I sometimes get the impression (pardon the pun) that printed specimens are on the decline. With the ease and accessibility of broadband internet it seems a waste of resources to cut down trees and pump carbon dioxide into the atmosphere to produce type specimens on paper. On top of that the cost for physically sending off brochures can be prohibitive for companies that operate globally.

The advantages of digital type specimens are manifold. There is no restriction on size nor page count, nor on colours or images – although detailing is limited to the resolution of the computer monitor at the end user side. PDFs can be made interactive and include direct links to additional information on the web. And file size is no real issue anymore, as current fast internet connections allow for pretty hefty files to be downloaded from websites.

Yet despite all this many type lovers keep clamouring for oldskool specimens, printed with real ink on tangible paper. Personally I also belong to that category. We've mentioned it before and we'll say it again – despite the ubiquity of text on the Web, most type was meant to be seen on paper. Ivo Gabrowitsch, Marketing Director of FontFont 49 release. Forty9 can perfectly be navigated and viewed on screen, but is specifically designed to be printed, with a page size that accommodates the paper size of common printers. As it is only printed by the user, no resources are wasted. It truly is the best of both worlds.

You can download the Forty9 Release Mag PDF here, or browse it on Isuu. Enjoy.