Classic Traveller LBB paper weights?

[toddaroo]

Hello -

I'm not really sure where this question might actually go, so i thought I might try here.

Does anyone happen to know what the paper weights of the original LBBs are? Both the cover stock and the pages?

I am going to try printing some of the Classic books I purchased from DrivethruRPG and I'd really like them to match the rest of my collection.

I'm not really sure how to go about finding this out, since the two local print shops - Fedex and UPS (sigh) are staffed by people who... have no idea.

Much obliged.

 

[Zparkz]

I would guestimate (from the feel of the paper) that the cover is printed on something close to 210gr/m^2 while the interior paper are probably printed on something in the 130 to 150gr range.

 

[toddaroo]

Thanks Zparkz. That will at least point me in the right direction when I go to look for paper stock.

As a followup question, does anyone happen to know what title and text fonts are used in the LBBs?

 

[robject]

I heard that Optima is pretty close to the text font used.

 

[rancke]

I heard that Optima is pretty close to the text font used.

Nah, it just looks that way.


Hans

 

[Zparkz]

Thanks Zparkz. That will at least point me in the right direction when I go to look for paper stock.

As a followup question, does anyone happen to know what title and text fonts are used in the LBBs?

Just keep in mind that most papers you get in stores are made for digital print process, while the original LBBs was printed on offset paper which generally got a softer feel.

 

[aramis]

Covers are about 110# card, tho a few feel like about 150#, interiors feel about 35# to 40# bond. (normal printer paper is 15# to 25#.)

Those number# are read "number pound bond"

 

[toddaroo]

Optima looks spot on, thank you Robject.

Offset v digital paper, thanks again Zparkz. I'll be laser printing, so it most likely won't be exact. I'm sure the well used, intervening 25 - 30 years that have aged my beloved LBBs have softened the paper somewhat too. But that is good to know too.

I have some 45# matte photo paper and it looks like that was used for the cover of my copy of Space Dogs from BITS. The interior seems to be regular 20#. I'm going to see if I can't take a look at 35# - 40#. I'll take a look at 110# card too while I am there.

Thanks everyone. Your input is much appreciated.

 

[inexorabletash]

I heard that Optima is pretty close to the text font used.

Optima for titles, Univers for body text.

 

[ShapeShifter]

Are optima and univers available free? If not, are there good clones of the fonts?

EDIT: Optima is "kinda" close, but the top of the A doesn't match. So far I'm drawing a blank with Univers.

 

[rancke]

Every time I see the thread title, I get a mental picture of a sleek polished black basalt stone with a thin red line painted across it.


Hans

 

[FreeTrav]

Free clones of Optima are available; look for similar names such as Optim, Opta, and so on. Be careful, though; the quality that you pay for may be exactly what you get. A not-free clone that you may already have is ZapfHumanist; the Bitstream release of this font is often distributed with Office and graphic packages such as Microsoft Office or CorelDRAW!. ZapfHumanist was designed by Hermann Zapf, the same person that designed Optima; the ZapfHumanist version of the typeface was tweaked for digital typography, where the original Optima was designed as a 'hot lead' typeface.

Univers is built in to many if not most PostScript printers. Again, look for similar names, and watch the quality. Two fonts that I've encountered as reasonable substitutes for Univers are URW's Akzidenz Grotesk and good old Helvetica/Arial. Neither is as good a replacement for Univers as ZapfHumanist is for Optima.

 

[Icosahedron]

Every time I see the thread title, I get a mental picture of a sleek polished black basalt stone with a thin red line painted across it.
Hans

And the word 'Traveller' in white Vilani script offset to the right...
Hmm, I wonder if there's a market for those?

When I wrote up my houserules in LBB format I used Ottawa for titles and Arial for body. They're both free and near enough to the originals for my needs.

 

[Trouble]

Personally, speaking only for myself I'd love to have one. There is no rational reason for this, but it would be cool.

Trouble

 

[Gatsby]

every time i see the thread title, i get a mental picture of a sleek polished black basalt stone with a thin red line painted across it.


Hans

exactly! .........

 

[aramis]

Funny, I wa evisioning a double cirlcle of 12.5x7.5mm cover images in clear glass...

 

[Blue Ghost]

And the word 'Traveller' in white Vilani script offset to the right...
Hmm, I wonder if there's a market for those?

When I wrote up my houserules in LBB format I used Ottawa for titles and Arial for body. They're both free and near enough to the originals for my needs.

Ottawa and Ottawa Italic are the other two knock offs.

I checked the price of Zapf Humanist Italic. $99 for a license. That seems a little pricey to me. Next paycheque.

So, I'm assuming here; one needs a license to legitimately use the Zapf Humanist font, correct? I have no problem with this, but would prefer to save money. All fonts, unless otherwise stated, need to be licensed, is this so?