Letter Press Project – Week 2
Task 5 – Typography Hunt. For this task you need to go on an adventure around Cambridge or your local area and capture 10 examples of typography that are interesting to you (don’t just pillage Mill Road! Be adventurous). This could be road signs, branding, shop signage, posters etc. This task is designed to get you to observe the world around you and pay attention to the typography you encounter in the every day. Upload the images to your blog.
A Typography Hunt
My original plan was for a (fairly) wide-ranging wander round Cambridge City Centre and places close by – but as a fair-weather typography hunter increasing amounts of rain dampened my enthusiasm and as result, I stayed closer to the college campus.
Next time I go on a typography hunt, in hopefully more clement weather, I’ll try to visit the places I had looked up in advance. These were:
Stoakley & Son Sign, Green Street.
The Stoakley & Son sign on Green Street represents a family of bookbinders in Cambridge. Before F.E. Stoakley worked at a bindery on Bridge Street in the 1970s, his father ran the bindery on Green Street – which is marked by the sign.
Mill Road Butchers, Mill Road.
(Image: Cambridgeshire Live)
An unrestored “ghost sign” on Mill Road.
Centaur Cycles Sign, Just off King Street.
An unrestored sign for a lightweight bicycle manufacturer established in the late nineteenth century.
The Free Press Pub, Prospect Row.
Faded signs to the side of the building advertising drinks and the bottle shop.
Bull’s Dairies Sign, Hills Road.
(Image: Cambridgeshire Live)
This sign advertises the former dairy run by Stewart Bull. Their slogan was: “You can whip our cream but you cannot beat our milk”.
Cambridge Central Mosque
(Image: Cambridge Central Mosque)
An example of the use of international fonts and signage at the Mosque on Mill Road.
Typography in Cambridge City Centre
Typography on Cambridge’s buildings serves as a badge of authority (for the court) or branding (for a commercial building such as a shop or café) and font choices are influenced by the need to convey specific messages, themes, or moods.
Businesses often choose a typeface to project a brand identity – for civic buildings, the goal may be to show their impartial and official nature while for commercial premises it may be to convey quality, style or some other aspect of the ‘offer’. The choice of a typeface may include more than just the font design and could include visibility, available space, competition and the nature of the business – some businesses may not really care and just choose something random – see this YouTube video for an example of what may be considered a random choice of font- not from a building but from a film:
A traditional business might choose a serif font to show its heritage and dependability while a business or service seeking to demonstrate modernity might opt for a San-serif or more creative look.
Typography Hunt
For this task, I walked around the centre of Cambridge – it was quite a wet day – and as the collage pictures about show there is a wide range of media from posters to shop fronts, from politics to shopfronts and cultural events to places of worship (though on this trip I only encountered churches and not a mix of the religious traditions in the city).
you need to go on an adventure around Cambridge or your local area and capture 10 examples of typography that are interesting to you. The goal is to observe the world around you and pay attention to the typography you encounter every day.
I used www.myfonts.com to identify the fonts used by some of the businesses I photographed. While some of the fonts may be specially designed for the business concerned, ‘My Font’ will identify a font closely related to the photographed font when a precise match is not available.
1 Giovannis – Piano Keys Font
Giovanni’s Caffè’s use of a piano keys font suggests a lively, cultured atmosphere where creativity and conversation flow together. It evokes jazz, sophistication, and rhythm – a place that values both artistry and warmth. The design implies an inviting café blending Italian elegance with musical charm and expressive character.
2 Caffe Nero – Haulage Commercial Font
Caffè Nero’s use of a haulage-style commercial font projects solidity, reliability, and tradition rather than trendiness. It evokes industrial heritage and craftsmanship, suggesting the brand values substance over flash. The design implies consistency, strength, and a down-to-earth authenticity – a dependable “workhorse” of coffee culture rooted in everyday urban life.
3 Cambridge City Council – Regrave Font
Cambridge City Council’s use of the Regrave font conveys authority balanced with approachability. Its serif elegance and contemporary clarity suggest heritage grounded in modern governance. The design reflects Cambridge’s blend of tradition and progress – projecting civic pride, cultural intelligence, and a thoughtful, trustworthy presence within a historic yet forward-looking city.
4 Downing Place Church – Sparrowhawk Font
Downing Place Church’s choice of the Sparrowhawk font suggests openness, creativity, and modern faith rooted in community. Its gentle curves and contemporary form evoke warmth, inclusivity, and movement. The design conveys a church that values welcome, dialogue, and renewal – confident in spirit yet graceful, dynamic, and grounded in compassion.
5 Granta Chorale – Cambridge Serial Font
Granta Chorale’s use of the Cambridge Serial font conveys clarity, professionalism, and modern elegance. Its clean lines and balanced proportions reflect disciplined musicianship and unity of sound. The design suggests a choir that values precision and accessibility while maintaining a contemporary identity rooted in Cambridge’s intellectual and artistic excellence.
6 Cambridge Literary Festival – Gravitica
Cambridge Literary Festival’s choice of the Gravitica font signals confidence, openness, and modern intellect. Its bold, rounded geometry conveys accessibility and energy, inviting diverse voices and audiences. The design suggests a festival that celebrates ideas with contemporary flair – balancing academic depth with creativity, inclusivity, and cultural vibrancy in a historic setting.
7 Shoe Zone – TS Priamos
Shoe Zone’s use of the TS Priamos font communicates practicality, value, and straightforwardness. Its solid, no-nonsense letterforms evoke durability and reliability, aligning with an affordable, everyday brand identity. The design suggests accessibility and trust rather than luxury – a focus on functional style and consistency for ordinary people and real-world needs.
8 Leader Impact Book Club – Alternate Gothic
Leader Impact Book Club’s use of the Alternate Gothic font conveys strength, focus, and contemporary professionalism. Its tall, condensed letters suggest ambition and forward movement, reflecting purposeful dialogue and intellectual engagement. The design communicates clarity and conviction – a community grounded in ideas, leadership, and shared growth with modern, dynamic energy.
9 Cambridge Curated by Hand Craft Fair – Nervatica
Cambridge Curated by Hand Craft Fair’s choice of the Nervatica font expresses modern artistry with a personal touch. Its sleek geometry and subtle quirks convey creativity, precision, and contemporary craftsmanship. The design suggests a fair that values thoughtful design, individuality, and style – blending handmade authenticity with refined, forward-looking sophistication.
10 Concord Theatrical Group – Earwig Factory (?)
It was a struggle to identify one single font used by the Concord Theatrical Group with the collage-like look of this poster – myfonts.com suggested it that the Earwig Factory font could produce something similar in a single place though, clearly, the use of different fonts may be appropriate to recreate a similar image. For the purpose of this exercise, I have assumed that they did use this font because it projects creativity, playfulness, and theatrical flair. Its whimsical, cut-and-paste energy evokes imagination and storytelling, celebrating performance in all its colour and spontaneity. The design suggests a company that values artistic freedom, inclusivity, and the joyful unpredictability at the heart of live theatre.
Conclusion
The typographical styles in Cambridge City Centre reveal a dialogue between heritage and modernity – in some cases maybe even a community that has, in a quote attributed to T E Hulme, “A good conceit of itself”. From the refined authority of Regrave on civic signage to the expressive individuality of Sparrowhawk and the clean professionalism of Cambridge Serial, each font shapes perception subtly yet powerfully. Gravitica’s approachable confidence, Priamos’s practicality, and Nervatica’s crafted elegance reflect the city’s blend of intellect, creativity, and commerce. Even unconsciously, these fonts influence how people experience place – suggesting trust, innovation, or warmth through form and rhythm. Typography here doesn’t just label; it narrates Cambridge’s character – scholarly yet human, historic yet alive with evolving design energy.
Across the examples, from Giovanni’s Caffè to the Cambridge Literary Festival, each font reveals how typography shapes identity. Serif fonts, like Regrave, convey authority, heritage, and reflective depth, while sans-serifs such as Gravitica or Nervatica express modernity, openness, and accessibility. Bold or slab-like fonts (TS Priamos, Alternate Gothic) project strength, practicality, and purpose; lighter or more crafted designs (Sparrowhawk, Cambridge Serial) evoke warmth, artistry, and human connection. Contrast and tactility vary from the grounded, ‘analogue’ feel of handmade design to sleek digital clarity. Collectively, these fonts illustrate how typographic choices communicate voice, intention, and emotional resonance.
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