Initials font consists of characters which combine basic letter forms with artistic
embellishment, often in the form of floral or geometric patterns used as a background or
intertwined with the letter. Decorative Initials have their origins in medieval
manuscript decoration where complex and colorful characters were used to make a
manuscript page more attractive. Most Decorative Initials fonts have their origins in the adaptation
of this medieval concept to early typography, limiting them to complex two-color
patterns, though in some cases these might be decorated after printing. Decorative
Initials fonts are sometimes referred to as 'Drop Caps' because they are 'dropped' into
a page of text.
Font collection includes a wide variety of decorative initials fonts based on designs
from the middle ages through the Art Nouveau and Art Deco movements of the late 19th
and early 20th century. Many of these initials follow traditional floral motifs, but
some are quite unusual, offering unique themes like the nymphs found in Maidens or the
arcadian scenes in Campobello.
Some go even farther afield, like the wild art deco style of Finestra or Romantica. And
not all initials come in the traditional style you're probably most familiar with, where a letter
is superimposed on a box of foliage or other decoration.
We also offer initials which are
characters drawn or decorated in unusual ways, like the anthropomorphic initials in
Netherworld, Otherworld and Boneyard, or the decorated Celtic calligraphy initials of
Knotwork and Columba, or the floral decorated uncial capitals of Florimel.
of their original use and the complexity of the images, decorative initials fonts
may present some unexpected challenges for the user. More than other fonts, decorative
initials demand a 32-bit operating system to function properly. They also require
substantial printer memory and processor power because they are composed of such complex
outlines. Generally they will work fine under any version of Windows or the MacOS, but
with older operating systems some decorative initials fonts may cause various problems.
In addition, because most decorative initials were originally designed to meet the needs
of a specific book or document, they may not always feature complete character sets.
In particular, many of our fonts are based on early woodcuts or hand-drawn initials,
rather than actual typefaces of initials. So in a font like Burghers (17th century
Dutch woodcuts) or Batten (19th century hand-drawn initials) you'll find duplicates of
many letters and you may find other letters missing. Generally the most popular letters
like O, T, A and C are well represented, while less common letters may be missing.
Fortunately, in most cases your need for initials will be likely to match the letters
which were in high demand in the original, and there is a definite benefit to having a
variety of different initials to pick from for a specific letter.
For more information on using Decorative Initials fonts, take a look
at an article from our main web page by clicking here: USING INITIALS
ll of our decorative
initials fonts are available in both True Type and Postscript format for Macintosh and PC
computers. They are available in 7 different four font packages ($29 each), or in
a special CD collection with all the initials for $79.00.
Our single fonts and decorative initials font packages can be ordered online, by mail
or by phone for delivery online or by mail. The special collection of all of the
initials on CD can only be ordered by mail or by phone and is delivered by mail.
To preview our decorative initials font samplers, CLICK HERE
To order online and take delivery online or shipped, CLICK HERE
To order by phone call 1-800-797-8973.
For information on other methods of ordering click on the button above and to the left.
To get an idea of what our decorative initials fonts are like, try out
our special Initials font which combines characters from most of our decorative initials
fonts into a single font.
Initials for Windows (PKZip). Download
Initials for MacOS (StuffIt).