Vintage work crew photos

[Toolmaker51]

'Font' also is the correct term for letters/ figures used in manual pantograph/ drag engravers. Each letter, number (many punctuation marks are combined) is a brass plate, cut as a ball nose endmill would, into the surface. That is what's guiding the stylus. They range in size, IIRC in pica graduations, pantograph arms adjusted desired size further by ratios. I'm sure they could be had in various languages and styles; only familiar with that resembling Arial, Times Roman, Old English.
Illustrated here on the left.



Illustrated on the right;
Another device, best known is the 'Leroy', worked nearly same way, but all the figures on a single plastic plate. They were used in drafting too, especially final inked sheets meant for lots of handling, or to be retained indefinitely. I bought an old patent application from 1948-1950; they are inked, sharp as day they were completed.

[the harmonious blacksmith]

Font is also used for Linotype/Intertype, Ludlow and other matrices used in linecasting or type casting equipment as well. Still, the fixed quantity of a particular typeface, weight and size pretty much applies.