Font Formal 436 BT

[Kathleen25358978kwc6]

Do you know an Adobe font that is similar to Font Formal 436 BT?

Thank you.

[Tarun Saini]

Hi there,

Thanks for reaching out. If you're looking for an Adobe font similar to Font formal 436 BT, you may try using a visual search on our website, which will let you know what a font looks like.

Scroll down to our website and you'll see the visual search option below where you can upload the font image you're looking for.

Regards,

Tarun

[Andrew Strauss · Accepted solution]

Kathleen:

THE SIMPLE ANSWER:

If you need to specifically use Formal 436 BT, you can license it directly from Monotype:

https://www.fonts.com/font/bitstream/formal-436

Monotype is the current owner of Bitstream, who originally digitized the typeface. ‘Formal 436 BT’ is based on a metal typeface called ‘Oscar’, designed by Aldo Novarese and originally released by Nebiolo in 1966.

If you’re looking for another typeface on Adobe Fonts that’s similar in design to Formal 436 BT, there is a wide range of script typefaces to choose from. Since it’s quite difficult to match different script typefaces, it’ll be down to a matter of personal taste. Here are a few options to consider:

Alhambra (Uppercase Only)
https://fonts.adobe.com/fonts/alhambra

CC Meanwhile (Uppercase Only)
https://fonts.adobe.com/fonts/cc-meanwhile

Charcuterie (Flared Fonts)
https://fonts.adobe.com/fonts/charcuterie

Ciabatta
https://fonts.adobe.com/fonts/ciabatta

Sanvito
https://fonts.adobe.com/fonts/sanvito

Tekton
https://fonts.adobe.com/fonts/tekton

If none of the above are acceptable, there’s another popular typeface from the same era as Oscar: Friedrich Sallwey’s ‘Present’, released by Stempel in 1974. Present used to be part of Adobe’s Type Library, but now must be licensed directly from Monotype:

https://www.fonts.com/font/linotype/present

THE MORE DETAILED ANSWER:

Choosing typefaces designed to look like handwritten script can be quite a personal matter. Many look somewhat similar, which makes it quite difficult to identify a specific typeface.

But in your case, we’re in luck. The typeface that you call ‘Formal 436 BT’ is based off an original called ‘Oscar’: designed by Aldo Novarese, and released in metal by the Nebiolo Foundry in 1966. Here’s a webpage with photographs of the original Oscar specimen and metal types:

https://www.archiviotipografico.it/en-GB/collection/types/oscar

Nebiolo was one of the most popular typefoundries in Italy. Unfortunately, many of Nebiolo’s original designs aren’t readily available in digital format: the foundry went out of business in 1978. That means you have to look to other foundries to license digital revivals of Nebiolo designs like Oscar, Egizio, and Eurostile. And that’s where Bitstream – the company responsible for Formal 436 BT – comes in.

Back in the 1980s, there were many typefaces in metal and phototype format that weren’t available in digital format. Because the United States Patent & Trademark Office doesn’t recognize the letterforms of typeface designs as something you can copyright or patent, different companies took it upon themselves to digitize various typefaces.

Bitstream was one of the digital typefoundries who digitized a wide range of typefaces, in some cases over the objections of the original type designers and typefoundries. Bitstream’s font naming system was a novel way to produce a visual copy of an original typeface, but with a different name. Thus:

• Helvetica = Bitstream Swiss 721
• Optima = Bitstream Zapf Humanist 601
• Palatino = Bitstream Zapf Calligraphic 801
• Times = Bitstream Dutch 801

and

• Oscar = Bitstream Formal 436

Bitstream wasn’t the only digital typefoundry to produce and sell digitized versions of other foundries’ existing typeface designs. But their naming system – design style followed by a number – made them the most easily-identifiable foundry at the time.

For typefaces from the metal and phototype era like Oscar: no digital version or revival has ever been officially released. That means in cases like this, the Bitstream version is perhaps the only existing digital version. And under the circumstances, it’s the one you’ll need to license if you need to match the precise appearance of the original.

I hope that answers your question. If not, please let me know.

Best regards
Andrew

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[Kathleen25358978kwc6]

Andrew,
Thank you so much for such an explicit and thorough answer. I am so
grateful! Your response is most helpful. Again, thank you.

[Andrew Strauss]

Kathleen:

Thank you for your kind words.

If you decide to use a typeface available on Adobe Fonts to replace Formal 436, I hope that you find something that works well for your designs.

Best regards
Andrew

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