Typographic Signs – a series of spot ads, Cooper & Beatty, Carl Dair, 1954

This series of spot ads; Typographic Signs, were designed by Carl Dair in 1954, and exemplify his ability to combine clarity, humour, and pedagogy in typographic communication. They were intended to introduce printers, designers, and the curious public to a group of basic typographic marks, these ads were part of Cooper & Beatty’s broader effort to educate clients while promoting its own expertise.

At the time, typesetting was still a specialized trade – governed by a lengthy five- to seven-year apprenticeship and often arcane rules. Dair, who had already written four instructional booklets for E. B. Eddy Paper and would later produce six more for Westvaco, was particularly well suited to the task. His approach was subtle: each ad appears to teach, but, as is essential in advertising, always turns attention back to the typographic services of C&B.

The series covered six symbols: the fist (now called pointing hand), dagger, exclamation mark, comma (missing), ampersand, and interrogation mark (question mark). The ampersand ad in particular demonstrates Dair’s ability to weave historical trivia into promotional messaging – suggesting that C&B offered more than just typesetting, but craftsmanship, quality, and design services.

The Canadian Typography Archives are missing Number Four: The Comma. We would be grateful to get a copy, or a high-resolution scan. – Rod McDonald

Artifact Text

Typographic signs
number one: The Fist

The pointed index finger has for centuries appeared as a typographic direction indicator;

For example if we wished to focus your attention on quality typography, we might do it thus:

Cooper & Beatty
Limited
Type Craftsmen at
196 Adelaide Street West
Toronto • EM. 4–7121

Typographic signs
number two: The Dagger

this is used to denote the footnote, for example:

† Advertisers who fully realize that the typographic message is the whole goal of their advertisement rely on

Cooper & Beatty
Limited
Type Craftsmen at
196 Adelaide Street West
Toronto • EM. 4–7121

Typographic signs
number three: Exclamation

¡ in Spanish, they put the exclamation mark (upside down) at the beginning of a sentence to warn you of what’s coming !

Here you get no warning—as, for example, this frequently-heard sentence:

Ah! Typesetting by
Cooper & Beatty!!
Limited
Type Craftsmen at
196 Adelaide Street West
Toronto • EM. 4–7121

Typographic signs
number four: the Comma (missing)

If you have this ad we would be grateful to get a copy, or a high-resolution scan.

Typographic signs
number five: Ampersand

ampersand, of course, is the name given to the typographic sign for “and”… it is derived from the Latin “et,” and these two letters are still visible in some modern forms as well as in the old decorative French ampersand shown here. Which reminds us that we are selling more than just typesetting… we’re selling typesetting & … the ampersand in this case standing for quality, craftsmanship, and special services.

Cooper & Beatty
Limited
Type Craftsmen at
196 Adelaide Street West
Toronto • EM. 4–7121

Typographic signs
number six: Interrogation

The interrogation point stands as a symbol of man’s quest for knowledge … the question asked, the answer sought. It is employed at the end of the question, as: “When I want quality typography, where do I … ?” but that isn’t a question at all; everybody knows the answer … in Canada, it’s

Cooper & Beatty
Limited
Type Craftsmen at
196 Adelaide Street West
Toronto • EM. 4–7121