1877 US in baseball; metaphorical usage from 1896, more generally from 1930. Since at least 1870, baseball teams would reissue tickets in case of postponement due to rain, which became known as rain checks.
Update: In fact, the latest update of iPhoto is using Helvetica Neue. And now there's Avenir, a Linotype typeface and Apple's new favorite. It was designed by Adrian Frutiger in 1988, inspired by two old school typefaces created in the 20s: Erbar by Jakob Erbar and Futura by Paul Renner.
Tabular Figures. Gotham with Sentinel. The numbers in a font can reveal where the design will work best. For setting text, look for a font with variable-width âproportionalâ figures; for aligning columns of numbers, choose a font with âtabularâ figures.For annual reports, make sure your font has both: these families from Hoefler & Co. do.abular Figures. Gotham with Sentinel. The numbers in a font can reveal where the design will work best. For setting text, look for a font with variable-width âproportionalâ figures; for aligning columns of numbers, choose a font with âtabularâ figures.