Gothic Bold with Gothic No. 12 - 7pt 200
Bell Gothic Bold with 7pt. Gothic No. 13 - 7pt 2205
Bell Gothic Bold with 8pt. Gothic No. 13 - 7pt 2219
Century Schoolbook with It. & Small Caps - 6pt 3039
Classified with bold 4 3/4 pt 2
Crown with Bold - 7pt in process
Crown with Bold - 8pt 244
Diana with Bold 152
Folio with Medium - 9pt 228
Folio with Italic - 6pt 231
Folio with Italic - 8pt 230 *In the list of Don Black, this has the same number as the 9 point. It probably is a typo as Matrotype has the habbit of using numbers twice.
Folio with Italic - 9pt 230 *In the list of Don Black, this has the same number as the 8 point. It probably is a typo as Matrotype has the habbit of using numbers twice.
Greek Mathematical A number refers to a certain symbol: 4=∆, 8=Θ, 24=Ω, 25=α, 26=β, 27=γ, 28=δ, 29=ε, 31=η, 32=θ, 35=λ, 25=μ, 40=π, 44=τ, 46=φ, 49=ω.
Hair Spaces No references
Inferiors and Superiors No references
Magnetic Bank Figures No references
Matro-News Cyrillic with Bold Cyrillic - 7pt 165
Matro-News with Bold - 7pt 153
Matro-News with Bold - 8pt 215 215 *In the list of Don Black mentioned as 'metro'. It is unclear if this was a typo or if the font was renamed at a certain point
Matro-News with Bold - 9pt 253
Matro-News with Bold - 10pt 315 315 *In the list of Don Black mentioned as 'metro'. It is unclear if this was a typo or if the font was renamed at a certain point
Miscellaneous A number refers to a certain symbol instead of a font.
Piece Fractions No references
Souvenir with Bold - 8pt 223
Souvenir with Bold - 9pt 271
Souvenir with Bold - 10pt 323
Souvenir with Bold - 11pt 371
Souvenir with Bold - 12pt 423 
Souvenir with Italic - 10pt 324
Souvenir with Italic - 12pt 424
Souvenir with Italic - 14pt 471
SPC-Matrotype Minuet with Lotus - 14pt 452
Times Roman with italic & small caps - 6pt 104 104/3037 *The 3037 number is from Don Black, probably a mistake.
Times Roman with italic & small caps - 7pt 156
Times Roman with italic & small caps - 8pt 204 204
Times Roman with italic & small caps - 9pt 256 256
Times Roman with italic & small caps - 10pt 304 304
Times Roman with italic & small caps - 11pt 356 *Don Black and Marlboro Mats used different (unofficial) names. It is assumed that this fits in this series.
Times Roman with italic & small caps - 12pt 404 404
Times Roman with bold - 6pt 103 3037
Times Roman with bold - 7pt 155 155
Times Roman with bold - 8pt 203 203
Times Roman with bold - 9pt 255 255
Times Roman with bold - 10pt 303
Times Roman with bold - 11pt 355
Times Roman with bold - 12pt 403
Times Bold + Bold Italic - 8pt 217 *Marketed as an exlusive for Matrotype
Times Bold + Bold Italic - 10pt 317 317 *Marketed as an exlusive for Matrotype
Univers 45 Light with Univers 46 Light Italic - 6pt 106 106
Univers 45 Light with Univers 46 Light Italic - 8pt 206 206
Univers 45 Light with Univers 46 Light Italic - 10pt 306 306
Univers 45 Light with Univers 46 Light Italic - 12pt 406 406
Univers 45 Light with Univers 65 Bold - 6pt 105
Univers 45 Light with Univers 65 Bold - 7pt 160 160
Univers 45 Light with Univers 65 Bold - 8pt 205 205
Univers 45 Light with Univers 65 Bold - 9pt 260 260
Univers 45 Light with Univers 65 Bold - 10pt 305 305
Univers 45 Light with Univers 65 Bold - 12pt 405
Univers 75 Extra Bold with Univers 76 Extra Bold Italic - 6pt 109 109
Univers 75 Extra Bold with Univers 76 Extra Bold Italic - 8pt 209 209
Univers 75 Extra Bold with Univers 76 Extra Bold Italic - 10pt 309 309
Univers 75 Extra Bold with Univers 76 Extra Bold Italic - 12pt 409 409
Univers 55 Medium with Univers 56 Medium Italic - 6pt 107 107
Univers 55 Medium with Univers 56 Medium Italic - 7pt 157 157
Univers 55 Medium with Univers 56 Medium Italic - 8pt 207 207
Univers 55 Medium with Univers 56 Medium Italic - 9pt 257 257
Univers 55 Medium with Univers 56 Medium Italic - 10pt 307 307
Univers 55 Medium with Univers 56 Medium Italic - 11pt 357 357
Univers 55 Medium with Univers 56 Medium Italic - 12pt 407 407
Univers 55 Medium with Univers 65 Bold - 6pt 113 113
Univers 55 Medium with Univers 65 Bold - 7pt 158
Univers 55 Medium with Univers 65 Bold - 8pt 213 213
Univers 55 Medium with Univers 65 Bold - 9pt 258
Univers 55 Medium with Univers 65 Bold - 10pt 313 313
Univers 55 Medium with Univers 65 Bold - 11pt 358
Univers 55 Medium with Univers 65 Bold - 12pt 413
Univers 57 Medium Condensed with Univers 58 Medium Condensed Italic - 10pt 311
Univers 57 Medium Condensed with Univers 67 Bold Condensed - 6pt 114 114
Univers 57 Medium Condensed with Univers 67 Bold Condensed - 8pt 214 214
Univers 57 Medium Condensed with Univers 67 Bold Condensed - 10pt 314 314
Univers 57 Medium Condensed with Univers 67 Bold Condensed - 12pt 414 414
Univers 65 Bold with 66 Bold Italic - 6pt 108 108
Univers 65 Bold with 66 Bold Italic - 7pt 159
Univers 65 Bold with 66 Bold Italic - 8pt 208 208
Univers 65 Bold with 66 Bold Italic - 9pt 259 259
Univers 65 Bold with 66 Bold Italic - 10pt 308 308
Univers 65 Bold with 66 Bold Italic - 11pt 359
Univers 65 Bold with 66 Bold Italic - 12pt 408 408

sources

  1. MATROTYPE COMPANY (SUCCESSORS) LTD. (1972). Matrotype Linecasting Matrices. (download Low Res 18,4 MB)
    • This book definitely is from later then 1964, as this book mentions this date as the founding date of Matrotype. On the latest page, a code 5/72 is mentioned. Therefore, it is highly likely that the book is from May 1972.
  2. CASTCRAFT INDUSTRIES INC. (n.d. 1). 4p 3/4pt faces. (download Low Res 18,4 MB)
  3. CASTCRAFT INDUSTRIES INC. (n.d. 2). Alpine - Some specimens of Matrotype Alpine. (download Low Res 43,3 MB)
  4. DON BLACK LINECASTING SERVICES. (n.d.). Matrotype faces. [Online] www.donblack.ca [Not online anymore, but available in the Internet Archive].
    • Don Black was a former seller of Linotype matrices. His information is listed as 'no original source', as it is unclear where his information came from.
  5. MARLBORO MATS INC. (n.d.). Matrices. [Online] www.marlboromats.com [Not online anymore, but available in the Internet Archive].
    • Marlboro Mats Inc. was a former seller of Linotype matrices. Its information is listed as 'no original source', as it is unclear where his information came from.
    • In this list, Matrotype faces were listed as 'other manufacturer'. We filtered out what probably was Matrotype, the faces we're uncertain about are not listed.


The Souvenir matrices were a late addition from the 1970's. Souvenir is probably the only phototype typeface that was also cut for metal. We currently don't have any typespecimens, but more information can be found on this Wikipedia page. Thanks to Ed Inman for pointing out!

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