Type-o-file – type specimens box, Cooper & Beatty, Allan Fleming, 1957

In 1957, after 30 years, Cooper & Beatty replaced their 1927 specimen book with something entirely new – Allan Fleming’s Type-o-file, a deceptively modest-looking flip-top box containing six slim, colour-coded booklets. At a time when type specimen books were typically bound in heavy volumes that could barely be lifted, this compact and elegant solution fit on a desk, took up less space than a telephone, and was actually enjoyable to use.

Fleming’s innovation wasn’t just about convenience – it was about clarity. Each booklet focused on a specific classification of typeface, allowing art directors and designers to work quickly, without flipping through hundreds of unrelated pages. The showings were thoughtfully organized and graphically restrained, with Fleming’s keen sense of spatial balance evident on every page. This was more than a tool – it was a quiet assertion that good design could be both functional and beautiful.

Type-o-file became an immediate hit. It was distributed freely to Cooper & Beatty clients, but demand quickly outpaced supply, and copies began turning up in studios far beyond Canada. For the first time, a type specimen wasn’t just a catalogue – it was an object of desire.

Other Toronto typesetters took note. Mono Lino responded with a heavier wooden box containing eight three-ring vinyl binders, while Howarth & Smith introduced the Graphic-Pak – a metal case with individually printed cards. Both were useful, but neither matched the simplicity, portability, and charm of the original Type-o-file. – Rod McDonald