Letterforms Study Group: Corsivo Inglese in Caratteri—Addendum 1: Stocchetti 004–006

The typeface that sparked the Tipoteca 2025 workshop was an unidentified script wood typeface that the Tipoteca acquired in 2012 from Industria Grafiche Stocchetti of Ferrara. Since it is housed in three drawers labeled Stocchetti 004, Stocchetti 005, and Stocchetti 006, I have come to call it Stocchetti 004–006.

Detail of spacing material of Stocchetti 004–006. Note the worm holes in accented letters above (e.g. the leftmost ó and the middle í). Photograph by Paul Shaw 2025.

The fount is a script wood type, 10 ciceros high (approximately 1.67 inches). It is of unknown origin, but probably dates from the 19th century, and appears to have been hand cut. Numerous characters have worm holes. The body is angled and the font includes angled word spacing material and triangular spaces for beginning and ending lines. It is notable for having ascenders and descenders (as well as ! and ?) that extend beyond the body, allowing vertical kerning from line to line. They are supported by shoulders that, in the lowercase only, slope down from the x-height and slope down below the baseline. The capitals do not have sloped shoulders.

Detail (left) of lowercase letters of Stocchetti 004–006 showing sloped shoulders. The inconsistency of the degree of slope of the shoulders is a further indication that the fount was hand-cut. Photograph by Paul Shaw 2025.

Detail of lowercase fount of Stocchetti 004–006. Note the overhanging ascenders of d and f and the overhanging descenders of f and g. Also two es have been kerned vertically by hand. Photograph by Paul Shaw 2025.

Left side view of Stocchetti 004–006 lowercase letters (p and v) kerned vertically. Photograph by Riccardo De Franceschi 2025.

Right side view of Stocchetti 004-006 lowercase letters (p and v) kerned vertically. Photograph by Riccardo De Franceschi 2025.

Characters from Stocchetti 004–006. Note the lack of shoulders on the capitals. Photograph by Riccardo De Franceschi 2025.

Ampersand and punctuation from Stocchetti 004–006. Note the overhanging question mark and exclamation point. Also, the ampersand is a later addition to the fount, made from a different wood. Photograph by Paul Shaw 2025.

Several characters in the fount are later additions. Their wood is different in color and some (e.g. B) are more crudely designed. The B and & also have a mysterious pattern of overlapping stamped circles. Is this a trace of their manufacturing process?

Comparison of characters (A, B, and C) in Stocchetti 004–006 made from different wood. Photograph by Riccardo De Franceschi 2025.

Detail of capitals in Stocchetti 004–006 with A and B as later additions to the fount. Photograph by Paul Shaw 2025.

Several capitals (F, I, J, N, and S) have been kerned laterally by hand. And two es have been kerned vertically by hand. These are interventions made by a previous owner of the fount and not by its manufacturer.

Detail of capitals of Stocchetti 004–006 showing hand-kerned F, I, and S. Photograph by Paul Shaw 2025.

Physically, Stocchetti 004–006 is a fascinating typeface. Printed, it is very disappointing. While many of the capitals are very graceful, the curved portions of the lowercase letters are stiff. The latter (especially b, d, and p) look as if someone used parallel angled guidelines in cutting the curves. The bowl of the e is too large while the loop of the f feels too small. The t has a crossbar only on the right side of the stem, presumably to aid tight spacing. The liveliness of the z‘s curves is lovely, but feels out of place. There are subtle variations in several letters that support the view that the fount was hand-cut. See a, c, r, s, and v. The lowercase is missing j, k, w, x, and y. None of these are letters needed in the Italian language.

The fount contains only one of each capital letter, minus D, Q, and W. The A and B are later additions. The latter is particularly clumsy and the K, R, U, V, and Y are stiff in a manner similar to the lowercase letters. The F appears to be tipping over and loop of the S is overly large. The J is beautiful but looks like a T.* The discrepancies in the design of the capitals reinforce the notion that the fount was hand-cut.

Stocchetti 004-006 has no figures and only limited punctuation (period, comma, semicolon, colon, question mark, exclamation point, and hyphen). The ampersand appears to be a later addition.

Proof of capitals A to N of Stocchetti 004–006. Printed by Richard Ardagh. Photograph by Paul Shaw 2025.

Proof of capitals O to Z of Stocchetti 004–006. Printed by Richard Ardagh. Photograph by Paul Shaw 2025.

Proof of lowercase a to q of Stocchetti 004–006. Printed by Richard Ardagh. Photograph by Paul Shaw 2025.

Proof of lowercase r to z, punctuation, and accented characters of Stocchetti 004-006. (The changing angle of the accent marks reflects the varying body widths of the letters.) Printed by Richard Ardagh. Photograph by Paul Shaw 2025.

*There is the possibility that the J really is a T that has been misidentified by both Stocchetti and the Tipoteca. It could be an alternate form or an addition from another wood type fount. The latter theory seems more plausible given the lack of a lowercase j in the fount.

A final note: I would like to thank Silvio Antiga, the prime mover behind the Tipoteca, for allowing myself, Richard Ardagh, and the participants of the Letterforms Study Group, to examine Stocchetti 004–006 in detail. The typeface is indeed unique and thus irreplaceable, as Silvio stressed in his conversation with Richard and myself. Being able to print from it—even on a limited basis—was a privilege.

Letterforms Study Group: Corsivo Inglese in Caratteri—Addendum 2: Rosaria 030–032