Feb 10
Basic design
What I like so much about Fred Showker is that he sees the graphic design industry from more than one angle--he's is a working designer, an experienced teacher and presenter, a bit of a technoid, and the creative mind behind one of the top marketing and design resources on the Web--the Graphic Design & Publishing Center.
Not only does he stay curious about what's next, he has amassed a huge archive of insightful articles and tutorials on design, photography, typography, marketing, and the business of graphic design.
He recently did a major reorganization and re-launch of the site so, if you haven't already, I urge you to take a look.
The Design & Publishing Center...
Example 1: Visual Proofreading: 10 Rules...
Example 2: Designing Spaces...
Example 3: Throw Your Press Release in the Trash...
Fred's bio...
I've been a subscriber to his newsletter, DT&G NEWS, for years...
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Dec 2
Typography
Alison Morris at Publishers Weekly points us to a couple of typefaces with big personality. One culled from a 1923 Speedball lettering manual and several from the Tart Workshop--a great source I had not yet found. (Thanks to my sister Deb Green for pointing us to Alison.)
Milk Script from Sudtipos...
Silverstein from Tart Workshop...
Nelly Script from Tart Workshop...
Seasoned Hostess from Tart Workshop...
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Nov 30
Typography
In her own words, "The Daily Drop Cap is an ongoing project by typographer and illustrator Jessica Hische. Each day (or at least each WORK day), a new hand-crafted decorative initial cap will be posted for your enjoyment and for the beautification of blog posts everywhere."
It is a sight to behold.
An example...
The home page...
A stellar Christmas present type lovers...
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Nov 9
Illustration
If you want some terrific presentation inspiration, head over to The Art of the Title Sequence. It demonstrates how top film title designers, past and present, combine pictures with words to communicate ideas in thoughtful and intriguing ways.
While there, check out the wonderful collection of alphabet posters created for the film Coraline. Take note of how each letter of the alphabet is modified to provide a secondary meaning.
These are the titles for Coraline...
For fun... the Coraline movie site...
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Oct 23
Typography
Hope you'll share this with someone who has yet to grasp the idea that honest work deserves honest treatment. If they want to trade fonts and images outside of established licensing, all we ask is that they first email the designer to explain why they think the ability to create a design and the long hours necessary to produce and market it, does not merit compensation.
Here's an example of one step of the font design process. It does not even address the issue of the talent and dedication it takes to determine a need and to design something that is useful, stylish, and distinctive.
Watch John Roshell create the Moritat font...
The finished typeface...
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Oct 16
Typography
It's one thing to choose from a large catalog of typefaces--it is another to envision how those same faces might be used on specific projects. Font Bureau's Image and Project Galleries reveal how designers apply particular combinations of typefaces to actual publications.
Be sure to click the "Inside Pages" tab to see the complete demonstration...
And the Project Gallery...
The entire Image Gallery (not as complete explanations)...
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Sep 30
Typography
Just when I have fooled myself into thinking I have some type of handle on the scope of what designers are designing, I come across something like this. These organic, three-dimensional typographic illustrations by designer Luca Ionescu of Like Minded Studio redefine (to me) what is possible. Old dog. New trick?
Example 1: from Texas Monthly magazine...
Example 2... (Full post)
Like Minded Studio...
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Sep 21
Illustration
I don't have a clue about the subject matter here but Aaron Horkey's illustrations and hand-lettered word groupings are fabulous.
BTW, anyone know of an official term for the assembly of individual words into a composition—the process of putting together the pieces of the puzzle? Seems as if there should be a term for it other than "word grouping."
Example one...
Example two...
His portfolio on Rock of Eye...
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Sep 16
Typography
This site, to me, is interesting on at least three different levels. First, it uses a standard metaphor—the printed page—in a slightly different way. When you click "Preview" at the top right of the screen, the entire page shifts to reveal the surface underneath it.
Second, I like the subtleties of the folds and light manifest as different shades of yellow.
And third, the icons ain't bad either!
Royalty-free vector icons, glyphs, and symbols based on the Helvetica Bold typeface...
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Aug 28
Typography
If you can continually expand your visual vocabulary, every day is new. What I like most about "lapsed Graphic Designer" Marian Bantjes is the seemingly endless ways she invents to say a thing. I'm guessing that making each project different is a challenge she relishes. Here are some wonderful examples.
A menu of items...
And then something entirely different...
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Aug 10
Illustration
Alison Carmichael has a wonderful gift for all types of lettering design. You can see the depth of her talent under "Poster ads."
See "Poster ads"...
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Aug 3
Ideas 101
True passion is rare.
Much creative energy and expertise is expended moving value from one hand to the other. That's not a criticism--commerce makes lots of good things possible--I am a card carrying member of the commerce thing. But I can't help but take special notice when I encounter expressions of interest and involvement that appear at least, to have grown out of a pure devotion to its subject.
I see that in a new publication--UPPERCASE magazine (2009). A magazine? Are you kidding?! Who starts a magazine in the year of Twitter? People with passion do--their names are Janine Vangool and Deidre Martin and they've enlisted the help of an eclectic collection of talented contributors--designers, illustrators, photographers, typographers, writers, and others.
The purpose of UPPERCASE is to take a look at the creative process from all angles: profiling creatives, peeking into work environments, pointing to examples of styles and palettes, uncovering interesting ephemera--they even devote a section of the magazine to brief profiles of five or six of their subscribers--an approach that (to me) demonstrates something important about their thinking.
Enough with the accolades--at this point you probably think these are relatives of mine--they aren't, I have no connection with them whatsoever. But I can tell you the first thing I did after closing the last page was to go online and subscribe. I figure that when you find a passion you share, you should support it.
UPPERCASE Magazine: Issue 2 preview...
The magazine is just part of the mix, their web includes lots of interesting material...
Their blog...
You can buy the current issue or subscribe here...
Once you've seen it, I'd love to hear your comments below...
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Jul 24
Typography
While we're on the subject of ephemera (my post on Monday). How would you use it? Well, one way certainly is to choose parts and pieces as influence and inspiration. Another way is to recast it in a new light. That is what Lorenzo Petrantoni does. In fact, in a profile on his philosophy in Communication Arts, he says, "I love old books. I want to bring them back to life, discover their stories and tell the present through the past."
A Petrantoni illustration for The New York Times Magazine...
The profile of Petrantoni at commarts.com...
Lorenzo Petrantoni's web...
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Jul 20
Learning
Dick Sheaff is, among other things, is a collector of ephemera [i-fem-er-uh]--materials that were designed to be disposed of after they served their purpose: advertisements, pamphlets, posters, programs, labels, and so on. Sheaff is now sharing some of the best of his collection online. It is wonderful, inspirational stuff--a must see.
Sheaff is also a designer of postage stamps. Search Arago (a resource of the Smithsonian's National Postage Museum) and you will find Sheaff listed as the designer of over 100 stamps.
Sheaff's Gaslight Style Ephemera...
Sheaff's Artistic Printing Ephemera...
Sheaff's front page...
Sheaff's work on Arago, a resource of the Smithsonian's National Postage Museum...
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Jul 17
Learning
I was reading one of Tim Girvin's blog posts this evening (the well-respected calligrapher, writer, and designer) in which he mentions that his mentor was Lloyd J. Reynolds. That made me curious--who was Lloyd Reynolds?
A little detective work turned up this progression: In 1896 William Richard Lethaby (1857-1931) founded the Central School of Arts and Crafts in London, England. In 1899 Lethaby encouraged a colleague, Edward Johnston (1872-1944), to start a class on illumination. One of his students was Alfred J. Fairbank (1896-1982) who later referred to himself as a "disciple" of Johnston. Fairbank was Reynolds' (1902-1978) mentor. And, as I explained, Girvin (1953- ) now names Reynolds as his mentor.
Why should you care? Because I think it is a good reminder of the importance of sharing what we know. This simple progression--Lethaby, Johnston, Fairbank, Reynolds, and Girvin--demonstrates a clear, distinct path of ideas and encouragement that was passed from teacher to student. Read their history and look at their work and you will see how profoundly one influenced the next.
About Lethaby...
About Johnston...
About Fairbank...
About Reynolds...
About Girvin...
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Jul 15
Basic design
Historic Stock Market is an international online-market for historical shares, old stocks, bonds, and financial documents. Their collection includes at least 20,000 old stock and bond certificates, many of which include elaborate illustrations, ornate typography, and/or highly complex borders and patterns. This is one place to remember when you need some graphic design inspiration.
Look at the meticulously crafted filigree on this 1920s British certificate...
and this French certificate from the 1890s...
If you're interested in exploring further...
Another excellent source: George H. LaBarre Galleries...
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Jun 26
Typography
In addition to the fact that OurType offers some interesting typefaces, their web page offers some unique ideas about navigation. I must admit it took me a couple of beats to figure out that you click and drag the orange arrows to move up and down, but other than that I like how the designer has made everything accessible from one screen. The only downside being I can't point you to specific information--no variable URL.
OurType...
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Jun 22
Typography
Art director and designer Kent Henderson has assembled a wonderful collection of type specimens via Flickr under the umbrella of Depression Press.
Kent's “Typecase” set...
More print- and type-centric sets...
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May 22
Mind Vacations
Well--would you settle for Fonts, a couple of entertaining film shorts? You can thank (or blame) my son Jeff for bringing these to our attention.
Font Conference...
Font Fight...
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Mar 23
Typography
We've all run up against a typeface we want to use but can't identify. Just in case you had not come across it, here is a link to one of the type community's great resources: The Typophile Type ID Board. If this collective can't name it (or at least give you a hint to its origin) you may as well give it up.
And while we're on the subject, kudos to those of you who are willing to participate in the un-puzzling. The only thing that makes a forum like this possible is the willingness of those who participate in it. As someone who needs an occasional assist, I thank you.
The Typophile Type ID Board...
If, by chance, you are not familiar with the great resource that is Typophile, here is the front door...
In the Ideabook Design Store: Getting It Printed...
Jan 30
Typography
Check out this interesting series of interviews by font mega-reseller MyFonts.com. It includes profiles of some of the best including Jim Parkinson, Mark Simonson, Christian Schwartz, and David Berlow.
Creative Characters from MyFonts...
NEW in the Ideabook Design Store: Tintbook CMYK Process Color Selector...
Dec 24
Typography
It's a claim that stirs more than a little controversy, but FontShop gave it a shot. They enlisted seven people who most would acknowledge as experts and weighted the list as follows:
Sales figures: 40%
Historical significance: 30%
Aesthetic quality: 30%
It is opinion, obviously, but pretty interesting.
The list...
A rough translation of the explanation (German to English) via Google Translate ...
A booklet with the list and illustrations (in German) (6.8MB PDF)...
In the Ideabook Design Store: Templates for InDesign, QuarkXpress, or PageMaker...
Nov 12
Typography
FontEmbedding.com states it clearly: "Applications, authoring tools and operating systems provide various, often very powerful, ways to manipulate, package, embed and modify fonts. But just because your software makes it easy to do does not mean you have the legal rights to do so. That is why it is very important to understand the license agreement which covers various commercial fonts."
As we design web sites using methods such as sIFR (Scalable Inman Flash Replacement) and electronic documents using encoding processes such as PDF (Portable Document Format), we need to be aware of the underlying information being attached in the background.
Does a special license need to be purchased? Do security special measures need to be instituted? This is an ongoing discussion between communication designers, type designers, IT managers, and so on that is resulting in a mishmash of licenses and rules. Since you and I must understand and comply with the results, we need to be aware of the issue. In case you have not yet addressed it, here's an introduction.
An overview of font embedding...
An example of how one leading foundary (Hoefler & Frere-Jones) addresses the issue: "What's involved in using fonts on websites?" and "Can I use fonts to make PDFs?" ...
In the Ideabook Design Store: FontHead Typefaces...
Oct 3
Typography
Recently, I've heard buzz from several corners about Museo, a font designed by a Dutch art director named Jos Buivenga and published by his foundry, exljbris.
There are two interesting things about it. First, it is a well-designed font that deserves a look. And second point of interest is how it is being marketed. The Museo family is listed on MyFonts.com in five different styles—what amounts to light to heavy. The mid-range weights are offered for free and the lightest and heaviest versions are priced like a regular font. A clever way to get you to try it. I, of course, want the other two weights as wells. Hence I will be light $33.
Museo at MyFonts.com...
A new family, Museo Sans at MyFonts.com...
Jos Buivenga's foundry: exljbris...
Jos Buivenga's blog...
In the Ideabook Design Store: Art Parts Clip Art...
Sep 19
Typography
Half the battle of organizing a toolbox is keeping track of what's in it. One handy resource we all have access to (but that I rarely use) is the collection of symbols and dingbats associated with various fonts on our systems. Jesse Gardner has made browsing and inserting these little gems a breeze with an ingenious tool called SymbolAssist.
The idea is simple: you locate the symbol you want to use on the SymbolAssist chart and click it to copy it to your computer's clipboard. Then, you simply paste it into whatever you are writing or designing. (Paste on the Mac is Command-V, on the PC is Control-V). Very cool.
SymbolAssist from Plasticmind.com...
In the Ideabook Design Store: Becoming a Graphic Designer
Sep 1
Typography
John Parker, the Director of Brand Communication at Veer, has posted a sneak peek at Compendium. A hard-edged calligraphic script that boasts almost 700 glyphs.
Compendium Specimen (1.8MB PDF)...
Parker's post...
In the Ideabook Design Store: The Color Harmony Guide...
Aug 29
Typography
I have pointed to Michael Doret's typographic illustrations in an earlier post but I just became aware that Doret offers four comprehensive typefaces that you can use to build your own illustrations. Below is a link to the foundry (Alphabet Soup) followed by the instruction guides for each of the four typefaces.
Michael Doret's Alphabet Soup...
Metroscript (600KB PDF)...
PowerStation (900KB PDF)...
Bank Gothic AS (600KB PDF)...
Orion (1MB PDF)...
In the Ideabook Design Store: The Copywriter's Handbook...
Aug 15
Typography
I don't know that I have seen anything quite like this before. It is so simple yet so compelling, it just stopped me in my tracks. The fact that you must read your way through it ensures you get the message. On top of all that, the idea of supporting folks around the world with micro loans is a wonderful idea that is proving to be an valuable way to communicate caring and sharing--love it. Thanks to Jesse Gardner at plasticmind.com for pointing to it.
The Girl Effect...
In the Ideabook Design Store: Moleskine Notebooks...
Aug 6
Typography
On the cover of Adobe's Font page is an interesting collection of type plus motion. It demonstrates some theoretical uses and provides an abbreviated look at how you build an effect in programs such as InDesign and After Effects. I particularly like selection number five: DVD Menus.
Click “Step inside and be moved”...
In the Ideabook Design Store: Becoming a Graphic Designer
Aug 4
Typography
One way to improve your understanding of typography and to master proportion and placement is to study the relationship between characters and shapes in fine handwriting and calligraphy. And the ideal place to start is at the International Association of Master Penmen, Engrossers, and Teachers of Handwriting (IAMPETH).
The gallery......
A wonderful collection of out-of-print books on calligraphy and penmanship in PDF form...
In the Ideabook Design Store: Before & After: Graphics For Business...
Jul 16
Typography
Here's the presentation catalog from Tipos Latinos 2008 in Buenos Aires. I am particularly taken by the typeface Presidencia on page 12 designed by Gabriel Martinez Meave of Kimera Type.
Tipos Latinos 2008...
In the Ideabook Design Store: The Copywriter's Handbook...
Jul 9
Typography
I received a heads-up from Dave Seidl of Ascender Corporation pointing me to their new commercial/reseller font web at fontmarketplace.com—I found it to be an interesting new source. They offer a unique End User License Agreement that allows them to sell certified true type fonts for $5.
Ascender is the BASF of the typographic world. By that I mean they could easily adopt BASF's famous tag line: “We don't make a lot of the products you buy. We make a lot of the products you buy better.”
For example, Ascender's Steve Matteson designed a family of fonts named Convection for the Xbox 360. And they are also credited the design of Droid, a family of fonts licensed to Google for Android—a new open, free mobile platform.
The Convection family for the Xbox 360...
The Droid family for Google's Android platform...
Ascender's new FontMarketplace.com...
In the Ideabook Design Store: Brenner Pricing Tables...
Jul 2
Typography
Scott & Nix is a publishing firm specializing in nature and science books. What you might not know (if you are not another obsessed type nut) is that it is owned by Charles Nix who also happens to be the current president of the Type Directors Club.
I tell you that to tell you this: the Scott & Nix site includes a list of fifty-plus typefaces S&N designers use in their work. The accompanying lead begins: “Typography is both the form of type and how it is used. It plays a major role in differentiating our products from the rest. We consider the typefaces below to be essential raw ingredients to our work.”
They know of what they speak.
The Scott & Nix typeface list...
There is also a list of 100 Typographic Books...
The Type Directors Club...
In the Ideabook Design Store: Moleskine Notebooks...
May 9
Typography
You need real guts to take on a job like this. Amsterdam studio Bolt Graphics designed this handsome set of posters for Adidas and translated them into 24 languages—not just translated words but word illustrations.
Bolt Graphics posters...
In the Ideabook Design Store: Templates for InDesign, QuarkXpress, or PageMaker...
Mar 14
Typography
To me, this is a design painting. You have to step back from it to see what all the brush strokes add up to. You can argue that the technique is an impediment to reading, but it certainly made me take notice.
The Schwarzdesign blog...
An English version (via Google Translate)...
Google Translate (in case you have not used it)...
In the Ideabook Design Store: The Color Harmony Guide...
Feb 6
Typography
I have been a Tim Girvin fan for many years. He has long been one of the premiere calligraphers in the world. So I was excited to see his name on Will Sherwood's blog a couple of weeks ago—it was a real blast from the past. What I found is that there is nothing “past” about this innovator. His work is at the forefront of design and his knowledge of marketing and branding is second to none.
Tim Girvin's visual world...
His blog...
Jan 18
Typography
Why does a guy from the United Kingdom move to Japan to write about letters cut from German potatoes (01/13 post)? To explain it, John Boardley, the voice of ilovetypepography.com, invokes the words of type designer Eric Spiekerman, “I can’t explain it; I just like looking at type. I just get a total kick out of it. Other people look at bottles of wine or whatever...I just get kicks out of looking at type.”
Boardley offers a refreshing look at typography, both serious subjects and the simple joys of form and expression.
John Boardley's ilovetypepography.com...
Jan 11
Typography
There are understood “rules” in all disciplines of graphic design. In typography, there are widely accepted practices for the leading of lines, the kerning of individual characters, how and where lines of type should break, and so on. This example shows how you can base a design on defying those rules. Designer Miguel Ripoll demonstrates his keen understanding of type by transforming headlines and subheads into word illustrations.
Breaking typesetting rules...
Ripoll's portfolio...
Dec 17
Typography
Here is a handy little CSS generator for playing with typefaces, sizes, and colors. You adjust the settings until you find just the right combination then click “Generate CSS” to create and capture the code.
Typetester...
Dec 10
Typography
As publisher FontFont tells it, “It took three years and three designers to develop FF Meta Serif. ...Erik Spiekermann made several attempts at designing a counterpart for his groundbreaking FF Meta. He recommended Swift, Minion, FF Clifford, and others, until he realized that he should just buckle down and draw his own serif Meta. True to his principle of collaboration, Spiekermann enlisted the help of accomplished type designers Christian Schwartz and Kris Sowersby.” Gimme.
Meta Serif by Spiekermann, Schwartz, and Sowersby...
Spiekermann's blog...
Schwartz's site...
Sowersby's site...
Sep 14
Typography
I LOVE type. With two sons in art school, I am reminded of the importance typography plays in the education of designers. I am always thrilled to find others who have a passion for the art and science of typography—in this case, the Argentinean type foundry collective, Sudtipos. I would guess these designers prefer not to be pegged as designing for a certain industry, but the lyrical typefaces they produce have the kind of warmth that lends itself so well to food and hospitality projects. Wonderful.
They do both casual...
And elegant...
The entire menu...
My big list of foundries at Jumpola.com...
NEW in the Ideabook Design Store: Tintbook CMYK Process Color Selector...
Sep 5
Typography
Twenty-five years ago I was not alone in thinking the type industry was doomed. PhotoTypositor technology was on its last leg as the advent of digital fonts dropped the cost of display type from $4 per word to virtually free. How many typeface designers could survive such a total industry meltdown we thought?
Armageddon? Not so much. In their Our Favorite Fonts of 2006 article the folks at typographica.org estimate over 1,800 new commercial typefaces were released last year. Huge numbers of new typefaces, some of which are simply stunning.
Typographica's Our Favorite Fonts of 2006...
What the heck is a PhotoTypositor?
In the Ideabook Design Store: The Desktop Publisher's Idea Book...
Aug 20
Typography
Watch how Jessica Hische designs a typographic still life. Click on her typography portfolio (click the “T”) and page through. What strikes me is the near perfect balance of each composition.
Click the “T” to see Jessica's type design portfolio...
In the Ideabook Design Store: The Copywriter's Handbook...
Aug 15
Typography
An “ambigram” is an illustration that spells out a word and then respells it in another direction or orientation (if you are an expert, forgive me for the incomplete definition). It is easier for me to show you than tell you. Suffice it to say John Langdon is a master at creating them.
John Langdon's Ambigrams...
NEW in the Ideabook Design Store: Tintbook CMYK Process Color Selector...
Jul 18
Typography
If you love type, you'll love two wonderful hybrid films created by Brand New School (it seems to me that labeling them as advertisements doesn't afford them proper respect). While you're there, have a look around. Brand New School has a stunning portfolio of work.
Toyota Slippery Styling (click on “Images” below the screen to see stills)...
Toyota Sportivo...
Gush, gush...A marvelous mural installation they created for Adobe...
The Brand New School montage...
In the Ideabook Design Store: Design-It-Yourself: Graphic Workshop...
Jun 11
Typography
This typeface, designed by Eduardo Rodríguez Tunni, caught my eye for two reasons: First, because of the unusual mix of hard angles and slopes, and second, because it is so finely rendered. The examples show that the most dramatic effect is achieved through the use of the complete set of alternative characters.
The Titulata typeface...
A specimen brochure (228KB PDF) ...
Another beautifully cut face from the same foundry, Malena...
In the Ideabook Design Store: Before & After Page Design...
Apr 18
Typography
Among the word marks created by lettering designer Holly Dickens, you will find more than a few familiar names: Intel, Kraft, Procter & Gamble. As with most work: if the end product looks simple, you can be certain an enourmous amount of work went into the research and execution. Love the cover page of her Web—striking!
Her Web...
Her Workbook Portfolio...
Mar 2
Typography
At the 2007 Macworld Conference and Expo, Extensis hosted a discussion on font design. They cover topics such as trends, licensing, the scope of the process and so on.
The Extensis Font University...
Feb 2
Typography
Roger Black continues to reinvent his signature palette to great effect: Giza and Interstate typefaces and black, red, and white space.
Black's blog...
Jan 22
Typography
This is an excellent demonstration of the importance of letter spacing. I tried a few and agreed with most of the solutions. (Except for the ones I got wrong—they, of course, were mistakes on the author's part.)
The Typography Workshop (Univ of Delaware)...
Did well? Treat yourself to this...
Jan 5
Typography
Watch how this designer uses what might be termed a whimsical typeface for a very serious subject.
www.stepupspeakout.com
Jan 1
Typography
Not all typefaces need to look as though they are highly engineered.
A new set of distressed typefaces by Device.
The Device set at www.veer.com
Another in the recent wave of handwriting fonts at www.p22.com
Nov 29
Typography
Tobias Frere-Jones, now a principal of and Director of Typography for Hoefler & Frere-Jones, is the architect of two of my top ten typeface families: Interstate and Griffith Gothic.
GriffithGothic
Interstate
About Tobias Frere-Jones
Nov 17
Typography
Here, the choice of typefaces and the gentle swale of the headlines demonstrates how profoundly even a small element can influence overall design.
www.pronghornclub.com
Oct 27
Typography
On this page—the designer makes the reverse type pop by subduing everything else on the page:
www.fontsmith.com
Oct 13
Typography
If you do not yet know Comicraft, you have not seen the definitive site for comic book fonts. Like great comic book art, the fonts are tightly rendered and beautifully proportioned.
http://www.comicbookfonts.com
Oct 11
Typography
Ray Fenwick's “Hall of Best Knowledge” is a collection of wonderful typographic riffs—fascinating.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/rayfenwick/sets/787564/
Sep 13
Typography
I can think of lots of business marketing applications for this product—Wall Words are pre-pasted and pre-spaced transfer letters for painted walls, wallpaper, windows, mirrors, furniture and metal.
http://www.wallwords.com/index.htm
Sep 11
Typography
The Typetester is an online application for comparison of the fonts for the screen.
http://typetester.maratz.com/
Apr 21
Typography
As defined The Society of Typographic Aficionados (SOTA) is “an international not-for-profit organization dedicated to the promotion, study, and support of type, its history and development, its use in the world of print and digital imagery, its designers, and its admirers.” This exhibit is worth a look.
The 2003 exhibit...
http://www.typegallery.com/TG2003/circa.html
The Society of Typographic Aficionados (SOTA)...
http://www.typesociety.org/
Apr 7
Typography
I love the lyrical sense of these fonts and this site. It is the work of Just van Rossum and Erik van Blokland in The Hague and Haarlem, The Netherlands.
LettError Type & Typography...
Speaking of type tools, one of the most impressive type preview tools I've seen is the Type Tester at Letterhead Fonts.
Choose "Type Tester" from the top menu bar...
Feb 6
Typography
Lots of sites claim to be creating “community” but Typophile.com looks like the real deal. I count hundreds of type aficionados trading intelligent comments, questions, and answers—and found an excellent collection of type-related articles and interviews. The cover is here:
The Typophile community
Jan 16
Typography
And now for something completely different. Take a tour with Phil Baines (curator of the Central Lettering Record) through central London to see an eclectic collection of public lettering examples.
http://www.publiclettering.org.uk/
Jan 9
Typography
Years ago Chuck Davis happened across a font software program and decided to use it to translate some of the letters used to hand paint signs into font form. Thank goodness for happenstance. To see the result—Letterhead Fonts.
http://www.letterheadfonts.com/
To see examples of how to use them.
http://www.letterheadfonts.com/gallery/index.php
For free fonts and software.
http://www.letterheadfonts.com/downloads/index.shtml
Dec 28
Typography
I'd be surprised if there is a total of 800 words on the whole of designer Gerard Huerta's Web. His logos, magazine covers, illustrations say everything that needs to be said. Recognize any of these publication nameplates?
http://www.gerardhuerta.com/mastheads/display.htm
His lettering illustrations are second to none.
http://www.gerardhuerta.com/lettering/display.htm
Want more? Take the entire tour.
http://www.gerardhuerta.com/
Dec 7
Typography
The Hoefler & Frere-Jones Type Foundry, to my way of thinking, ranks among the top type foundries on the planet. Jonathan Hoefler, the founder, has created original typeface designs for no less than Rolling Stone, Harper's Bazaar, The New York Times Magazine, Sports Illustrated, and Esquire. If you've not yet discovered Knockout, the redevelopment of Hoefler's first typeface, Champion Gothic, run don't walk.
http://www.typography.com/
