# Simulated typewriter typeface in Microsoft Word? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [May 31, 2007, 7:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/simulated-typewriter-typeface-in-microsoft-word/406232 "2007-05-31T19:45:41Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 8\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Tuckerfan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/eada6e/32.png) [@Tuckerfan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tuckerfan)\ **Post date:** [June 1, 2007, 9:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/simulated-typewriter-typeface-in-microsoft-word/406232/21 "2007-06-01T21:14:33Z")
[QUOTE=Mr. Moto] Same reason you use one to turn out something that looks like a wanted poster from the Wild West, or James Lileks uses 40s and 50s motifs to jazz up his website. Computers are great tools for graphic design. [/QUOTE] _Really?_ You think a person could make a living using a computer to do graphic design? šŸ˜‰ ---
**Author:** ![Acsenray](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/acsenray/32/4519_2.png) [@Acsenray](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Acsenray)\ **Post date:** [June 4, 2007, 1:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/simulated-typewriter-typeface-in-microsoft-word/406232/22 "2007-06-04T01:08:35Z")
I found several interesting typewriter-simulation typefaces by doing a search as suggested. There are some pretty good ones there. But what I realized is that what I really want is an ā€œidealizedā€ typewriter typeface. I want a Royal and an Underwood, but the Royal typefaces I found were a bit _too_ distressed. Anyone locate one that looks like it came from the ideally perfect Royal instead of a battered 60-year-old one? Also, I wonder if there is any software out there that allows you to hear the sound of typing on a Royal or an Underwood manual while youā€™re using the associated typeface in a word processor. ---
**Author:** ![Tuckerfan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/eada6e/32.png) [@Tuckerfan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tuckerfan)\ **Post date:** [June 4, 2007, 1:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/simulated-typewriter-typeface-in-microsoft-word/406232/23 "2007-06-04T01:21:32Z")
There were programs that simulated the sound of a typewriter, but Iā€™ve no idea what their names are. I also think that they made noise whenever you hit a key, and not just when you were using a specific font in a word processor. ---
**Author:** ![da\_pope](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/7ba0ec/32.png) [@da\_pope](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/da_pope)\ **Post date:** [June 4, 2007, 1:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/simulated-typewriter-typeface-in-microsoft-word/406232/24 "2007-06-04T01:28:08Z")
[http://www.yaodownload.com/utilites/system-utilities/keyboard-sounder/](http://www.yaodownload.com/utilites/system-utilities/keyboard-sounder/) demo is free, but $25 sounds a bit steep just to make noiseā€¦ ---
**Author:** ![da\_pope](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/7ba0ec/32.png) [@da\_pope](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/da_pope)\ **Post date:** [June 4, 2007, 1:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/simulated-typewriter-typeface-in-microsoft-word/406232/25 "2007-06-04T01:30:06Z")
hereā€™s a free one: [http://www.soft32.com/Download/Free/Home\_Typist/4-8374-1.html](http://www.soft32.com/Download/Free/Home_Typist/4-8374-1.html) ---
**Author:** ![BrandonR](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/779978/32.png) [@BrandonR](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrandonR)\ **Post date:** [June 4, 2007, 2:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/simulated-typewriter-typeface-in-microsoft-word/406232/26 "2007-06-04T02:52:50Z")
Just go to a Goodwill and buy a typewriter for less than the cost of the software and fonts. šŸ™‚ ---
**Author:** ![crowmanyclouds](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/crowmanyclouds/32/19884_2.png) [@crowmanyclouds](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/crowmanyclouds)\ **Post date:** [June 4, 2007, 4:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/simulated-typewriter-typeface-in-microsoft-word/406232/27 "2007-06-04T04:05:00Z")
[QUOTE=acsenray] ā€¦ Also, I wonder if there is any software out there that allows you to hear the sound of typing ā€¦ [/QUOTE] I use this, [Noisy Keyboard](http://members.tripod.com/~leeos/index-12.html) (and [Noisy Mouse](http://members.tripod.com/~leeos/index-2.html)), itā€™s free, itā€™s small -500 KB, and basically just adds events to the Windows Control Panel/Sounds module while itā€™s running. You can assign special sounds to certain keys (arrow keys, space bar, back space and delete keys) or give them all the same sound. It comes with 7 .wav files, but any .wav file could be used. [QUOTE=acsenray] ā€¦ a Royal or an Underwood manual while youā€™re using the associated typeface in a word processor. [/QUOTE] That it wonā€™t do, youā€™d have to reset all the sound events for the keyboard every time you change fonts. If ya hunt around there are lots of old timey keystroke sounds on the web, maybe not the exact sound that a Royal or Underwood manual would make but close enough. CMC fnord! ---
**Author:** ![Acsenray](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/acsenray/32/4519_2.png) [@Acsenray](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Acsenray)\ **Post date:** [June 4, 2007, 2:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/simulated-typewriter-typeface-in-microsoft-word/406232/28 "2007-06-04T14:10:55Z")
[QUOTE=BrandonR] Just go to a Goodwill and buy a typewriter for less than the cost of the software and fonts. šŸ™‚ [/QUOTE] Ah, yes, that _would_ be simpler, but really I only want to _simulate_ typing. My pinkies have never been strong enough to operate a manual, no matter how much I played around with my dadā€™s old Smith-Corona as a kid. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/simulated-typewriter-typeface-in-microsoft-word/406232.md?page=1)