Small Ads: Adventures in typesetting.
Jun. 22nd, 2009 12:08 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
eponymousarchonI often browse through the local Friday Ads small ads magazine. While I don't often buy things this way, I enjoy the range of items for sale. They also have a wonderful run of accidental (and often charming) errors and typos that raise a smile.
In the 90's, sellers had to phone-in their ad content to over-worked and non-technical call handlers. This caused a continuous stream of 'Omega' computers and 'Epsom' printers advertised for sale. Now that most sellers submit their ads via email or text message, this kind of thing is much rarer (but usually much more mind-bending when it does happen).
Thankfully, there is still an old staple (ahem) of the Ad magazines to fall back on, untouched since the 80's. As a sales feature (and to aid browsing) the first two words of an ad are set in bold type - free of charge! The catch in this is that the typesetters embolden the first two words exactly. Whether you want this to happen to or not and without care of the consequences.
Unfortunately, the sellers don't always take this into account when providing ad copy:
and frequently much worse.
In the 90's, sellers had to phone-in their ad content to over-worked and non-technical call handlers. This caused a continuous stream of 'Omega' computers and 'Epsom' printers advertised for sale. Now that most sellers submit their ads via email or text message, this kind of thing is much rarer (but usually much more mind-bending when it does happen).
Thankfully, there is still an old staple (ahem) of the Ad magazines to fall back on, untouched since the 80's. As a sales feature (and to aid browsing) the first two words of an ad are set in bold type - free of charge! The catch in this is that the typesetters embolden the first two words exactly. Whether you want this to happen to or not and without care of the consequences.
Unfortunately, the sellers don't always take this into account when providing ad copy:
Newborn Baby (huh?) ...cradle and swing with lights and... Oh! I see,
Semi-retired Camper ...disposing of a large variety of gear.
Semi-retired Camper ...disposing of a large variety of gear.
Men's Fat ...Face brand clothing
and frequently much worse.
Also: Just to prove me wrong, this week's issue has *two* printer cartridges for Epsom printers for sale. No Omegas though. Sadly.
