Envelope – print ad, The Headliners of Canada Ltd., Allan Fleming, 1961

Cooper & Beatty acquired the exclusive Canadian rights to Headliners Inc. in 1959, bringing the innovative New York photo-lettering service to the Canadian market under the name The Headliners of Canada Ltd. Headliners was quickly embraced by advertising agencies for its ability to deliver custom-set display lettering, at a time when typographic options were still limited by the constraints of metal type. In 1961, the company had over 700 photo-lettering alphabets available for setting on glass plates – a number that would grow rapidly through the decade.

Each lettering job was delivered in a standardized glassine envelope. Lightweight, semi-transparent, and durable, these envelopes allowed art directors to identify and assess incoming materials at a glance – a practical detail that also reinforced the modern, high-quality image Headliners and Cooper & Beatty sought to project.

At the time, the only other photo-lettering operation in Toronto was Lettering Inc., a franchise of the Chicago-based parent company with a small office on Richmond Street. In 1963, that office was acquired by Mono Lino Typesetting, which rebranded the operation as Lettering Designs. This acquisition allowed Mono Lino to service the lucrative advertising market.

In addition to its vast library of alphabets, Headliners at C&B maintained an in-house staff of skilled lettering artists, high-resolution cameras, and custom darkroom equipment capable of modifying letterforms, spacing, and weight. In 1964, noted lettering artist Al Elliott joined the team, contributing for nearly a decade to Headliners’ reputation for typographic excellence and innovation. – Rod McDonald

Artifact Text

You get experience, skill, and perceptive art direction in every envelope from The Headliners of Canada Ltd. at 401 Wellington Street West, Toronto 2B, a division of Cooper & Beatty, Limited. When you order any one of The Headliners 700-plus styles, call Em 4–7272 / Montreal Un 1–7800 / Across Canada Zenith 81000